The Sunset Lanai apartments were designed by noted modernist architect Fickett and constructed by Alexander in 1952. — Photos: Los Angeles Times/TNS
Growing up in a small town outside of Cleveland, Ohio, the United States, Tyler Pina was fascinated by Los Angeles and the glamour of Hollywood.
"My dad grew up out here, and it's where my parents met," says the 33-year-old screenwriter and Emmy Award-winning director of Next Level With Lauren Goode.
"I remember looking at old Polaroids of them in the '80s and seeing how much fun they had."
His attraction to Los Angeles, however, was more than just nostalgia.
"I was mesmerised by the landscapes and architecture," he says, noting the Santa Monica Mountains that run alongside the Pacific Ocean and glass-and-steel Case Study Houses such as the Stahl House, perched on a hillside overlooking Los Angeles."I had never seen anything like it in Ohio," he says. "It felt like another world, so far from reach. Yet it was a life I aspired to live one day."
Looking back, he can't believe he realised his dream of moving to Los Angeles from San Francisco in 2018 and eventually renting a Mid-century Modern penthouse steps from the Sunset Strip.
"It's a little bit of a fishbowl," Pina says, standing inside his living room with views of a Netflix billboard through the unit's floor-to-ceiling windows. (It's an ad for Happy Gilmore 2 that reads "When Life Gives You S— for Breakfast... Go to Your Happy Place.")
More than once, Pina has been caught sitting on his couch in his underwear, writing scripts on his laptop, as Hollywood tour buses stop at the traffic light outside.
In other instances, friends have driven by his building and texted him, "'Hey, I just drove by and saw you in your living room'," he says, laughing.
Although he feels like he is living in a fishbowl at times, Piña draws energy from the city outside his windows. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
The two-storey, 22-unit Sunset Lanai apartment complex, designed by acclaimed Mid-century architect Edward H. Fickett and built in 1952 by developer George Alexander, is an oasis in the middle of a bustling part of the city. That is because Fickett designed the West Hollywood apartments to face inward, toward a lush courtyard and swimming pool, avoiding the activity of the Sunset Strip.
Over the years, the apartment's owners and the West Hollywood City Council have debated its relevance as a historic landmark that needs preservation. But talk to Pina, and he'll tell you it's special.
"I walked by the apartment every day before I moved in and was always curious what it looked like inside," he says. "When I saw the 'for rent' sign, I immediately went on a tour. But the price was a little high for me, so I waited."
Pina (right) and his friend, Vittorio Manole, stand in the lanai in front of the apartment.
Following several price reductions, Pina, his partner at that time and a friend of theirs rented the 2,850sq ft (265sq m) unit for US$5,200 (RM21,490) a month in 2020.
"Right away it felt like home," he says of the first time he stepped inside. "This was the place I grew up dreaming about."
Two bedrooms and two bathrooms, each with more built-in storage than they can use, sit off an intersecting hallway.
The bedroom is dark and moody, with windows that look out over the Sunset Strip.
At the centre of the living room, a stylish enclosed wet bar, an original design by Fickett, exudes a Mad Men vibe. On the wall behind the bar, Pina hung a peel-and-stick wallpaper that he found on Etsy, reminiscent of the iconic banana-leaf wallpaper at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and a yellow neon sign that reads "Lost in euphoria".
"There's something really special about a Fickett building," Pina says. "A Mid-century Modern penthouse on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of West Hollywood, with a bar in the living room? I mean, does it get more iconic? I am, in no way, cool enough to live here.
The formal dining room connects to an updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances that faces Sunset Boulevard.
"I tried my best to do this space justice," Pina says, referring to his frantic two-week effort to decorate the apartment while working on Comeback Coach and Women in Business, two reality shows sponsored by Verizon. He has also worked on trailers for Amazon, shot and edited commercials for Google, Levi's and Sephora, edited Making Emilia Perez for Netflix and wrote and directed the award-winning documentary 88 Cents.
"At my previous place, I slowly decorated over time," he says. "By the time it finally felt perfect, it was time to move out. In this space, I wanted it to feel lived in right away so I could enjoy it fully for as long as possible."
Working until three in the morning, Pina sourced Mid-century-inspired furniture from the online retailer All Modern, CB2 and several local vintage shops. He also purchased a variety of furnishings, plants and accessories on Etsy and Offer Up as well as artworks by local artists, photographers and friends.
'In a way, I guess decorating is just another medium for me to express my creativity like I do with film and writing,' Pina says.
Similarly, copper-coloured bar stools he spotted in a small shop in San Francisco inspired the bar area.
Explaining his decorating process, Pina says he likes to start with a statement piece such as an artwork, rug or piece of furniture and then build a story around it.
"In a way, I guess decorating is just another medium for me to express my creativity like I do with film and writing," he says.
The bar in the living room.
Adding to the spacious floor plan is a lanai, which has enough room for weights, mats and a Peloton, as well as a lounge area, washer and dryer, sink and a huge walk-in storage space.
"I have a projector and have hosted movie nights," Pina says.
At night, Pina says his apartment glows from the streetlights and soaks up the energy from the neighbourhood.
"It's the best place to have a good cry," he says. "Because you never feel alone. I put so much love into this apartment. And it's given me so much back in return. And the tears I cried here, the immense struggles that I faced — a pandemic, losing work from the strikes, multiple relationships that came and went. But even in the hard moments, there was so much beauty. The architecture brings this place to life."
The lanai has enough room for a gym, washer and dryer and a lounge. It also has ample built-in storage.
But like so many good things that come to an end, Pina recently decided to move out of the apartment after his roommate left.
"I'm ready for the next dream," he says.
"Just me and a suitcase," he says.
According to the director, he enjoyed selling his furnishings on a social media platform and plans on using it as a source for his next home.
"I met so many cool people from all over the city," he says. "The whole concept of passing items down versus buying new just makes the home feel more lively in my opinion, like every item comes with its own story and a bit of love – not to mention it's way more cost-effective."
He leaves Los Angeles with his Polaroids, just like his parents.
"And all the amazing memories," he says. "Those are coming with me." – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
