Located near the Mission in a Spanish-themed city, this steel and glass pavilion by Thornton Ladd and his partner John Field Kelsey uses the language of the Case Study Houses. Impressed by the residence Ladd built for his mother in Pasadena, Boyd researched the architect’s other work and discovered that he was living in retirement in Ojai. Excitedly, he sought advice but was rebuffed. “I have no interest in the revival of the past,” wrote Ladd. “It reminds me of difficult clients and a useless chase of relevance. I am now entirely absorbed in Eastern thought and religion.” Undeterred, Boyd restored the house to its original condition for the use of his own family. The moss green terrazzo floors were heavily damaged by an overlay of carpet; every nail hole was painstakingly filled. A gigantic chandelier and gaudy Buddha sculpture were auctioned off and the proceeds paid for the removal of these inappropriate additions. Boyd’s family enjoyed their retreat and the proximity of the ocean, before moving on to the Strick House.
