{"id":1080,"date":"2026-04-09T11:04:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T18:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toplacondos.com\/blog\/?p=1080"},"modified":"2026-04-17T21:05:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T04:05:04","slug":"the-carla-residence-trousdale-estates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toplacondos.com\/blog\/the-carla-residence-trousdale-estates\/","title":{"rendered":"The Carla Residence | Trousdale Estates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Carla Residence is one of the most refined recent restorations to emerge from Trousdale Estates<\/a>. A 1965 Rex Lotery designed residence that has been thoughtfully reawakened for contemporary living while preserving the architectural clarity that made it special in the first place. Commissioned during Paul Trousdale\u2019s<\/a> formative development of the neighborhood, the home sits on approximately half an acre behind gates, where a long private arrival sequence, expansive motor court of hand-cut granite cobblestones, and landscaped flagstone atrium establish a sense of privacy, restraint, and pedigree from the very first approach. The setting is classic Trousdale<\/a>, but the execution here is unusually disciplined: elegant, architectural, and deeply respectful of the house\u2019s original character. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What makes this restoration especially compelling is that SIMO Design did not simply modernize the home, they approached it as a historically significant property requiring a balance of restoration and renovation. According to the designers, one of the major challenges was that the residence had fallen into disrepair over time, and many of its defining exterior materials had been obscured. The original concrete block and redwood siding had been painted over so heavily that their natural tactility was largely lost, and a core goal of the renovation was to strip that back and reveal the honesty of the original material palette. That decision is central to why the house feels so convincing today: it does not read as a cosmetic luxury flip, but as a genuine effort to restore Lotery\u2019s architectural intentions while quietly adapting the residence for modern life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lotery\u2019s design remains the soul of the house. The residence is distinctive within Trousdale<\/a> for its three-level composition, soaring volumes, and signature clerestory windows that pull natural light deep into the interiors while heightening the drama of the public rooms. The living and dining spaces are textbook Rex Lotery – open yet intimate, lofty yet warm – with major scale, abundant glazing, and a beautifully preserved original fireplace anchoring the main living room. Throughout the renovation, SIMO Design introduced new materials intended to support rather than compete with the house\u2019s core mid-century framework, resulting in interiors that feel timeless rather than trendy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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