Illuminated by natural light streaming in through the large original windows, this home— one of four in a new TIC community located in Echo Park—was reimagined with a reverence for historic preservation and a nod to modern living.
As this stunning residence hits the market, Elan Mordoch, owner and real estate developer, reflects on his personal “shift” during the Covid lockdown and how it renewed his perspective and appreciation for the heritage building stock in Los Angeles.
Pre-COVID, Elan only focused on new, from the ground up, projects, including a 12-unit condominium in Studio City, a small lot development in Los Feliz, and a mixed-use project in Hollywood. But when Covid hit, things changed.
Elan: “It was the first time I stopped and shut down my daily grind and stopped the hamster wheel of constantly going, going, and going. I slowed down as we all did. I retreated into the things that are meaningful to me, like playing piano and meditating and taking the time to reintegrate those things into my life. That set me on a new course and got me thinking of shifting priorities. In that shift, it was so meaningful. As soon as things started to open up, I got back to work with a renewed new sense and orientation.”
“I started questioning what am I doing? And how am I doing it? What do I love? And what do I not love so much? All that stuff, I think we all asked. So, for me, it impacted my work as I started—even more—recognizing the beauty and potential of these projects. I started getting involved.”
His first was a character-filled Spanish-style building in Silver Lake.
Elan: “By the time I got involved with Casa Laveta, I had a clear idea of how these projects offered something unique and different from ground-up construction. Heritage. I use that term as separate from the historic building stock because my take on TICs, as you know, from the beginning, was never what a lot of the other guys did.”
His work at Casa Laveta—a new TIC community in Echo Park—clearly separates him from the stereotypical developer pack.
A sense of elegance permeates each dwelling. Central to the design philosophy was highlighting the historic 1920s character while introducing new architectural elements to create a cohesive, serene space. A soft color palette exists throughout. A Batchelder-style fireplace sits in the living room, flanked by original built-ins.
Reorganizing the space to hold two bedrooms meant placing the kitchen in the primary living space, making the living room, dining area, and kitchen feel open and airy. A key distinction is a fully integrated built-in refrigerator that blends with custom cabinetry featuring hand-crafted aged brass hardware. Tactile elements include leather-finished, Calacatta Crema, marble countertops with a DeVol aged-brass Ionian faucet.
Custom built-in millwork makes the transition from public to private spaces located at the rear of the home, where you’ll find two bedrooms with views of Downtown and a bathroom.
Elan: “There’s a certain design DNA that got lost over the years. And we’re not talking about the historic monuments. We’re still just talking about what I call heritage housing stock. A lot of it is dilapidated or in need of renewal. One of the things that energizes me about these projects is to reconnect to that heritage design DNA. Bringing out everything that offers and modernizing the systems and maybe some of the design elements that are appropriate within the renovation scheme to create something for modern living that reconnects and embraces the past.”
When asked what he hopes the new owner of these homes enjoys, he says, “I hope they enjoy all of it and how it was designed. But I think more than that, what I strive for is to create a sense of calm, serenity, comfort, contemplation, and sanctuary. And, those aspects (being something that you feel) when you come in every day back to your home—when you wake up and you do what you do in the morning—if someone were to have that inspiration or feel that that inspired them and in some way kind of changed their life or their habits, or the way that they lived, or encouraged them to maybe take that moment and slow down—that I think is the ultimate thing you can achieve.”
Casa Laveta is located at 1442 Laveta Terrace. Offered for the first time, asking $869,000 with a small monthly HOA fee. Showings begin May 1, 2022, 2-5pm.