I would guess that when you marry an architect's daughter, you're not going to be fazed by your father-in-law's inserting himself in your househunting and remodeling projects. In fact, you might even welcome it. Especially if you've got a new kid taking up all your time and attention. And if it results in a sweet Rudolph Schindler house with a finely detailed custom restoration.
That's what Joel Bell and his wife Onna ended up with when her father, architect Steven Ehrlich, pounced on a probate sale a couple of years ago in Inglewood. The LA Times has a nice feature on the family and their house, one of a side-by-side pair of spec houses Schindler designed in 1940.
When Ehrlich suggested they take a look, they went the next day. The house, abandoned for two years, sported a dead lawn and ugly fiberglass panels hanging off the roof."It looked pretty awful," Onna says. "I peeked in the window and saw a filthy shag carpet and peeling wallpaper." She didn't even go inside. She went back to the car, where her husband was waiting with their 6-month-old son, James, below. But then Joel went to take a look. "He loved it at first sight."
But they don't namecheck the Bloom Coco bouncer in the living room [top]. Or the Spot On Square nursery [above]. That only happens after the dadbloggers start poking around.
Small Schindler house in Inglewood remodeled for a new era [latimes]
Bloom Coco lounge bouncer in flexiwoo [bloombaby]
Spot On Square Hiya crib, etc. from $749 [amazon]
Previously, related, and not seen for a long time: kid-size R.M. Schindler chair by Marmol Radziner
