An architecturally significant midcentury modern compound that somehow managed to survive the devastating California wildfires—even as neighboring properties were razed by the blazes—has hit the market for $2.45 million.
The David Green House, named for its original owner, was conceived as an artist retreat and is nestled in a “coveted” neighborhood in the foothills of Altadena, an area that was devastated by the Eaton fire in January.
The Eaton fire was one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. It burned for 24 days, spreading rapidly under powerful Santa Ana winds and scorching more than 14,000 acres. It destroyed close to 10,000 structures and claimed the lives of 19 people.
While aerial images show that many of the homes surrounding the compound were destroyed by the blaze, this historical estate remained untouched and unscathed.
No one knows exactly why the fire “spared” the David Green House, but those associated with the property have theories.
The listing notes that the “thriving garden and thoughtful site planning offer a natural shield, making it one of the rare foothill estates to emerge intact.”
Listing agent Katherine Blackwood, of Compass, explains that the risk of future fires had no bearing on the owners’ decision to sell.
Still, she notes that the fires did have an impact on their desire to ensure the property’s legacy is cared for long into the future—having purchased it themselves for $1.35 million in 2015, then investing liberally in careful updates to the dwelling.
“Part of honoring its story is letting someone else begin the next chapter,” Blackwood explains. “The fire gave them perspective. It reminded them that the home’s spirit isn’t just about who owns it, but about its ability to endure and inspire.
“They’re grateful to have been its caretakers and are confident it will continue to inspire and serve as a retreat for creativity and calm.”
Peace and artistic endeavor have always been at the heart of the home’s design, which was originally brought to life by sculptor, calligrapher, artist, and educator David Oliver Green Jr.
Green was educated at the American Academy of Art in Chicago and the National Academy of Art in New York, then moved West to settle in Altadena in the late 1940s, when he enlisted architect Frederick Monhoff to design a light-filled structure that would serve as his studio among the trees.
It was in that space that Green created artwork that would be displayed at LACMA, the Greek Theater, Chaffey College, the San Diego Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum, and many other prestigious venues.
Having fallen in love with the location, Green and his wife, Jaxine, decided to expand their small artist studio into a creative compound, hiring architecture professor and Greene & Greene authority Randell Makinson to design the three-bedroom, two-bathroom main house where they would live.
Makinson was tasked with seamlessly combining the styles of the late 1940s studio and the early ’60s primary residence to create a one-of-a-kind estate.
With this compound as home base, Green taught calligraphy and sculpture at Pasadena City College, the Pasadena Art Museum, the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles, and Scripps College.
The Greens were so influential and beloved in the area that the street on which the house was located was renamed Jaxine Drive in honor of Green’s wife.
Combined, the two structures measure 1,792 square feet. The main residence features California modernism design, with its post-and-beam construction, sculpted ceilings, clerestory windows, and walls of glass opening to a full-length deck with canyon views.
It was recently updated by interior designer Matthew Sullivan of AQQ Design, whose work is especially evident in the kitchen, which is wide open to the great room, separated only by a dining peninsula. Modern stainless-steel appliances fit right in.
Walls have been painted a creamy white, and original blond wood accents remain. The period blond brick fireplace in the expansive great room continues to impress.
The main residence’s bedrooms are highlighted by period built-ins, desks, and cabinets. The primary suite has a floor-to-ceiling window, a private bath, and access to the courtyard.
The separate, smaller structure is a midcentury modern masterpiece in and of itself. Usable as a studio, office, guesthouse, or yoga retreat, it contains a bedroom, a full bath, a great room, an open kitchen, and a statement fireplace constructed from fluted terra-cotta tile.
Both structures have access to extensive wooden decks, shaded by oak trees and other mature foliage. Well-tended greenery abounds.
According to the listing, that carefully tended land could well have made all the difference to the home’s survival of the Eaton fire, which spread to multiple properties simply as a result of embers that were carried by the wind.
Experts, including members of the Los Angeles Fire Department, have previously admitted that it is impossible to tell exactly why some properties were spared while others burned to the ground.
Pasadena Fire Battalion Chief Danny Nausha previously told the Los Angeles Times that the pattern of the fire was unlike anything he’d ever seen.
“This is something that I’ve never experienced in my 20 years,” he said. “We put apparatus closest of the fire’s edge to prevent them from going into structures, but many of the embers would fly out into the neighborhoods.
“It could be winds, brush clearance, luck,” said firefighter Scott Brown, at the time assigned to Los Angeles County Fire Station 66. His best guess was that “all three” had played a role in the sparing of some homes but not others.
