Nineteen years ago, Michael Rasky, a designer and decorator known for incorporating color, patterns, and bold ideas in his work, stumbled on his dream house. It’s a quintessential mid-century modern residence on a private road in the Verdugo Village neighborhood of Glassell Park. Now for sale, he shares that living here fulfilled a dream and sparked a new career.
Michael grew up in a 50s ranch-style residence. Undoubtedly, this shaped him. He says, “My dream was to own a mid-century house. I didn’t think it would be possible for me to own something like this. When I saw this house with over 12′ high beamed ceilings, walls of glass, a view, a pool — granted everything was in really poor shape and needed a lot of work — it checked every box.”
Today, the property is screened by a mature row of greenery, along with striking custom doors featuring boomerang handles and stained glass panels, which open onto a courtyard. There’s a fountain inviting birds to linger and sing throughout the day. Before entering the interior, large windows and a glass-front door provide a clear view of the turquoise pool.
Inside, pops of color enhance the vibrant, welcoming energy that permeates the residence. The L-shaped floor plan is connected to the outdoors via large sliding glass doors and windows. A tiered chrome chandelier dangles above the dining table while a vintage wedding kimono hangs on the wall. A significant change that Michael made was building a retaining wall to extend the yard by five feet.
“No surface has not been touched. I had the electrical panel updated. I replaced all the windows and doors in the house. I renovated the kitchen and the two bathrooms. Installed hardwood floors. I redid the pool. It has pebble tech which is stronger than plaster. I added the hot tub. I added the hardscaping. I wanted these black river rocks. Concrete dries really, really fast. When they poured the concrete, I followed them around with bags of river rock and set the stones by hand. The river rock is something you would find in a 50s house.”
“I built a retaining wall to extend the yard by five feet. Adding the five feet in the yard made a massive difference in terms of enjoying the yard. It’s hard to come by a pool and a view. I feel so lucky living here and that I’ve lived here for so long.”
“I really enjoy being in the living room. There’s a great view to the outside. It’s so bright and airy. I love the guest room. I never really hang out there because I’m not a guest I live here (he says, laughing). Opening it up with skylights was such a nice addition.”
As he spent time remodeling his home, he realized he loved the process. So much so, he changed careers.
“When I bought this house, the time I was spending thinking about redoing things, I thought, ‘wow, I would really like to be doing this for a living.’ So I started going to school at UCLA. They have a masters program in interior design. I was just going to take classes but then I got my masters degree and opened my own business. The rest is history.”
When asked about his interior style, he says, “The house has a voice. As a designer, I have a voice and, if I’m working with a client, they have a voice. It’s about trying to create harmony. What I tried to do with this house was create a vernacular so it didn’t feel like you’re stepping back to 1957.”
“It sounds goopy, but it’s a bit like telling a story. A project has a protagonist. If you’re redoing a kitchen, it’s the backsplash tile or the counter you want to use. And then you tell a story around that item. It becomes the lead character in your story, and then you find supporting characters to support that choice.”
“I wanted a turquoise pool. The pool is the protagonist here. This house really reminds me of homes you find in Palm Springs, with the proximity to the mountains. I really wanted it to feel optimistic, happy, and inviting.”
Michael’s other dream is to live on the East Coast. He’s selling so he can do that and hopes the new owner will fulfill their dreams living here, too.
