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| THE RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. PAUL PARIS IN BEL-AIR. LOS ANGELES, CAIJFORNIA. ARMAND R. MONACO, ARCHITECT. |
SET on a hill overlooking Los Angeles, which stretches away to the south, is a new home which brings an echo of fair Tuscany into California. Many levels make the house fit the hill, for no deep cutting is necessary when a hill house is built on a hill; and much interest is added to the house when its fenestration can be made a delightful, decorative feature. Tile roof, dove cote and chimney, broken lines and overhanging story, all unite to make this house a climax to the hill.
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HOME OF PAUL PARIS. BEL-AIR.
ARMAND MONACO. ARCHITECT |
The entrance is formal as becomes the dignity of Californian hospitality. The garden is the intimate playground of the master who loves to place his vines and plants where they will be happiest.
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| THE GARAGES HAVE BEEN PLACED ON THEIR OWN LEVEL NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO THE FORECOURT. THE ROOF IS A DANCE FLOOR. |
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THE EAST FACADE OF THE PARIS HOUSE.
ARMAND MONACO, ARCHITECT
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On one eastern level is a great oak under which are the tables and chairs of those who live out-of-doors, on the next level below, to the southeast, is a great swimming pool and in the forecourt a beautiful marble wellhead from Italy.
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DETAIL OF THE PAUL PARIS HOUSE.
ARMAND MONACO ARCHITECT; MONTI STUDIOS, DECORATIONS BY ALFREDO ORSELLI. |
The interior is most interesting because of the keen sympathy between the architect and the client. Opposite the entrance is a wide doorway into the handsome drawing room. Two or three steps lead down to this, the important level of the house.
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| THE SOUTH FACADE SHOWING END OF THE UPPER PORCH |
Wide windows open out to the glorious view of city and the distant harbor. In the immediate foreground is a half circle of lawn edged by a balustrade and centered in a great statue, the discus thrower. To the right one steps down again into the library, and below it to the west is an open loggia or billiard room. Thus every level is used and made to add to this interesting hill house; no one level could be so charming, no flattened hill top so full of variety and beauty.
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| IN THE STATELY DINING ROOM THE WINDOWS OPEN TO THE EAST. DECORATIONS BY MONTI STUDIO, ALFREDO ORSELLI AND R. MONTELBODDI. |
The dining room, whose three great window's are enclosed in a balcony railing of wrought iron work, is a room of dignity, and its accompanying breakfast room in the octagon adds its dainty beauty of morning-glory colors as a foil. Above it is the second story porch and each bedroom has its privacy increased by having its own level.
For furnishings M. Paul Paris has imported from his native Italy many beautiful objects of art and, having directed the building of his own home, has succeeded in making its furnishings appropriate to the Italian architecture.
Yet in no way has the architect, himself an Italian trained first in America and then in Italy, been thwarted in his successful effort to make a California house perfectly adapted to our scenery and the contours of the beautiful hill country northwest of the metropolis.
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| THE CEILING OF THE DRAWING ROOM IS DELIGHTFUL IN THE RESTRAINED BEAUTY OF DECORATIONS. MONTI STUDIO, BY R. MONTELBODDI |
From the Monti Studios has come the beautiful decoration of the ceiling. Softly the design has been wrought on the wooden beams and between them. Beautiful in itself is the design, restrained, and yet gratifying the desire for color and clever outline.
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| THE CEILING OF THE DINING ROOM. MONTI STUDIO, DECORATORS BY ALFREDO ORSELLI. BORDERS BY R. MONTELBODDI |
In the Dining Room, which opens to the east, is the beautiful ceiling with the center panel, by Alfredo Orselli, representing the Aurora welcoming the dawn.
An effort was made to show in this issue the exquisite color scheme of this ceiling. But it proved impossible to reproduce it. Yet, in black and white the satisfying quality of the composition and its surrounding pattern is manifest. Mr. Alfredo Orselli, responsible for the painting of the Aurora panel and also the great Chevalier in the entrance hall, and Mr. Montelboddi, responsible for the painting of the living room ceiling, the decoration around Mr.Orselli’s dining room ceiling panel and the Pompeiian bath room, have made it possible, in the application of their early Italian training and work at the easel, for California to share this beauty of Italian interiors with its rich Pompeiian red and black and its dignity.
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| THE POMPEIIAN DECORATIONS OF THE BATH ROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR TAKE THE HISTORY OF THE VASE AS MOTIF. R. MONTELBODDI DECORATOR. ARMAND MONACO, ARCHITECT. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA |
Altogether this house is a distinct addition to our Californian architecture of the home and forms a relief to the more severe types which have by their square masses failed to express the variety and beauty of California which, as shown below, is like that of Italy.
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CALIFORNIA SOUTHLAND COVER - JULY, 1927
A Design by Claude G. Putnam |
I've yet to find location or if the home still stands. The only mention I've found for Paul Paris is a Los Angeles Times article from 1921.
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| September 21, 1921 |
"HOTEL MAN BUYS LEASE ON BRYSON
Paul Paris Closes Deal Here Involving Nearly Million Dollars
The size of the furnishings, together with the execution of a new long-term lease, on the "Bryson Apartments", at the corner of Wiltshire Boulevard and Rampart street to Paul Paris, who recently disposed of his interests in the Angelus Hotel, was announced yesterday by Carson-Minster & Co., hotel brokers, who handled the transaction. Through this deal, Mr. Paris has acquired a twelve-year lease on the big building, at a total consideration of almost $1,000,000
Mr. Paris also was formerly identified with some of the leading hotels of Seattle and Portland."
https://la.curbed.com/2018/4/6/17182172/raymond-chandler-los-angeles-history-bryson
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| The Monaco Family; Armand Monaco is the gentleman on the upper left with the full head of hair. |
Some notable homes designed by Armand Monaco -
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Residence for Betty Blythe in 1925.
 | | Betty Blythe(1893 – 1972) was known for her dramatic roles in exotic silent films such as The Queen of Sheba (1921); she was one of the first actresses to appear in the nude in film during the Roaring 20s. |
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