As you might imagine, we’re architecture nerds here at WL. And given the steady stream of beautiful houses that land on our desks, we’re also sorta property junkies as well. So there is no better sweet spot for us than when a pedigreed house hits the market. Once in a while we’ll get a homegrown hero, like Arthur Erickson’s Eppich House for sale. But for the most part it means heading down to SoCal and the hotbed of architectural masterpieces by Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lautner and the reigning champ for the region, Richard Neutra.

In the past few years we’ve run the gamut on Neutra from a small place renting out for $8,000/month to the $25,000,000 for Palm Spring’s Kaufmann House, arguably the most famous home in America (and a few $11,000,000 odds and $5,500,000 sods thrown in). Today’s feature, the Plywood Demonstration/Brice Residence is another gem of a spot. For starters, unlike some other Neutras, this one is actually in a (still) really nice neighbourhood€”L.A.’s tony Brentwood. That helps explain the price $4,750,000 for a rather modest 2,250 sq/ft. It is on a nice sized lot…

…but it’s in pretty original condition, or worse, has upgrades from the early 1970s like this brutal bathroom:

Or this kitchen, with what looks like a sweet 11-year-old GE fridge:

But we’re not here for the appliances. We’re here for moments like this deck off the main bedroom:

Or this glass-walled living room:

Or this rich use of wood panelling:

And it also rocks a seriously low-key vibe from the street:

All of which make it an ideal spot for someone who wants to live in a swank neighbourhood but keep some design street cred. Full listing is here.

Neal McLennan

Neal McLennan