$16 Million Tour De Force - Page 2

Josh Agle, the artist Shag, commented in a recent Facebook post that "I actually considered buying this house in 2002 when it was…a fixer-upper with a cottage cheese ceiling. But I had a young kid and a second on the way, and it would have been tough."

The two-story, 2,500-square-foot home is indeed a celebrity haven. It was originally built for film composer and jazz musician Russell Garcia and his wife, Gina, and features three bedrooms and three baths. Lautner provided the architectural drama by designing a parabolic roof, a 50-foot expanse of stained-glass windows, and 60-foot concrete caissons that anchor the structure high above the canyon in the Hollywood Hills.

Damaschke and McIlwee "spent time living there while it was still in rough condition in order to experience it, and to learn how the light hit the house, before hiring [architectural firm] Marmol Radziner to begin renovations in 2004," notes Littlefield.

The restoration architects are internationally known for their renovation of architect Richard Neutra's Kaufmann House in Palm Springs. For the Garcia House, they embarked on a yearlong renovation, respecting Lautner's vision and original design intent, and restoring the home's extraordinary beauty.

Interior designer Darren Brown reworked the living spaces, preserving the Hawaiian lava rock entryway and portions of the terrazzo flooring, original elements remaining from previous ownerships.

Stepping into the sunken living room reveals a monumental stone fireplace, magnificent walls of glass, walnut cabinetry, and built-in seating. A spiral staircase separates the living spaces from the bedrooms.

As part of the Marmol Radziner restoration, and following Lautner's original sketches, an elliptical-shaped swimming pool was installed in 2009, along with a custom landscape designed by John Sharp with plantings that are "mythologically placed to unfold with time, each plant family designed to hatch into massive, whimsical sculptures framing the house to the earth."

"Everyone loves this house," says Littlefield. "I feel like there's this energy that hits you and kind of expands your mind..." Now that the couple is spending more time in New York, they have decided it's time for the next owner to step in.

"I never thought these owners would sell," adds Littlefield. "They just feel like now is the time to pass the torch on to someone else who can appreciate it like they did."

For more info and photos of the Garcia House, click here.