Property of Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Skinner, Beverly Hills | Architect: Robert H. Skinner

9/12/2025 12:27:00 PM

The site of this house, which architect Robert Skinner designed for his young family of four, was a problem lot on a hillside. It had a fine canyon view, superb oak and sycamore trees and measured 80 feet by 140 feet. But the only level area on it was too small for the 1,800-square-foot (or larger) house stipulated in the Beverly Hills building restrictions. Such a situa- tion is often, unfortunately, resolved by bulldozing into the hill, leaving enough ground for a house but no trees, contour or character. Determined to keep the natural environment, Mr. Skinner built the main portion on the existing level area, up among the trees. By scooping out some sloping ground at the front of the lot he was able to extend the house forward and face it with a handsome two-story studio and entrance stair hall. This gave the whole house a total of 1,950 square feet and gave Mr. Skinner a studio-office at street level, secluded and with its own entrance.

In planning the rooms, Mr. Skinner created three distinct areas as you can see on the plan. You enter the front door at street level, get a glimpse into the studio if you look to the right under the gallery, and go up the glass-walled stairway. On the level is the central living-dining room which is the heart of family activities and entertaining. On the north side of the house, son Jeffry, 72, and daughter Karen, 6. have a wing all their own. Mr. and Mrs. Skinner's bed-sitting room is a quiet zone, at the east end.

In the living-dining room the Skinners created a conversation center around the brick fireplace by dropping the floor two steps and building a long, low cabinet to house hi fi and records. The carpeted steps are wonderfully convenient to sit on during parties or when friends come for dinner and conversation. (Mr. S. says he prefers "a step and an elbow" to a chair.) The windows of the dining area slide open to the south terraces which double the size of this long room and are used constantly for family fun and entertaining.

Mr. and Mrs. Skinner's own bedroom is also a sitting room and was planned accordingly. Two long storage walls (they total almost 21 feet in length) and a 15-foot counter cabinet with drawers and cupboards hold all personal belongings. TV is built into one of the closets for comfortable viewing from bed. The rear wall opens to a private bedroom terrace half roofed, half open, and the adjoining bathroom has its own small patio just outside the glass walled shower. The children's domain, right, is a separate wing only a few steps away. It includes Karen's and Jeffry's rooms, divided by a book and storage wall, their skylighted bathroom, and an indoor play area. Sliding shoji can close off their rooms completely or open them to make one big 20-foot by 20- foot playroom. The glass wall of the whole wing slides open so the children can romp in and out. Outside there is a brick and concrete paved play terrace with a sand pit: the children's own garden is around the corner. The kitchen also opens to the play terrace, making it easy for Mrs. Skinner to supervise the children's wing.

The whole house is marked by exceptional harmony due to the fine order of its design and to the fact that all the rooms like all members of the family are on equal terms. Materials and details are the same in every room: Ceilings are fir boarding; walls are redwood paneling and plaster; the floors of every room except kitchen and bathrooms are carpeted. Mr. Skinner feels that this "oneness" of the house clearly affects the family spirit. The design requires orderliness of everyone and everyone responds by "living-up" to the house. He says of the children, "picking up is a ritual, done without question. Personal pride in their environment has been achieved. We are all a better family now in terms of mutual understanding and cooperation."