Craig Ellwood (1922 to 1992) was a charismatic and self-made architectural superstar, adept at whipping up mid-century modern confections throughout the hills and canyons of California for a coterie stylish, artistic, and creative clients.
Born in Texas as Jon Nelson Burke, Ellwood never formally qualified as an architect yet, remarkably, his name is now attached to some of the most iconic houses of the last century, including Case Study House #22, the Stahl House, the meticulous precision of Case Study House #16, the Salzman House, as well as houses 17B and 18.
Although the 1950 Ellwood-Zimmerman House in Brentwood was needlessly demolished in 2024, there are a still a notable number of surviving projects that bear his signature style, including the 1976 campus for the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, designed with James Tyler, and the renewed and restored Moore House, also from 1965.
Now Ellwood fans have another opportunity to buy into the legend, this time with slightly less of the cultural burden borne by the Stahl House. The Kubly House is located in Pasadena and has a close connection to ArtCenter. Completed in 1965 for the princely sum of $45,000, the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house covers a modest 2,277 sq ft.
The clients were Don and Sally Kubly, both ArtCenter alumni and educators; Don went on to become its second president. The process of building the house kickstarted the creative partnership that eventually led to Ellwood’s involvement on the new campus buildings a decade later.
The structure is simplicity itself, a glass and timber box with a clear Miesian inspiration (allegedly sketched on a napkin by Ellwood during a client lunch). All utility spaces sit within the glazed envelope, with a galley kitchen at the heart of the property, flanked by a living room and dining/family room. The corners of the rectangular plan are given over to bedrooms, with the primary ensuite bedroom on one side and two children’s bedrooms on the other, sharing a bathroom.
Steps and terraces, aligned with the centre of the house, lead down to the landscaped 0.6-acre garden and pool. The post and beam pavilion is raised up on short pilotis above the gently curving site, with mature trees along the perimeter providing framed views from every room.
The Kubly family retained the house until 2022. The subsequent owners undertook a sympathetic restoration of what is believed to be the architect’s only residential project in Pasadena. This included updating all the house’s major systems and restoring the surfaces, structure and glazing, readying the Kubly House for the next phase of its history.
The Kubly House, 215 La Vereda Road, Pasadena, for sale via Chris Suarez and Kimberly Benz of Suarez + Benz at Compass, TheKublyHouse.com, priced at $3,250,000