West Adams house featured on “Brothers & Sisters”
I often walk by this house so I was pleasantly surprised to see it pop up on ABC’s “Brothers & Sisters.”
The house hasn’t been lived in since we moved into the neighborhood. I think it is mainly used for filming.
It is a little rundown but would be so amazing if restored.
The interior photos are a little dark, but look at all that original woodwork!
David and I have been having the House Cleaning War. We aren’t very traditional when it comes to gender roles and usually share the cleaning responsibilities equally. But, lately David has been very busy with work and freelance projects. I have been less busy with work, so David felt I should be picking up more of the cleaning duties.
On the surface, this sounds perfectly reasonable. What I found objectionable was his approach, the way he expected me to clean. I don’t like being bossed around and decided not to not clean…at all…for the past 3 weeks. My decision has not been well recieved.
David would do a little cleaning here and there, getting angrier and angrier every step of the way. This made me want to clean even less, although, there really isn’t much less than nothing at all.
This impass may have continued indefinately except for a business card with “Please call regarding possible filming for TV show” written on the back, left on our front door by a location scout yesterday afternoon. I called the number on the card and set up a time for the production crew to do a walk through of our house today. Of course, I cleaned the house before they came. But, and here is the important thing, I did NOT clean because David ordered me to.
The production crew felt the scale of our house is wrong for their scene and they are looking for bedrooms on the ground floor. They took several pictures of our front door and may want to use it for a different scene. I felt a little sad that our house wasn’t picked. They are going to be filming in two houses on our street.
All minor power struggles in my marriage aside, thank God this TV thing came along. The mess was really starting to get to me.
Here is part 4 of 4 of us on Restoration Realities.
You know you’ve been working on your house too long when you watch a movie trailer specifically because it features a beautiful craftsman house. You also realize you might need help when you get upset that they destroy the house in the movie. (it’s just a movie. duh.)
Movie trailer: Zathura
When that first meteor burned a hole through the beautiful hardwood floor I was like, “NO!”
Strong family home in “Catch Me if You Can”
Ok, I admit it. Once I get excited about something it is hard for me to stop focusing on it. Some might call it an obsession, I think of it more as enthusiasm. Last night I found myself recording a scene from the movie “Catch Me if You Can” filmed in an old fashioned kitchen.
“Catch Me if You Can” is a good movie, but I became more engrossed with the kitchen than the storyline. The kitchen had built-in cupboards and a sink in the same configuration as in our house. I kept wishing the camera would pull back so I could see where the refrigerator and stove were placed instead of a close-up shot of Leonardo DiCaprio. You know your priorities have changed when you are more excited by a kitchen than a heartthrob!
I did a little research and found a list of bungalows and Craftsman homes in the movies and on TV:
All in the Family: TV series, the classic 1970’s family home of Archie and Edith Bunker.
Back to the Future: movie, filmed at the quintessential Arts and Crafts home, the Gamble house in Pasadena. It was the setting of the professor’s house and the science lab. For a lover of older homes, it doesn’t get better than this!
Beverly Hills 90210: TV series. Dylan McKay’s gorgeous California bungalow. This house was also used in the 2002 movie Clockstoppers. Read about how the house was saved from demolition and see more photos.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: TV series. Here is an exterior photo of the house Buffy lives in with her mother. The interior is full of period furnishings, has nice tile work and wainscoting, too. The town of Sunnydale is full of California style bungalows.
Grumpy Old Men: movie, starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ann-Margaret has some great bungalows.
Hanging Up: movie, starring Diane Keaton, Meg Ryan and Lisa Kudrow. Meg Ryan’s character lives in a Spanish-style bungalow that has some interesting interiors; mostly Monterrey/Western furnishings and a great Bauer, California pottery collection in the kitchen.
LA Confidential: movie. The whole movie is filled with period homes. This is Bidwell’s house.
My Life as a House: movie, starring Kevin Kline. Tear jerker.
Monster-in-Law: movie, starring Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez. Jennifer Lopez falls in love with a doctor and moves into his house…this house. The house steals the show: gorgeous woodwork; green subway tiled bathroom; beautiful tiled fireplace complete with a wood mantel, flanked by a built-in bookcase and more. Watch this movie just for the house.
Multiplicity: movie, starring Michael Keaton. Michael Keaton creates clones of himself to help in rehabbing his family’s bungalow. Hmmmmm…that doesn’t seem like such a bad idea.
My Dog Skip: movie. A coming of age story starring Frankie Muniz, Kevin Bacon and Diane Lane.
Old School: movie, starring Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn. Who can forget their frat house?
Radio Days: movie, Woody Allen. Set in a bungalow and the interior shots had craftsman influences.
Six Feet Under: TV series, funeral home. This house is located in my neighborhood on Arlington Ave in the West Adams area of Los Angeles.
Swing Shift: movie, starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. Goldie lives in a gorgeous bungalow court. This location was also used for the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie.
The Man Who Wasn’t There: movie, starring Billy Bob Thornton and directed by the Coen brothers.
The Shining: movie, famously starring Jack Nicholson. The hotel interior. I spent a good part of my childhood being afraid of “red rum, red rum…”
Training Day: movie, starring Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke and Scott Glenn.
What Lies Beneath: movie, starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer. This gives you a glimpse of some of the built-ins you will see throughout the house.
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“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
{a few of my favorite things}