Inside the Restored Jules Salkin Residence: A 2026 Look at Lautner’s Echo Park Usonian


The Jules Salkin Residence originally built in 1948 designed by Architect John Lautner in Echo Park goes on the market for the first time in 65 years since it's construction. The house is currently in some disrepair and looks to have had several remodels that do not match the archive photos from the original model, drawings, and exterior shots. The original design of the home is a simple yet interesting structural solution using angled columns to support inverted (standard) wood roof trusses that opens the interior spaces to large glass openings to the outside. The home is a great example of an affordable Usonian designed home that Lautner predecessor Frank Lloyd Wright would be proud of.











There may have been an addition without proper Lautner supervision that now extends into the original carport.


The original and well proportioned glass seems to have been defaced and replaced at some point by some standard size sliding glass doors that can be picked up at home depot.


The interiors of the home seemed to be well worn by time and look like they could use some extreme and careful renovation by competent and respectful architect and builder to protect the integrity of the original design by Architect John Lautner.




I hope that this home finds a rightful and caring owner that truly regards the homes original design integrity as the guiding plan.

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 2026 — THE SALKIN HOUSE REDISCOVERED

It is rare that an architectural "plea for help" has such a triumphant conclusion. Shortly after my original 2014 post, the Jules Salkin Residence—once considered a "lost" Lautner—found the "rightful and caring owners" I had hoped for in fashion designer Trina Turk and her late husband Jonathan Skow.

The Restoration

Under the expert guidance of Barbara Bestor, the home underwent a meticulous restoration that stripped away decades of incompatible additions.

  • Correcting the Past: The "Home Depot" sliders I noted in 2014 are gone, replaced by custom glass that honors Lautner’s original proportions.

  • Material Integrity: The Cherokee-red concrete floors and the striking Douglas fir bents have been beautifully revived.

  • Recognition: The project was so successful it earned a 2018 LA Conservancy Preservation Award and Historic-Cultural Monument status.

Current Status: Seeking a New Steward

I recently visited the home during an ongoing open house, as it is officially back on the market for $2,395,000. Seeing it in person in 2026, the contrast to its 2014 state is breathtaking. While it needs a new owner once again, it does so as a protected masterpiece rather than a structure in disrepair.







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