EAGLE ROCK RESIDENCE
Perched into the hillside above Eagle Rock, this 1924 Colonial residence offered an opportunity to explore preservation, landscape, and the rituals of daily life within a deeply personal setting.
The project began with what was already compelling: a long approach through mature trees, original French doors and windows, warm wood floors, and the house’s particular position within the hillside, held by mature landscape with long views beyond. Rather than overwrite the house’s history, Manola Studio worked to preserve its character while opening it to a more informal California way of living.
A series of measured interventions reshaped the house from within. A constrained living room became a generous central room, the formal dining room was more directly connected to the kitchen, and spaces for meditation and making were incorporated into the existing plan.
Outside, terraced native gardens extend the house into the landscape, creating habitat for birds, pollinators, and the wildlife that moves through the hillside.
As the home of Manola Studio’s founder, the project became an especially intimate expression of the studio’s approach. Art, objects, textiles, and furniture collected over many years sit alongside natural materials and the home’s original fabric, while personal rituals and small moments of use were considered with the same attention as the architecture. The result is a house that remains deeply lived-in, layered, and continually evolving.
Year of Completion: 2023
Location: Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California
