Welcome to The Fun House MARK MORRISON |
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| At his
mod, midcentury home in Los Angeles, ERIC SZMANDA of CSI presides over an entirely different
kind of scene. Want to investigate? |
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| photographed
by BOBBY FISHER The house recently had been remodeled, opened up to take fuller advantage of the sunny surroundings. Most rooms lead to patios or decks, and the master bath has five skylights. Another draw for Szmanda-who once worked as a music producer in Chicago-was the state-of-the-art sound system, which lets him flood rooms with sounds from the online ambient-music station Groove Salad. |
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| N A LAZY L.A.
AFTERNOON, ACTOR ERIC SZMANDA IS RELAXING IN HIS KITCHEN.
Around him are sleek limestone floors, glossy lacquered
cabinets, smooth white marble counters and
industrial-style stainless-steel appliances. They offer
the kinds of straight lines and sparc spaces one might
find in, say, a science lab. Could it be coincidence,
then, that the 30-year-old actor has spent the last five
years ensconced on the DNA-lab set of the über-hit TV
crime series CSH He thinks not. "I love the set
decoration on the show-especially the lab, with its
sterile atmosphere and beakers of colored liquids,"
explains Szmanda, who as scientist turned investigator
Greg Sanders brings a youthful sense of geek chic to the
drama. "That's probably where a lot of my
inspiration comes from. If I'm at a store and see cool
vases that look like test tubes or medical things that
share the same kind of clean aesthetic that we have on
the show, I'm drawn to them. There is definitely a
connection." • As it happens, Szmanda wasn't in
the market for a new place when he first saw this 1959
postand-beam ranch house last spring. He owned a
midcentury home and had plans to add a swimming pool to
that property; then his real estate agent urged him to
check out this hilltop aerie, which already had a pool.
"He told me, 'It's like something out of a James
Bond movie. I got here at night when the place was all
lit up, and it just looked amazing," says Szmanda,
patting his trusty golden retriever, Dax, on the head.
"I immediately fell in love with it." Szmanda
was so appreciative of the house's modern decor that he
ended up buying many of the previous owner's furnishings,
including the cluster of white sofas that anchors the
living room. He added his own distinctive touches,
courtesy of some of L.A.'s coolest stores, like Orange 22
and Plushpod. Two finds: a round glass cocktail table
that can be illuminated in varying colors by remote
control and an oversize matchstick lamp with a tip that
lights up. "I'm a child of the rave scene and always
wanted to have my own nightclub," he says of the
many electrified pieces that add a soothing glow to the
house. It's all a long way from the small town of Mukwonago, Wis., where Szmanda grew up, the eldest son of a salesman (his dad) and a postal worker (his mom). At 19 he moved to Los Angeles to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and he eventually landed a starring slot on the short-lived 1998 USA series The Net. Two years later he nabbed a role-originally intended to be a guest spoton what was to become television's top-rated drama, CSI. And, yes, success does have its advantages. After settling into his home in June, Szmanda threw a housewarming bash for 2.00 of his friends, followed by a dinner for his 30th birthday. He has done his fair share of clubbing, but these days he is more than happy to have the party come to him-though his home upgrade has made him a more cautious host. "I feel a little more grown-up now and appreciate this house so much. I mean, if somebody spills red wine on the floors they're ruined," he says. "So I'm kind of a basket case any time I have people over." Late afternoon is turning into evening. A number of Szmanda's friends will be stopping by later for a night of (what else?) swimming and music. Right now, though, the mood is pretty calm as the sun sets over a distant mountain ridge. "This is my favorite time of day here," Szmanda says, watching as the flickering of street lamps turns the valley into a vast light show. "I no longer feel the need to go out. I'm at a place where I'm comfortable." • |
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