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Perched below the Griffith Observatory and overlooking Hollywood is a lush lot crowned with four towering olive trees and a 1965 home designed by modernist architect Craig Ellwood. When a young couple purchased the home in 2018, it needed substantial work. For a historic restoration, they called on Woods + Dangaran, a local firm fluent in modernist history. The team completed a meticulous restoration of the home while keeping original components like the linear shape, open plan, and expansive windows. One of the most striking features is the original koi pond (a feature deemed so essential that its preservation was a condition of escrow) that is now crossed via a bridge that leads to a new lap pool—perhaps the biggest intervention on the property.

The front garden area is terraced with custom Cor-Ten steel retaining walls with an oxidized patina. The plantings are inspired by the couple’s love for Palm Springs.

A sink by Duravit sits in the bathroom with a pan faucet by Zuchetti.

The luminous new bathroom repurposes the original medicine cabinet and light fixture, while statement cement floor tile from Original Mission Tile in Hex Bakery adds a graphic punch. The ceramic subway wall tile is Florida Tile ‘Arctic Matte’, and the wall-mounted faucet is a Tiburon Series Lavatory Faucet from California Faucets in matte black.

At the opposite end of the house, the soaking tub gets almost daily use. The bath and shower fixtures are by Dornbracht

The blue-tiled master bathroom stands in contrast to the muted tones of the rest of the house. The tile is recycled glass from China.

The bathroom was completely gutted down to the crawlspace and up into the attic.

The Allstone bathroom furniture collection designed by Joan Lao Design studio.

The north facade is bordered by a longitudinal planter that’s more than 32 feet long.

Pardo enjoys contemplative moments relaxing in the tub with the windows open.

Another one of the home's three bathrooms.

In the bathhouse, "clay bricks slip-glazed on two sides are laid with contrasting mortar to match the raw clay color of the other sides," says the firm.

A sunken tub faces a glass wall.

The bathrooms are reminiscent of a luxe spa with sleek fixtures and soothing amenities like a soaking tub.

The highlight of one of the upstairs bathrooms for the girls is this custom mirror that can rotate and adjust to their height as they grow.

The grand master bath with its Finnish sauna showcase the artwork.

Secret passageways and surprise design elements abound in this playful home renovation for an active family of five.