Built in the style of an opera house, Italian-born sculptor and visionary Felix Peano, designed this house at 128 San Vicente Blvd. in Santa Monica. The house remained in this location from its completion in the early 1900s until 1931. Peano designed the bridges over the canals in the ill-fated Venice of America built by Abbot Kinney in 1905. He was also noted for a particular copper door style, working in undercut copper, called "door of life." Peano was born in Parma, Italy in 1864 and died in Hawthorne, California in 1946. He was a close friend of Jack London.
An article detailing the architectural and design elements appears in Achitectural Record, vol. 29 (1909) - "The Sculptor as His Own Architect and Builder." The house was described as isolated when built, but Peano provided for all the amenities including gas, water, drainage, electricity and electric cars. The article is viewable in Google Books and includes details not only about the construction and several images, but biographical data about the home designer and builder.
