Inside the renovation of Rudolph Schindler’s How House
This is the latest instalment of The Inside Story, Wallpaper’s series spotlighting intriguing, innovative and industry-leading interior design.
Built in 1925 for James Eads How, the How House is one of Rudolph M Schindler’s most significant early works, now a designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. The 2,400 sq ft residence exemplifies the architect’s pioneering approach to California modernism. When it changed hands nearly a century after its construction, interior designer Taska Cleveland undertook a careful revitalisation. ‘I focused on interventions that support contemporary life while protecting the integrity of Schindler’s architecture, allowing the house to evolve naturally without losing its original spirit,’ the designer told Wallpaper*. ‘Modern comfort was integrated quietly, allowing the original design to remain clear, legible and fully experienced.’
The How House exemplifies Schindler’s early use of horizontal slab-cast concrete, wood boards and glass walls
(Image credit: Photography by Austin Leis. Styling by Austin Whittle.)
Step inside a replenished modernist icon
First, original redwood-panelled ceilings, walls, windows and doors were sanded to remove layers of stain, revealing the natural warmth of the wood. Concrete floors were restored and given a red hue inspired by architect John Lautner, reinforcing the house’s modernist lineage.
Cleveland furnished the home to create spaces that invite rest and contemplation – encouraging guests to recline and look upward at Schindler’s rhythmic interplay of wood, glass and concrete. Rather than merely replicating his modernist language, however, she asserted her own authorship, weaving together craftsmanship from different eras and cultures. The entryway sets the tone with a George Nakashima ottoman and a walnut floating console by Madera Build, topped with Japanese stoneware by Michio Koinuma and a Carl-Harry Stålhane dish. In the living room, a built-in sofa upholstered in BDDW green mohair sits beneath an Arien Valizadeh painting. Custom brown velvet lounge chairs face an angora goatskin rug and a bronze-and-zinc coffee table by Marcin Rusak, and a Hans Wegner chair pairs with a Mira Nakashima side table, reinforcing the dialogue between old and new.
Ottoman, George Nakashima; stoneware piece, Michio Koinuma; dish, Carl-Harry Stålhane; walnut floating console, fabricated by Madera Build. Also pictured: the cement floor restored with a red hue
(Image credit: Photography by Austin Leis. Styling by Austin Whittle.)
The concrete double-sided fireplace that connects the living and dining rooms
(Image credit: Photography by Austin Leis. Styling by Austin Whittle.)
Painting, Jonathan Wateridge, Megan Mulrooney Gallery; lamp, Arne Bang; ceramic, Keita Matsunaga
(Image credit: Photography by Austin Leis. Styling by Austin Whittle.)
A concrete double-sided fireplace connects the living and dining rooms, maintaining Schindler’s emphasis on spatial flow. Custom cherry wood built-in benches nestle beneath mitered glass windows, topped with sculptural objects including a Nepalese resho paper lamp by North Vernon and ceramics by Rando Aso. Above the living room, a mezzanine overlooks the treetops, and Loro Piana linen cushions echo the tones of the surrounding eucalyptus.
In the den, plaster walls inspired by Eric Lloyd Wright’s Anaïs Nin/Rupert Pole house complement the redwood and rust-coloured drapery. Furnishings include a nubuck leather sofa by Soot, a reupholstered Gerrit Rietveld chair and an angular coffee table by Pali Xisto Cornelsen. A custom brass wet bar and cherry wood storage, carefully scribed around the cement fireplace, add functionality while respecting the architecture.
Paper table lamp, North Vernon; ceramic, Rando Aso, Nonaka Hill Gallery. Also pictured: brass mono-point lights, cherry wood built-in bench with sliding door storage, and the mitered glass windows
(Image credit: Photography by Austin Leis. Styling by Austin Whittle.)
Painting, Arien Valizadeh; sofa in BDDW green mohair; angora goatskin rug; coffee table, Marcin Rusak
(Image credit: Photography by Austin Leis. Styling by Austin Whittle.)
The dining area features vintage Sergio Rodrigues chairs in brown suede surrounding a Joaquim Tenreiro table atop a Tuareg rug. A Jonathan Wateridge painting hangs above a custom wenge and slate console displaying an Arne Bang lamp and a Keita Matsunaga ceramic. In the kitchen, updates include cherry and painted cabinetry with Schindler-style pulls, lava stone countertops and a reflective stainless steel backsplash.
Upstairs and on the lower level, intimate spaces continue the material dialogue. The primary bedroom features bronze mirror panels, vintage Giuseppe Ostuni sconces and a Paul László-inspired bed. A cantilevered desk with Schindler-style detailing forms a study area furnished with a Pierre Jeanneret chair, while the renovated bath includes a monolithic limestone tub and sink.
Guest rooms and baths are home to custom cherry beds, vintage sconces, limestone sinks and plaster walls. Carefully placed artworks and sculptural objects, including pieces from artist Kwangho Lee and Los Angeles gallery Thornton, extend the architectural language into intimate corners.
Brass wet bar, Dusk; sculpture, Sofu Teshigahara, Nonaka Hill Gallery
(Image credit: Photography by Austin Leis. Styling by Austin Whittle.)
Cherry wood built-in storage scribed around the cement fireplace
(Image credit: Photography by Austin Leis. Styling by Austin Whittle.)
Floor cushions, upholstered in Loro Piana linen; dish, Georg Mendelssohn. Also pictured: custom-designed walnut tea table
(Image credit: Photography by Austin Leis. Styling by Austin Whittle.)
Through meticulous restoration and sensitive additions, Cleveland ensures that the How House remains both historically significant and vibrantly contemporary. ‘I see myself as a collaborator [with Schindler] across time,’ she says. ‘Preservation is essential, but without interpretation it can become static. My role was to translate his ideas into the present, honouring his experimental spirit rather than freezing it.’
Sconces: Giuseppe Ostuni. Also pictured: Paul László-inspired bed.
(Image credit: Photography by Austin Leis. Styling by Austin Whittle.)
Table, Dusk; stool, Sawkille
(Image credit: Photography by Austin Leis. Styling by Austin Whittle.)
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