L.A. Classics

(above and below): The Wedding Cake — 607 Burnside Ave. Built in 1932 for the Olympics, the French Normandy-style building has a twin a block away on Ridgley Drive. Some say Lucille Ball once lived here. Or was it Lauren Bacall?

(above): The Complex — 6200 W. Third St., Park La Brea, Garden Townhome. Architects Gordon Kaufman and J.E. Stanton were inspired by the housing of Le Corbusier in Paris.

(above): High Drama— El Mirador, 1302 N. Sweetzer Ave., West Hollywood. S. Charles Lee is best known for his movie theaters — Glendale's Alex, Inglewood's Academy, Westwood's Bruin. But he put plenty of theatrics in his apartment buildings. He also did the '30s makeover of the Max Factor building in Hollywood.

(above): Basic Geometry— 1055 Fifth St., Santa Monica. Low-slung, low-frills boxes define California's apartment landscape, not to mention the palm trees that typically stand guard.

(above): Courting — 617 Crestmore Pl., Venice. A classic Spanish courtyard, built in 1923. The six-unit building is currently for sale. Asking price: $1.9 million. James Oviatt went so gaga for Art Deco that he not only had Albert Walker and Percy Eisen design a downtown Deco showcase to house his Alexander and Oviatt menswear shop, he had them top the building with a lavish penthouse for himself, and commissioned famed glass artist Rene Lalique to install more than 30 tons of glass detailwork throughout the building. France’s Saddier et Fils created the floors and cabinetry of burl mahogany and maplewood, including what might be the world’s most elegant toilet.