Craig Ellwood's Moore House

Curated Mid-Century Modern Homes for Sale Now

May 19, 2025

Moore House By Woods + Dangaran Video Feature The Local Project Image (18) — Craig Ellwood’s Moore House. Photo by Joe Fletcher

Born Jon Nelson Burke in Texas, Ellwood wasn’t a licensed architect, nor did he formally study architecture. But that didn’t stop him from designing some of the most iconic homes of his era in Southern California. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps, Ellwood made his way to L.A. where he worked in construction and general contracting. Along with his brother Cleve and two friends, Ellwood formed his first company. They named the enterprise ‘Craig Ellwood’, inspired in part by the group’s favorite liquor store, Lords and Elwood. The moniker was impactful enough that Jon Burke would go on to legally take the name for himself in 1951.

Ellwood’s Moore House was commissioned by film studio executive Roy Moore and his wife in 1964. A hillside lot in Los Feliz with sweeping views of the Pacific was chosen and construction was completed in 1965. While not a Case-Study house, the home is uniquely Ellwood. A steel frame raised delicately above the ground, with floor-to-ceiling glass and redwood siding floating between exposed I-beams. Yes there is a lot of steel and glass, but the space retains a real sense of warmth. The original Koi pond and swimming pool make excellent use of a small hillside backyard.

After years or rough use (reportedly by LA-based rock band) the home was renovated by Woods + Danagran in 2020. The project included replacing deteriorated redwood siding with natural redwood to match the original design, upgrading single-pane glazing to insulated glass, and reconfiguring interior spaces like the kitchen and bathrooms for improved functionality. Natural materials such as honey-toned teak, earth-toned ceramic tiles, and dark marbles round out a really cohesive refresh. Check out a video about the restoration here.

TLDR: It’s doesn’t get much cooler than Craig Ellwood and Ellwood’s don’t come any cooler than the Moore House.