A Studio in the Landscape

Jun 3

At the foot of the hill below the Schwann House—designed by modernist architect Walter Bogner in 1948—sits this small studio, carefully restored by landscape architect Matt Andersen-Miller. Added by Bogner in 1962 as a guest house for the Schwann family, the studio reflects a quiet kind of modernism: modest materials, thoughtful proportions, and a deep sensitivity to the landscape.

The walls and ceilings are Douglas fir, a material more commonly used as subflooring at the time, yet here it creates warmth, continuity, and a sense of calm. Large slabs of slate connect the studio floor to the entry, introducing textural contrast.

Matt’s childhood was shaped by textiles, art, and architecture. His father, a well-known Los Angeles architect, taught him to look closely—a sensitivity that carries through the restoration. A yellow midcentury chair (an auction find from Ralph Pucci) quietly mirrors the yellow studio door, while the surrounding landscape of native shrubs and plantings reflect Matt’s own studied attention to space, influenced in part by an early collaboration with pioneering landscape designer Bill Curtis.

For Matt, preservation was never about turning the property into a museum. The goal was to maintain its essential character while allowing it to evolve naturally over time.

Today, Matt and his husband Jon are active in efforts to protect Lincoln’s remarkable concentration of midcentury modern homes. Not long ago, many of these houses were purchased for the land beneath them. Now, increasingly, they are valued for the architecture itself.

And that shift may be what finally ensures their survival.