Loa Sprung Continued from previous page
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
Home Descriptions Continued from page 10
Once a master closet, their bathroom has been renovated with elegance. The lower lever is a den to each to two offices that they extended: one for her and one for him, where each enjoys a nice view. It also has common bathroom in addition to their upstairs bedroom and guest room bathroom. “We worked very closely together,” Niemiec said. “People often joked, ‘Oh you are remodeling your house, next thing you’ll be getting a divorce,’ but I really think it brought us closer together because each of us contributed ideas.”
Art Den
From the outside in the home of Karena Massengill and Graham Robertson is a dollhouse, from inside out it’s an artist’s den. Th e a q u a c o l o r e d exterior greets visitors on a flagstone pathway with colorful roses as they make there way at the end of a road that’s atop of the Point Fermin home, near Sunken City. “Our house is what happens when a science teacher and an artist get merged together,” Robertson said. Each room in the home is an expression of the
walls of the home designed and built by her late husband John, a successful businessman in the field of medical plastics. The family relocated to White Point after the City of Los Angeles took their Playa del Rey home through the power of eminent domain in late 1960s to facilitate the expansion of the Los Angeles International Airport. Much of the material from the previous home was salvaged to build the current home, saving thousands of dollars, and inspiring a beautiful creation of their own making. Electric wiring, large beams and tons of Palos Verdes stone were moved to the new location. Even the kitchen sink made the trip. As an admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright, and a former architectural student, John built a dream home with absolutely no mortgage attached. The Sprung house is constructed with paneled walls which can be moved for entertaining. The center atrium has a large electric retractable ceiling, opening to reveal the stars and the skies above ocean cliffs. Loa and John met as students at the Chicago Art Institute during World War II. Loa studying fine art and John studying architectural design. After marrying and starting a family, they took Route 66 and headed west to Playa del Rey. Loa committed herself to her art studies, while John began his career in business. John’s success allowed the family to travel extensively overseas, where they became enchanted with Japanese culture and design, which is evident in the home. “Our first trip around the world was in 1962,” she said. “We fell in love with the food, their houses and farms, everything.” She told the story that describes the legendary birth of Japan, the celestial and earthly world, the birth of the first gods and the birth of nation of Japan. According to the myth, the island was populated with artists, poets, musicians and scientists by a Chinese emperor who wished to create a perfect society.
Home Descriptions Continued on page 12
Loa Sprung Continued on page 12. HarboRLiving
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