After Rudolph Schindler arrived in Los Angeles in the early 1920s—at the request of Frank Lloyd Wright, who asked him to supervise the construction of the revered architect’s celebrated Hollyhock House—Schindler and his wife quickly found themselves at the epicentre of the city’s progressive, bohemian counterculture. Emboldened by the nonconformist atmosphere, Schindler bucked the popular Spanish Colonial Revival trend when he designed his own home. Often cited as the first modernist home in America, the Schindler House was created for four adults, including the builder of the home and his wife, as well as the Schindlers. The house reflects Schindler’s unique approach to architecture, with a mix of private and communal spaces and blurred boundaries between indoor and outdoor living spaces. Schindler’s willingness to prioritise the actual living experience within his creations is beautifully evident in the home he later designed for his insurance agent, the Elliot House.

Built in 1930, the house fell prey to short-sighted updates, like a prefab kitchen and the removal of a built-in wooden desk and cabinetry, before current owners Cameron Silver and Jeffrey Snyder bought the home in 2001. Silver and Snyder worked with Leo Marmol and Ron Radziner to restore the historic home, intent on preserving Schindler’s unique approach to space, lighting, and atmosphere. And, like Schindler did in his time, they took full advantage of the most current construction methods and material options, like new kitchen appliances and a contemporary colour palette. It’s this approach—preserving the original artistry of a design whilst modernising it for the world of today—that made the Elliot House the perfect setting to introduce the new Sonos Five and Sonos Sub.

Sonos Five: The high-fidelity speaker for superior sound

The most powerful Sonos speaker for music, the new Sonos Five delivers vividly clear, room-filling sound. Internal updates include increased memory and processing power whilst the 3.5 mm line-in port allows you to connect your turntable, CD player, or other device directly to Five and play to your entire system. Five blends into the unique aesthetics of your home with an enduring design that has been updated in all-black and—for the first time—all-white.

Sonos Sub: The wireless subwoofer for deep bass

You can feel and hear the difference when you connect Sub to any Sonos system. Whilst all Sonos speakers are designed for great bass, adding Sub allows those speakers to focus more on midranges, resulting in richer sound. And, like Five, the new Sonos Sub has increased memory and processing power, ensuring the best possible performance whilst preparing Sub for future updates. Two force-cancelling drivers at the centre of Sub eliminate vibration and rattle so you get powerful bass without any distortion. Its award-winning and versatile design features a slim, sculptural shape and high-gloss finish. And, you can position it to be noticed or hide it away because Sub can be placed upright or laid on its side.

As the sun sets each day, it casts golden light through a west-facing window and illuminates the richly-toned wood along the kitchen wall. This is Silver and Snyder’s favourite time of day. Even after owning the home for more than 20 years, they still appreciate the thoughtful details Rudolph Schindler weaved into the house (even if the milk box has long been removed). To learn more about the new Sonos Five, click here, and for Sonos Sub, click here.