Just went through the listing again and discovered another bit of dysfunction.

Here is a home office with a computer but not desk to actually use the computer and no chair that is actually functional for an office use. I'm sensitive to this one as I just remodeled and had a wall unit done which is both aesthetic and super functional. My printer is in a lower cabinet that slides out - my desk chair is a functional desk chair (i.e. wheels, support, adjustable) but it is upholstered in teal blue faux ostrich leather :-).

With all the money spent on what presumably are custom cabinets, why didn't the architect/designer create a functional office?

^^this cracks me up. I guess you are supposed to swivel from the monitor to the desk where presumably a keyboard would be. Also the bookstand is too high for anyone sitting at the desk to look at the book.

The office, it depends on how one uses an office. This might actually be appropriate for someone who holds more meetings, or had readings, or some such. I personally like my monitor farther away from my face, I'd like this!

For the bathtub, that was actually a trend in the mid-20th century decades. Absolutely useless! And difficult to get in and out of. A reverse trend was tubs you step down into.

I look at kitchens, too. I love the move Love, Actually, but I always wonder how Liam Neeson opens his refrigerator--doesn't the handle hit the wall?

@Shannon - Except the chairs don't swivel nor are they particularly designed to work as desk chairs. They are guest chairs not "task" chairs.

In terms of that bizarre faucet, you are correct as it is too low to accommodate the size of a pot one generally associates with the need for a pot filler. However given how little thought was paid to function it could perhaps be a pot filler which is as dysfunctional as the rest of the kitchen design.

I've been watching Million Dollar Listings LA for the past several months since getting satellite for the first time (we had two channels for about 20 years and then for the past few years lost both of those in some sort of blip) and it's one of my guilty pleasures. My favorite properties are the older houses, but it's bittersweet because I know most of those houses are either teardowns or soulless gutted flips.

There seems to be little thought given to the designing process or the staging. I suspect the office was staged as inexpensively as possible -- so no special aesthetic and super functional wall unit like Helen's -- and also not limiting in case the room needs to be a bedroom or den etc.

My main thoughts at the end of these episodes are that the wrong people have all the money, and I feel so sorry for the cleaning/cooking staff in most of these houses.

This is a newly designed house? I love the idea of minimal grout but I don't think that big white floor tile looks good at all. The rugs in the kitchen are one of the first things I noticed. They don't look high end at all. Nothing about these rooms looks very functional.

ETA: "My main thoughts at the end of these episodes are that the wrong people have all the money, and I feel so sorry for the cleaning/cooking staff in most of these houses."

I'd laugh but how very true, Becky!

@Beckysharp - Except Josh Flagg who has a real love for the classic old Los Angeles homes and in some of the episodes has actively tried to find buyers who want to restore rather than tear down.

The last season one of the plots was his wanting to restore a classic home versus his husband who wanted the ubiquitous modern new build.

Check out the whole listing at 1961 DeMille Drive - NOT ready for its closeup - at least IMO :-).

Except Josh Flagg who has a real love for the classic old Los Angeles homes and in some of the episodes has actively tried to find buyers who want to restore rather than tear down.

This is true, but there's only so much he can do faced with those who want to buy the properties. And at the end of the day he's in business to sell houses.

The last season one of the plots was his wanting to restore a classic home versus his husband who wanted the ubiquitous modern new build.

I know. This seems like something a newly married couple should be on the same page with, sigh.

@beckysharp - I think the "disagreement" was a bit staged for the show although I would suspect that it was grounded in truth as Josh Flagg has an old soul and his aesthete is more old Los Angeles than the ubiquitous modern stuff. As I recall, they wound up compromising.

And yes in the end, he has to represent the seller but at least he seems to make an effort to contact people he knows who are also interested in restoring rather than tearing down.

This is for sure an example of “just because you can , does not mean you should” but in LA this home owner might never cook at all .IMO steps upito a bathtub have always been awful not mention a real PITA to get in and out of.

Based on the listing, this seems like a "flip" to me - albeit it an expensive one.

Architect/designer ********* has created Hotel-like entertainment spaces with walls of disappearing glass to reveal awe-inspiring uninterrupted views from every floor; movie theatre, indoor/outdoor pool, indulgent baths, epicurean kitchen, museum art walls. Master suite occupies its own floor, providing unparalleled privacy. Lower suites allow endless possibilities to mix living and work: recording studio, gym, guest quarters or a combination of all. 6,680 sf of living space deliver the ultimate contemporary showcase escape.

Trust me , whoever buys this house will purchase it for its location & change things to suit their taste. I doubt that much cooking will be done in that kitchen ... most nights will be dining out or delivery from one of the local restaurants. our best friend built a house very similar, in a more traditional style, three years ago. She has yet to use the stove or oven, but has used the microwave when her home delivery meals need reheating, most nights are restaurants or her club.

This is for someone who doesn’t cook. It also feels cold and unattractive. I would have to rip everything out if I bought it.

I can’t see the sink either. It’s a huge part/need in my kitchen. I adore/love my 45” sink. My husband is amazed at how many dirty dishes it gets filled with every day and there’s just the two of us.

I pointed out that he also gets homemade everything from crackers to chocolate.

Helen...you are exactly on point! After seeing only the first two pictures you posted, I am flabbergasted at the stupid, useless kitchen plan. Nobody who has ever cooked must have done the planning.
Judging by the view, this is probably a condo high-rise in West Hollywood or the Wilshire corridor....high-priced neighborhoods.
Now I am going back to look at the rest of the photos.

felizlady, if you're in Los Feliz, I suspect you're closer to it than you think.

I just checked the listing and at least it's just from 1983, phew : ) . But it is a 6,600 square foot house in Laughlin Park.

Beachem you’re here! Hope all is ok.

The rugs are dire. The rest is foolishness on parade. Like The Emperor's New Clothes level foolish.

Those bathrooms give me the heebie-jeebies. Marble floors? Anyone looking for serious slips, maybe even a cracked head? Get water on those floors and watch out. (They are lovely, I admire them, I lust after them, but I am not stupid enough to ever get them.) And that kitchen? Yikes!

The house is designed by someone who does not have any common sense. for someone who does not cook, read, and does any work at home.

As soon as I saw the bathroom photos, I envisioned a crime scene where blood splashing all over from the person who gets out of the bath tub...if anyone could get out of that bath tub.

Architects are basically engineers. Very few are fit to design the interior aspects. I'd say they are hit or miss, whether or not they have any creativity for interior design. Some do, but in my experience, most don't. Most have no business trying to design a kitchen. If you have an architect that has good interior design "SENSE"...then you have a true gem!!!! Only thing this kitchen has going for it is an amazing view!!!

I'm that person who deiberately designed a (wide and very non-slippery) step to the tub, because to me, it's extremely beneficial..it ensures more stability when getting in and out, I can sit on the ledge, etc. It's a very personalized set-up. I use it every day. sometimes twice a day.

but these on the picture, they read "we're your death sentence" to me

I can't get to the link of the listing itself..nothing happens when I click on photos.

Glad to see beachem!

april, try this,

https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales/detail/180-l-1171-tjz2z4/1961-de-mille-drive-los-feliz-los-angeles-ca-90027

1961 DeMille Listing

“Million Dollar Listings L.A.” was mentioned above. They have countless subjects to showcase since it’s almost impossible to find a house in Los Angeles for under a million dollars.

The blue rugs in particular are really odd. They are obviously trying for a high end look, but missing the mark on functional redesign of this 1980's house. The tv next to the painting over the fireplace looks like an afterthought. Perhaps there's an occupant who really wanted the rugs in the echoing kitchen, a tv to watch, and a printer to use. And so on. The vimeo video gives the location context.

Yes flopsycat1, it’s even worse in coastal OC where I live. Tiny old tear downs on tiny lots are way over $1m, assuming you find one.

Truly it must be so freeing to not care about how houses look like some of us here do. Most people would see this house and be impressed by it's size, amenities and views. Others of us are not as fortunate ;-)

A couple mentions in this thread about where’s the sink. One of the listing photos shows the kitchen at a slightly different angle. If I expand the pic on my phone screen, I see a sink! (to the right of the lemons) Yes, there is *A* sink in this kitchen. Looks tiny. They had that huge counter to install a sink, and that’s what they installed LOL. And, while at the sink, your back is to the view.

I don't know..I remember having a friend stay in our previous place with us for a week, (was a 2100 sq f townhouse), and she told me:

-it's a bit small, isn't it?

I told her:

-doesn't seem small, when I'm cleaning it..?

(and I do have cleaning ladies that come to help. Once in two weeks)

I see potential dangers first..)) I agree would be freeing not to. I was a very brave toddler for example. But now..

Like, the safest way for me to go into the water there would be jacuzzi..))

What is with the tubs in this home? Here is another one (in addition to the tub mentioned near the top of this thread). I cannot figure how one gets in and out unless you have the legs of a pro basketball player.

On the other hand....maybe the homeowner purchased all the appliances and the architect did his/her best to make them work. This recently happened to me. A client had purchased a new home and bought some high end appliances on sale....without even having a kitchen design done yet! I barely made them fit. Sometimes, a bad design is due to buying things ahead of time and trying to squeeze them in to work.

It's all about the view. They took out the entire wall to put in the cantina door. Did you notice how shallow the balcony is? Whoever buys that house will eat out and have a personal chef who delivers and reheats and caterers when they entertain.

just want to clarify that this was almost certainly done as a flip as the listing specifies the architect/designer and represents what someone assumes a mythical buyer is goijng to want. I don’t think any thought was put into actually living in a home.

And there are lots lots of showcase kitchens in the LA listings but I very rarely see one that is so completely dysfunctional.

I know this neighborhood. Its super desirable. If it sits long an international investor will snag it up for less than the asking price.

Definitely staged poorly... leave it to Patricia Ruben! It's in a gated community that used to all be the Cecil B. Demille estate hence the name of the street. In fact, on the high point of Demille drive is the original Demille house now owned by Angelina Jolie, purchased post divorce.

The blue rugs have a bit of a guy vibe. It kind of looks like they were TRYING to hide the functional parts to the kitchen, and that it’s mainly used for scrambled eggs and cereal (look at me cooking) and the big counter is for laying out a spread of party food/drinks. No idea how you are supposed to use the computer without a keyboard. I wouldn’t Complain tho if I was actually able afford that house/someone handed it to me gratis tomorrow. House prices are crazy here, we had a 7 million dollar listing of an historic house in a private enclave, can’t imagine it having much land around it, but it was a gorgeous gorgeous house.

What strikes me (cabinet maker’s son) is how cheap the cabinetry is in this home. Look at the kitchen and even more so the bath. In a high end kitchen, the doors and drawers should line up with surgical precision. Here, the gaps are all uneven. It is especially important in a contemporary, minimalist design. It makes it look cheap, really shoddy.

And I still don’t know where the kitchen sink is.

Jpp221 - I pointed out the sink about 9 posts up.

Ha, it's sold already!

The kitchen is very poorly designed, at best, and ridiculous at worst. All that money for zero function. At least it has a beautiful view of Los Angeles.
The bathroom is a death trap...all slick tile and hard edges. It will cost a lot to undo that space and redo the room with safety in mind.
Obviously the “designer”, and I use that word loosely, doesn’t cook and only takes showers.

That may be but it sold rather quickly.

Zillow is now showing it as a month-to-month rental ($32.5k/month)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1961-De-Mille-Dr-Los-Angeles-CA-90027/20809686_zpid/?

M Miller, I'm still not convinced that's a sink, although there is the mystery object that looks like a faucet. I don't see any change in the island surface that would suggest a sink. But it's been a long day on Houzz, lol

It would make a great movie set. The listing states there is a double sink. But the thing by the stove might be a pot filler.

More money doesn’t mean more thinking/perception.

Money does not always = sense, just sayin'

@DN I feel like it is a "prep" sink in a vague sense. The kind where it is just a cutout in the countertop.

http://www.droold.com/smart-kitchen-invisible-sink-appears-wave-hand/