Cottages in The Sun

2010 June 8

tags: Margaret Bach, Melba Levick, modern architecture, paul tuttle, sunbrella, venice, venice beach, Venice cottages

by Abby Rayner

A modern take on the bungalow: Architect Steven Shortridge uses his 750-square-foot home as a "laboratory for small and big ideas."

A modern take on the bungalow: Architect Steven Shortridge uses his 750-square-foot home as a “laboratory for small and big ideas.”

Over a hundred years ago, tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney’s dream of bringing a little bit of Venice, Italy back to southern California became a reality when he built a charming neighborhood of cottages, canals and bridges linking a unique community. Visit Venice now and the quaint pocket is still original, imaginative and a must see for visitors and place where people aspire to live. Today, this spirit of innovation and creativity is richly expressed in the vintage bungalows and cottages that have been embraced and brought back to life by homeowners more in love with place than size.

Bach writes: "The house encourages dialogue between old and new, and allows for a certain degree of ambiguity and sense of layering." Here, the compact=

Cottages in the Sun: Bungalows of Venice California by Designer/Writer Margaret Bach and Photographer Melba Levick offers a tour of Venice cottages giving an intimate glimpse into canal living. Bach is also a historian, preservation advocate, a member of the Santa Monica Landmarks Commission and editor of L.A. Architect. Levick is a widely published and exhibited photographer who works and lives in Venice.

In the front yard, bamboo is the backdrop for an outdoor room with fire pit.

The traditional exterior belies a very modern interior.

Inside the 1920s Spanish bungalow belonging to Marla C. Berns, an art museum director. The chairs and table are by Paul Tuttle. Want more? You can get a longer look at the <a href=

Inside the 1920s Spanish bungalow belonging to Marla C. Berns, an art museum director. With chairs and table from Paul Tuttle, owners modernize their historical homes.

A self-described modernist, David Ritch originally bought this bungalow as a tear-down. Friends convinced him to reconsider. Note: The Times' Home section profiled Ritch's residence last year. To see more photos you can click <a href=