Hernly House: A Mid-Century Marvel Located on Scenic Drive, Pasadena

This historic Pasadena was constructed entirely of marine-grade Philippine Mahogany for the plywood executive who commissioned the home. It was designed by a well-known architect – Lawrence Test AIA – and is one of the best examples of his work with mature landscape by influential landscape architect, Garrett Eckbo. The property is preserved in time, a vintage 1949 mid-century modern time capsule! It was also widely published back in the day (1949 – 1951), and is featured in the classic book, Los Angeles: An Architectural Guide, by David Gebhard and Robert Winter.

Architecture highlights include classic mid-century modern post-and-beam design, however in this case the posts and beams are expressed on the outside of the building, and smooth plywood walls on the interior disguise the redwood exoskeleton. It still has a classic refined elegance, and the interior plywood finishes (mahogany, elm, and birch) are in excellent condition. Even the vintage 1949 linoleum floor is intact. Plus we have archival black-and-white photos from Julius Shulman’s archive at the Getty.

The House With the Plywood Skin, 1949. As legendary architectural photographer Julius Shulman captured in his vintage images shortly after construction, this mid-century modern home was ahead of its time in the sleepy suburbs of 1949 Pasadena. Surrounded by the now-mature landscape of the visionary landscape architect, the home follows the contours of the gently sloping site, overlooking an outdoor dining area and expansive pool deck.

Here the architect followed local precedent by celebrating the redwood posts and beams, but departing from that tradition expressed the structure visually on the outside of the home, as opposed to the interior, which would have been more common. Following the dictates of his client, a plywood company executive, the remainder of the home is constructed entirely out of plywood, applied to the inside face of the post-and-beam exoskeleton.

Marine grade Philippine mahogany faces out to the elements, where inside the walls are smooth, with ribbon grain mahogany defining the public spaces, and elm and birch alternating among the bedrooms, complimented by distinctive combed mahogany ceilings. The use of plywood provided simplicity of construction, effective insulation, and the shear value necessary for widespread use of glass, with large fixed panels streaming sunlight throughout the house. These natural ply faces were sealed but left exposed.

Operable ventilators at the top of one wall and the bottom of the opposite wall in the various rooms allowed the occupants to effectively control cross breezes, eliminating the need for air conditioning until the new millennium.

Fortunately, this home has been in the hands of the second owners for many decades, so the condition is virtually original: oak mosaic floors, decorative, asphalt and rubber tile, metal windows, antique hardware. Featured on the AIA Home Tour, and published in Gebhard and Winter’s Architectural Guide, The Los Angeles Times, Architectural Forum, Pasadena Star-News.