William Mellenthin Book

Name: William Mellenthin Book
SKU: WmMB
Price: 35.00 USD
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$35.00

A Birdhouse in Paradise: William Mellenthin and the San Fernando Valley Ranch Homes

In the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s housing developments began peppering the available land outside of Los Angeles. Affordable, family-friendly communities like the San Fernando Valley initiated an exodus to the suburbs. It was in the Valley that designer-builder William Mellenthin developed his singular brand of cozy, charming home which became known as the Mellenthin Birdhouse ranch home—so called because they featured a cupola or dovecote built prominently into the roof. Architect, author and historian, Alan Hess, describes why Mellenthin’s homes were so coveted: “the dovecote, or bird house, (Mellenthin) incorporated prominently into gables facing the public street reinforced the straight-shooting, unpretentious utilitarianism and friendly rural values” of the times.

Gathering information from original Mellenthin homeowners, articles, brochures, as well as the Mellenthin family, A Birdhouse in Paradise reveals many facts and details about this industrious and influential man. The volume features rare photographs and documents (many never seen before) that illustrate a young, burgeoning San Fernando Valley as it became “the new suburban paradise,” as well as floorplans and photographs of the iconic, Ranch Home.

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“A special book, surprising and inspiring.”

— Chiara Barzini, author of Things That Happened Before the Earthquake, A Novel

“The architectural history of Southern California’s San Fernando Valley has often been ignored or denigrated. In A Birdhouse in Paradise: William Mellenthin and the San Fernando Valley Ranch Homes, author and designer Chris Lukather has gone a long way toward remedying this unfairly neglected legacy. His well-researched and lavishly illustrated book is not only informative, it is fun.”

Jon Wilkman, author of Floodpath: The Deadliest Man-Made Disaster of 20th-Century America and the Making of Modern Los Angeles

Customer Reviews

Zuma

Beautiful book

June 6, 2018
I was interested in the history of the architecture of homes that I grew up with in the valley. Beautiful pictures and interesting story. Now I know why the quirky add on to the ranch style were done. Highly recommend

Anna K.

Spotlight on an underrated builder

May 29, 2018
I lived in a Mellenthin neighborhood as a child and have never seen these adorable homes get their due until now. Good photos, too.

GSP13

I love this book

March 13, 2018
I love this book! A rare find about an often overlooked contribution to Southern California architecture. This book offers great insight into a post WW2 storybook chapter of Americana that played out in the developing San Fernando Valley suburbs of Los Angeles. Great photos, both new and archival. Highly recommended to anyone interested in Southern California history or architecture.

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Written by Chris Lukather, Foreword by Alan Hess
112 pages, 10×10 inch, softcover book
Color and black & white photographs

NEW EDITION COMING SOON!
FREE SHIPPING

Out of stock

SKU: WmMB Category: William Mellenthin Tags: Birdhouse, Birdhouse in Paradise, Mellenthin, William Mellenthin, William Mellenthin Builder, Wm Mellenthin

Description

A BIRDHOUSE IN PARADISE: William Mellenthin and the San Fernando Valley Ranch Homes

A book on the life and work of William Mellenthin

Written by Chris Lukather, Foreword by Alan Hess

NEW EDITION COMING SOON!

In the 1950s and ’60s housing developments began peppering the land outside of Los Angeles. Affordable, family-friendly communities like the San Fernando Valley initiated an exodus to the suburbs. It was in the Valley that designer-builder William Mellenthin developed his singular brand of cozy, charming home. They became known as the Mellenthin Birdhouse ranch home—so called because they featured a cupola or dovecote built prominently into the roof. Architect, author and historian, Alan Hess, describes why Mellenthin’s homes were so coveted. “The dovecote, or bird house, (Mellenthin) incorporated prominently into gables facing the public street reinforced the straight-shooting, unpretentious utilitarianism and friendly rural values of the times.”

112 pages, black and white & color photographs, soft cover.
Rare, never-before-seen photos and documents.

Updated edition coming soon.

FREE SHIPPING!

Additional information

Weight	2 lbs
Dimensions	10 × .5 × 10 in

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