12450 Rochedale Lane, Los Angeles, CA 90049

• 3 beds |
• 2 baths |
• 1,197 sqft

Property Description

A. Quincy Jones & Whitney R. Smith, Architects | The Morris & Lydia Gelb House, 1950 | Rehabilitation by Bruce Norelius, AIA, Architect, 2014 | City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 1332. Set within the utopian experiment of Crestwood Hills, the Gelb House is a rare, highly intact example of A. Quincy Jones' Mutual Housing Association vision - where architecture was not a luxury, but a disciplined framework for living. Completed in 1950, the house embodies a rigor that feels increasingly scarce. The post-and-beam structure is expressed with clarity - Douglas fir framing, concrete block, and redwood working together without ornament or redundancy. Every decision is economical, never compromised. Sited into the hillside, the plan unfolds with quiet logic: private rooms at one end, living spaces opening outward, and structure doing the work of both enclosure and expression. A concrete block fireplace anchors the interior, while skylights along the ridge beam draw light deep into the plan. Owned by the original family for decades, the house remained largely untouched - preserving the intent of the MHA experiment, a community that reimagined postwar housing as cooperative, modern, and connected to landscape. The restoration by Bruce Norelius Studio approaches the house with restraint. Systems have been updated and key spaces - kitchen and baths - reworked with a sympathetic material palette, while the original structure remains intact. Interventions are legible and deliberately quiet - a careful continuation. On a large corner lot surrounded by mature trees, the flat pad offers potential for expansion, with room for a pool or additional living space. In a market where "mid-century" is often diluted, the Gelb House stands apart as the real thing. Photography: Tim Street-Porter.

Listing Status:

Active

Date Added:

April 20, 2026

Data Last Updated:

May 1, 2026 at 3:16AM

Listing Office:

Compass : 323-593-6999

Listing Agent:

Brian Linder : 310-592-5417

MLS ID:

26767019

Interior

• Appliances: DishwasherRefrigeratorDryerWasher
• Laundry: In Kitchen
• A/C: None
• Heating: Wall Furnace
• Fireplace: Living RoomWood BurningFireplace

Exterior

• General: None
• Parking: ConcreteCarportSide By SideParking spaces: 3

Construction

• General: 1Slab

Location

• HOA Amenities: 100.0Annually
• Originating MLS: CRMLS_CL
• School District: Los Angeles Unified
• County: Los Angeles

Lot

• Zoning: LARE154494010028
• View: Trees/WoodsView

Financial

• Source: CRMLS_CL