I believe that any current Topanga local, past resident, or even occasional visitor, can think of at least one special place in the canyon that holds some sort of magic for them. Whether it’s the rope swing hanging from an oak or pepper tree at your childhood home, the middle of the field in a sea of love at Topanga Days, or the center of the rock labyrinth off Tuna Canyon Road, Topanga is full of magic. As a former longtime resident, I have too many magic places to count, but one of them is undoubtedly Saddle Peak Road.
After recovering from my first bout of COVID in April of 2020, I did the only out-of-the-house activity that was available to me—to all of us. I took walks. I lived on Tuna Canyon Road and on my walks I often turned right onto Saddle Peak, exercising my imagination by making up stories about my surroundings. One hill I called the Dancing Hill, one house was the Ghost House, then there was the Moving House, and up a ways was the Fairytale House. I entertained myself with fabrication, enjoyed the magic of hypotheses left untested.
Last weekend, I revisited these memories for the first time in a long time. I drove up through the canyon, slowly, past my Dancing Hill; now dry with July heat. Past the Ghost House; now with cars parked contentedly in the driveway. Past the Moving House; no more cardboard boxes on the porch, and even past the Fairytale House, until I turned right into the driveway of 22067 Saddle Peak Road. I stared up, curiously, at a property I’d never noticed on my walks.
Painted a natural coral/tangerine color, this architectural anomaly doesn’t stand out glaringly amongst its surroundings, but fits nicely nestled in the Topanga trees. The property was designed by well-known architect Ed Niles in 1974, and was originally built with a wooden exterior, but has since been stuccoed to help with fire safety. Niles has lived in Los Angeles since he was a child, and graduated from USC in architecture in 1961.
As I walked up the driveway to the house to meet Stefanie Becker, the property realtor, I was surprised by how narrow the house looked from the outside; the design is truly unconventional, but well-suited to the land. Stefanie took me around the back of the house, and I marveled at the expansive view of the 1.3 acre lot of uninterrupted nature. The location is peaceful, private, and serene, with constant birdsong and irresistible mysticism.
The house itself is geometrically unique; Stefanie noted that Ed Niles loves to “play with geometry within nature,” which seems to be very true. The exterior is a sleek combination of boldly straight lines met with soft, rounded curves, creating a lengthy but narrow oblong structure. Although the house is a post modern/contemporary design, it doesn’t feel cold or stark against its landscape as can sometimes be the case with contemporary architecture. As we enter through the front door, the colors around me change, and suddenly the narrowness of the exterior falls away to a broad, light-filled interior. The inside of the house is beautiful. The many large windows in the living room look out on the untouched chaparral and let in enough natural light to maintain the feeling of immersion in nature, even indoors.
The house feels open and spacious throughout, each room somewhat connected without doors creating any harsh divides between communal areas. There are half walls to provide an aesthetically pleasing visual separation between different living spaces, allowing residents to further personalize their home with nooks for reading, yoga, or office space. The current residents have made the interior so beautiful and inviting, and their furnishing and artistic choices seem to perfectly suit the architecture, but I was also struck by how immensely customizable the property feels. Because of the unique design of the house, I am sure that everyone who has lived there has been able to cultivate an entirely different feeling, making the space truly their own.
The tree-dappled sunlight peered in through the windows near the front door, and a cat lounged, picture perfect, on the bed in the upstairs bedroom. Walking through the house and exploring the property made me feel dreamy. I was, at once, in awe of the architecture—from the spacious bedrooms with peaceful balconies, to the two-sided bathroom which connects through the shower—and also excitedly buzzing with the magic of Topanga, the beauty of the mountains, and the sparkling nostalgia of Saddle Peak.
I know this house has been, and will continue to be, a place that holds magic for those who are lucky enough to live there—maybe even for those who visit. 22067 is on the market now, and if you decide to book a showing, just remember it’s right past the Dancing Hill, the Ghost House, the Moving House, and even the Fairytale House. I’m sure you’ll find your way.
