Topanga home designed by Norton Simon Museum architects seeks $1.8M

A Topanga midcentury home by the architects behind the Norton Simon Museum is on the market for just under $1.8 million.

The modernist architectural firm of Thornton Ladd and John Kelsey designed the 2,273-square-foot retreat known as the Portage Residence. Built in 1976, it has three bedrooms and three bathrooms within a post-and-beam frame.

Records show denim designer Loren Cronk and his wife, Beth, bought the property for $1.16 million in October 2019.  They then transformed the interior to favor a minimalist aesthetic, adding new flooring throughout the living space.

They updated the bathrooms and added Fleetwood sliders and Milgard windows, along with upgraded electrical and plumbing systems. Despite these modern touches, the house retains its vintage character through wood paneling, tongue-and-groove ceilings, skylights and walls of glass that capture views of the chaparral-covered Santa Monica Mountains.

The front door opens to reveal a minimalist, wood-clad kitchen that flows into the open-concept dining and living space. A circular fireplace anchors the living area, while disappearing glass walls connect the interior to a 700-square-foot deck.

There’s a private balcony off the entry-level primary bedroom.

The grounds feature succulent-lined pathways and a cedar hot tub. A detached studio serves as Cronk’s workshop, though the next owner can convert the space into an accessory dwelling unit (ADU).

Set on a nearly 1-acre hillside lot at the end of a private road, the property provides ample parking for five cars.

Sam Arneson of Sotheby’s International Realty represents the property, which is eligible for a Mills Act contract, the listing reads.

Ladd and Kelsey operated their Pasadena firm from 1959 to 1982. Their projects include the Pasadena Art Museum, now the Norton Simon Museum, the First Methodist Church Chapel in La Verne, made famous in the closing scene of “The Graduate” in 1967, and the Cal Arts campus in Valencia.

Cronk and Jonny Saven, the CEO of L’Agence, are the co-founders of the Denim Institute and Museum, coming to the Fashion District in 2027. This non-profit organization will celebrate denim culture through exhibits and hands-on training.