The Woolf archive contains quite a few portraits of John Elgin Woolf, including these color photos.
John E. Woolf papers, Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
Architecture and Design Collection. Art, Design & Architecture Museum; University of California, Santa Barbara.
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John Elgin Woolf: Beal house (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
The L. Wayne Beal house in Scottsdale, Arizona highlights the stark contrast between the white house and the darker desert hills. The house is perched on the side of a hill, with a view of the valley.
John Elgin Woolf, designer and architect Max Eckert, photographer
John Elgin Woolf: Gershwin house (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
Lyricist Ira Gershwin commissioned Woolf to remodel the house on Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills in the Hollywood Regency style. The house was torn down in 2013.
John Elgin Woolf: Guasti house (Montecito, Calif.)
The Guasti residence, perched high in the hills of Montecito, was designed and built by Woolf. With sweeping views of the Santa Ynez mountains to the rear of the property, and views from downtown Santa Barbara out to the Channel Islands from the front of the house, the placement was regal. A wide driveway leads up to a motor court and the main entrance of the house, with a mansard roof, oversize Pullman door, and symmetrical wings with shuttered windows-- all classic Hollywood Regency architectural features. A sculpture garden overlooks a wide lawn, and a pool with pool house and cabana sit sheltered on the north side of the house.
John Elgin Woolf, architect and designer
John Elgin Woolf: Hornburg house (Bel Air, Calif.)
With a front entrance relatively close to the public street, the Hornburg house allowed Woolf to create a walled entrance area, with a large imposing front wall, private courtyard, and then a classic Hollywood Regency front door, with a symmetrical centered door knob. The semi-circular driveway allowed for parking of cars, an important feature since Hornburg was the first dealer to import Jaguar cars to the United States. As a former advertising executive, Hornburg marketed the cars to Hollywood celebrities and movie executives.
John Elgin Woolf: Marrakesh Country Club (Palm Desert, Calif.)
The community of Palm Desert was the desert retreat for many Hollywood celebrities, and the Marrakesh Country Club was one of many golf resorts that catered to that clientele. John Woolf was commissioned by John Dawson, an amateur golfer and real estate developer, to design 364 Hollywood Regency style condominiums, grouped into 14 separate communities within the club, each community had its own pool and pavilion, all designed by Woolf. Each villa and pool house was painted pink and white, with a mansard roof, tall Pullman door, symmetrical designs, and airy, spacious rooms.
John Elgin Woolf: Menefee house (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
The Menefee house, near Santa Monica Boulevard, is another example of Woolf's signature front facade. With a tall entry door, large covered windows flanking either side, and a circular driveway, the alterations to the house are classic Hollywood Regency style. The shutters covering the windows provide a wall of privacy facing the public street, which is another signature of Woolfs' designs.
John Elgin Woolf: Office (Los Angeles, Calif.)
The personal office and studio of John Elgin Woolf on Melrose Place in Los Angeles, was a multi-building compound with an imposing entrance door, secluded courtyards, and light-filled rooms. The office allowed Woolf to bring his specific design aesthetic for his clients' homes into view in his office space. Designing in an image-conscious city for celebrity clientele allowed Woolf to bring many of those details to life in this space to show clients his ideas.
John Woolf, designer Robert C. Cleveland, photographer
John Elgin Woolf: Pendleton house (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
The house for Pendleton in Beverly Hills was one of the first and most complete realizations of Woolf's Hollywood Regency style. With the large front entrance door, mansard roof, and symmetrical oval windows flanking the front door, the residence contains all of Woolf's signature style. John B. Pendleton and his wife, Mary Frances, requested Woolf design a single-story house, since Mary was unable to climb stairs. They also requested a pool, cabana, entertainment space, and plans drawn up within one week. The house became Woolf's first major commission in Los Angles, and led to many of his other projects.
John Elgin Woolf: Petri house (San Francisco, Calif.)
Winemakers Louis and Flori Petri commissioned Woolf to design a house in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. Woolf also designed an apartment in San Francisco, a house in Napa, and a condominium in Palm Springs for the couple.
John Elgin Woolf, designer and architect George de Gennero, photographer
John Elgin Woolf: Potts house (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
The design work on the Jack and Effie Potts home on Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills consisted of detail work in the living room, and exterior work to the house and front gate.
John Elgin Woolf: Vance house (Beverly Hills, Calif.)
The house for James Vance on Hillcrest Road in Beverly Hills is considered another residence with significant Hollywood Regency style and attributes. With a tall brick privacy wall, leading to an oversize entry door, topped with an octagonal standing seam copper roof, along with the single-story layout surrounding a pool, the house has all of the classic Woolf hallmarks. Vance was a dentist, who had a successful practice in Beverly Hills. With it's classic pool and cabana, the exterior of the house was used for celebrity photo shoots in the 1950s.