All things considered, it’s a bit of a miracle that this Edward Killingsworth-designed house in Long Beach even exists. Built in the late 1950s as a model residence for the Marina Tower, a 12-story oceanfront condo building, it was meant to be knocked down 18 months later once construction on the building started. Instead, the grand project failed and the house stood and then withstood a series of depressing renovations. Though Killingsworth is one of Southern California’s most celebrated architects, known for his Post-and-Beam-style, Midcentury Modern masterpieces, ensuing owners had trouble staying true to his vision, replacing the original kitchen with stock cabinetry and French Country-style flourishes, glass walls with plywood. So when it hit the market in 2013, potential buyers were looking to go with the original plan: tear it down. Instead, Kelly and Ted Hyman appeared to fulfill a different type of destiny. The couple, who had been living in a modern downtown Los Angeles loft, heard the home was on the market and went to see it on a whim. “A free architecture tour,” laughs Ted, a partner in the architecture firm Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects.
A Long Beach couple lovingly restore an architectural gem
