The Kappe house on Brooktree Road is for sale.
The home on Brooktree Road in Rustic Canyon that was designed and built by noted Mid-Century Modern architect Ray Kappe is for sale for the first time. It has been in the Kappe family since 1967.
Now it is on the market for $11.5 million. The five-bedroom, five-bathroom structure has been described as both an “essay and poem.”
This home was designed and owned by Kappe, who passed away in 2019 at age 92. The L.A. Times described it as “The Greatest house in Southern California,” and it was designated as a Cultural Historical Monument in 1996.
The residence has been described as a master class in the “additive process of design,” and embraces the surrounding landscape of Rustic Canyon.
Kappe bought the property, which was considered almost unbuildable in 1962 for $17,000. The house has seven split levels and totals 4,157 square feet. There are redwood ceilings and redwood detailing that is combined with walls of glass and massive skylights. The home receives direct, indirect and dabbled light from sunrise to sunset.
A primary suite anchors the northeast wing, and three additional bedrooms are on the southwest wing. Below the main living area lies a glass walled studio with views of the rock garden.
There are four outdoor spaces, including a cantilevered deck, a lap pool, spa, sauna and cabana with its own kitchen and bath. Only pre-qualified buyers can tour the house.
An interior view of the Kappe House.
Kappe was born in 1927 in Minneapolis to Romanian immigrant parents who changed the family name from Kapelowitz to Kappe. In 1940, the family moved to Los Angeles, where he attended Emerson Middle School designed by Richard Neutra. Years later, in 1987, Kappe received the Richard Neutra International Medal for Design Excellence.
Kappe graduated from UC Berkeley in 1951 and then worked as a draftsman on Eichler Homes for Anshen+Allen. He then moved back to LA to work two years with Carl Maston before going out on his own. (To see homes designed by Kappe click here.)