Surroundings Presents: A Field Study at One of LA’s Most Elusive Homes
Your early access application awaits.
When I was eleven, my parents took me on a tour of Phillip Johnson’s Glass House. I’ve discussed before that I grew up in a mid-century contemporary home in Connecticut, built by Elroy Webber (who I recently found out studied at Harvard with Johnson). At the time, I didn’t realize how formative it was to spend weekends watching my parents rearranging the furniture in our floor-to-ceiling glass window living room or walking through historically registered homes just for fun.
Last summer, I had the rare chance to tour the Sheats-Goldstein Residence in Los Angeles. You’ve probably seen it: its triangular rooftop, the concrete lines, the infinity tennis court, or the scenes from The Big Lebowski or Charlie’s Angels. It’s one of the most photographed homes in LA, and somehow one of the least accessible.
Originally designed by John Lautner for Helen and Paul Sheats in the early 1960s, the house was later purchased by James Goldstein in 1972. He then spent the next several decades renovating it in close collaboration with Lautner himself in a rare and obsessive long-term partnership between client and architect that continued until Lautner’s death in 1994. Goldstein still lives there today, and when he eventually passes, he’s leaving the home to LACMA, along with its contents, art, and even his wardrobe.
The house is just wild, jaw-dropping at every point. But what really made the experience was Roberta, the longtime Estate Manager to Mr. James Goldstein and my tour guide on that day. Her enthusiasm and eccentric anecdotes made the experience feel all the more special.
After, I told a few LA friends where I’d been. All of them said the same thing: “I’ve always wanted to go.” It was one of those moments where I paused and thought, How did I get to be the one who just… went? And, what would it look like to create a way for others to experience this, too?
At the time, I was deep in the production for Surroundings — my video series exploring the environments that shape creative worlds. It wasn’t the right moment to add something else to the programming, but the idea stuck. It had, along with every other architecturally significant home I ever had the pleasure of stepping into (or growing up in), planted the seed.
In October, I hosted the very first Field Study, an extension of the Surroundings ecosystem. It happened serendipitously, at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Toy Hill House, hosted by its current owners.
The response was immediate. Emily Sundberg interviewed me for Feed Me a few days after, asking why I think people should visit homes like this even if they can’t afford them. It made me realize that even beyond my own longstanding interest, other people are craving this kind of access.
Since then, Field Studies has grown organically and intentionally, as I like to think that all special things do. Field Study 002 took place in LA, at Richard Neutra’s VDL House, with an after-hours cocktail and ‘Magic Show’ led by Resident Director, Noam Saragosti. And 003, last week in Mexico City during Zona Maco, at the home of modernist architect Max Cetto, led by the current owner, Paulina Cetto (Max’s grand-daughter-in-law).
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, I’d been speaking with Roberta, the unforgettable guide from the Sheats-Goldstein House, about bringing a small group back.
I’m thrilled to share that Surroundings Field Study 004 will take place during Frieze LA, on February 28, at the Sheats-Goldstein Residence, led by Roberta Leighton.
Each Field Study is designed to feel personal: An intimate group, given private access, led by a guide who can speak to the home through a specific lens, and always hand-selected by application only.
These tours are for those who care deeply about design, the stories that live within spaces, and the feeling of seeing a detail up close that you might otherwise only witness through a photograph or hear of secondhand.
If that sounds like you, applications are now open. As a Substack subscriber, you get early access. I’ll be reviewing each one personally, and confirmed attendees will be notified via email by February 20th.
Say hi to Roberta from me and Fred!!