Craig Ellwood, AIA, Architects The Johnson House, 1953

Completed in 1953, the Byron Lamar Johnson House is the third in Craig Ellwood’s celebrated sequence of steel hillside residences and one of the clearest expressions of the architect’s early structural language.

Set at the crown of Crestwood Hills, the house is organized around Ellwood’s disciplined use of exposed steel columns, wood beams, glass, and modular planning. Lifted above the hillside, the structure appears to float within the landscape, opening the interior to broad views across Los Angeles, the Pacific, and Catalina Island.

The house was recognized at the time of its completion by the Los Angeles Examiner, which described it as the “Beauty of the House of Steel.” More than seven decades later, its significance remains evident in the precision of its structure, the economy of its planning, and the direct relationship Ellwood established between architecture, landscape, and view.

A substantial restoration and modernization has preserved that architectural clarity while upgrading the residence for contemporary use. The home has been seismically improved and incorporates terrazzo flooring, restored fireplace elements, Fleetwood and Baldwin doors and windows, Waterworks fixtures, Lutron lighting, and motorized shades.

The kitchen is fitted with Gaggenau, Wolf, and Sub-Zero appliances, while an outdoor kitchen extends the living spaces into the landscape with a Lynx barbecue and pizza oven.

Contemporary systems include solar panels, Tesla Powerwalls, EV charging, whole-house water filtration, a new roof, rooftop sprinkler system, and integrated home automation.

The main residence contains three bedrooms and three bathrooms within approximately 1,926 square feet. A newly constructed detached ADU provides an additional one-bedroom suite with kitchen, steam shower, and direct access to the pool, creating a flexible space for guests, work, or extended living.

Offered fully furnished, the property brings together Ellwood’s original architectural framework with a carefully considered contemporary restoration.

The Byron Lamar Johnson House remains an important work of postwar California Modernism: light, precise, structurally legible, and deeply connected to its hillside site.

Craig Ellwood, Architect
Byron Lamar Johnson House, 1953
Crestwood Hills | Los Angeles, California

3 Bedrooms | 3 Bathrooms
1,926 SF Residence
11,756 SF Lot
Additional 1-Bedroom ADU

Offered at $5,995,000

Listed by

Fielden Junglas