A Frank Lloyd Wright original
One of L.A.’s unique homes, the landmark George D. Sturges House in Brentwood Heights, is going up for auction next month.
Set up from the street on a sloping hillside, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed residence is part of the estate of actor Jack Larson and his partner, director James Bridges, that will be put up for bidding on Feb. 21.
Considered the only Usonian-style house in California — singlestory, middle-class residences designed by the Modernist architect — the home was built for George D. Sturges in 1939 under architect John Lautner’s supervision.
Larson and Bridges bought the 1,200-square-foot house in 1967 and commissioned Lautner to restore it in 1970.
The cantilevered structure deviates from the patterned textile blocks seen in such Wright-designed homes as the Storer and Ennis residences. Instead, walls of brick and horizontal bands of redwood form the basis of the twobedroom design. Open-plan interiors include living and dining rooms, built-in shelving and a brick fireplace. A 21-foot overhanging deck wraps around the exterior.
Original furnishings by Wright as well as original works by David Hockney and Andy Warhol are among 75 lots going up for auction. Proceeds will benefit the BridgesLarson Foundation in support of charitable, literary and educational endeavors.
The reserve price is confidential, but it will not be higher than the home’s low estimate of $2.5 million. Bidding may open above or below that amount at the auctioneer’s discretion.
Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA), in cooperation with Barry Sloane of Sotheby’s International Realty, is handling the sale.