“Maximum Appeal” in Hollywood

Elevator exemplifies the work Lift Shop/Elevator Boutique does for high-end homes in L.A. and beyond.

Since opening its Los Angeles branch, Elevator Boutique, in 2012 in the West Hollywood Design District, Australia’s Lift Shop (liftshop.com.au) has grown into a go-to provider of high-end, custom lifts for celebrity and other upscale homes. Working with an Italian supplier, builders and an array of others for design elements such as custom glass and stone, Lift Shop has delivered scores of one-of-a-kind systems for homes not only in L.A., but throughout California and all along the Pacific coast, in places like Laguna Beach, Malibu and Santa Monica. One recent job, at a home on one of the many canyon roads snaking through the Hollywood Hills, is a good example of Elevator Boutique’s work.

The representative of the owner of the new multilevel home contacted Elevator Boutique in 2013. The home has extensive outdoor terraces, and the homeowner envisioned an elevator that would fit into yet highlight that, Lift Shop Group Sales and Marketing Manager Bernard Edwards says. “They were very interested in a glass elevator that would be available from the front door entry/garage area to the main rooftop terrace, which is near the main living areas and kitchen,” Edwards states. He elaborates:

“Once the design specifications — a two-level glass elevator with sliding doors and a glass shaft — were confirmed and accepted, drawings were provided by the Italian manufacturer Elevatori Premontati listing all necessary dimensions for the builder to construct to. This involved providing the required cutout in the ceiling/floor, providing a pit at the base of the shaft and locating a suitable power supply.”

Through Lift Shop, Elevator Boutique offers four different cab models, Supermec, E2, E1 and FreedomLift, each providing its own set of attributes. For this project, the homeowner opted for the indoor/outdoor E2, which can be sized to suit any new or existing home. Additionally, the system boasts an in-cabin self-rescue system and comes flat packed, and it can fit through any doorway. Features include:

• 1,250-X-1,040-mm cabin
• 1,550-X-1,630-mm shaft
• 0.3-mps speed (max)
• 5-m travel
• 150-mm pit

Each system takes approximately six to eight weeks to manufacture in Italy, and this one was no exception. It then took about six weeks to ship. Installation of the elevator and shaft took approximately one month. The builder then handled details such as installation of the porcelain tile on the cab floor and flashing — thin sheets or strips of water-resistant material installed around the lift shaft on the top level to direct water away from the E2. Edwards explains why this is important:

“As the elevator and shaft are both inside and outside the home, the most important thing was to provide adequate weather protection and flashing to make sure no water could enter the home on the sides of the shaft. Even though it rarely rains in L.A., it still needed to be prepared for the possibility. The builder did a great job looking after this very important detail.”

Minimal sight-line impact was important to the design, and this was achieved by having all four sides of the shaft clad in transparent glass and the elevator automatically returning to the bottom level each time it is used. Lift Shop states the lift is “perfectly placed for maximum appeal and usability.” Edwards states:

“We were delighted to work with a client with a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve, and it was very satisfying to deliver this elevator. The owner was similarly impressed with the finished result, and loved the extra appeal the glass elevator and shaft added to the property.”