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The Case Study houses that made Los Angeles a modernist mecca

Mapping the homes that helped to define an era

Los Angeles is full of fantastic residential architecture styles, from Spanish Colonial Revival to Streamline Moderne. But the modernist Case Study Houses , sponsored by Arts & Architecture and designed between the 1940s and 1960s, are both native to Southern California and particularly emblematic of the region.

The Case Study series showcased homes commissioned by the magazine and designed by some of the most influential designers and architects of the era, including Charles and Ray Eames, Richard Neutra, and Pierre Koenig. The residences were intended to be relatively affordable, replicable houses for post-World War II family living, with an emphasis on “new materials and new techniques in house construction,” as the magazine’s program intro put it.

Technological innovation and practical, economical design features were emphasized—though the homes’ scintillating locations, on roomy lots in neighborhoods like Pacific Palisades and the Hollywood Hills , gave them a luxurious allure.

With the help of photographer Julius Shulman , who shot most of the homes, the most impressive of the homes came to represent not only new styles of home design, but the postwar lifestyle of the booming Southern California region.

A total of 36 houses and apartment buildings were commissioned; a couple dozen were built, and about 20 still stand in the greater Los Angeles area (there’s also one in Northern California, a set near San Diego, and a small apartment complex in Phoenix). Some have been remodeled, but others have been well preserved. Eleven were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

Here’s a guide to all the houses left to see—but keep in mind that, true to LA form, most are still private residences. The Eames and Stahl houses, two of the most famous Case Study Houses, are regularly open to visitors.

As for the unconventional house numbering, post-1962 A&A publisher David Travers writes that the explanation is “inexplicable, locked in the past.”

Case Study House No. 1

J.R. Davidson (with Greta Davidson) designed this house in 1948 (it was actually his second go at Case Study House No. 1). It was intended for “a hypothetical family" with two working parents and was designed to require "minimum maintenance.”

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Case Study House No. 2

Case Study House No. 2 was designed in 1947 by Sumner Spaulding and John Rex. Arts & Architecture wrote that the home’s layout “achieves a sense of spaciousness and flexibility,” with an open living area and glass doors that lead out to adjoining terraces.

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Case Study House No. 7

Case Study House No. 7 was designed in 1948 by Thornton M. Abell. It has a “three-zone living area,” with space for study, activity, and relaxation/conversation; the areas can be separated by sliding panels or combined.

Eames House (Case Study House No. 8)

Legendary designer couple Charles and Ray Eames designed the Eames House in 1949 and even Arts & Architecture seemed kind of blown away by it. The home is built into a hillside behind a row of Eucalyptus trees on a bluff above Pacific Palisades. It's recognizable by its bright blue, red, and yellow panels. The Eameses lived in the house until their deaths. It’s now open to visitors five days per week, though reservations are required.

Entenza House (Case Study House No. 9)

The Entenza House was built in 1949 and designed by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen for Arts & Architecture editor John Entenza. According to the magazine, “In general, the purpose was to enclose as much space as possible within a reasonably simple construction.”

Case Study House No. 10

Case Study House No. 10 was designed in 1947 by Kemper Nomland. The house is built on several levels to mold into its sloping site. Recently restored, the home sold to Kristen Wiig in 2017.

Case Study House No. 15

Designed by J.R. Davidson in 1947, Case Study House No. 15 has south walls made of huge glass panels. Its flagstone patio and indoor floor are at the same level for that seamless indoor-outdoor feel. According to the magazine, the floorplan “is basically that of another Davidson house, Case Study House No. 11,” which has been demolished.

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Case Study House for 1953

Craig Ellwood’s Case Study House for 1953 is usually numbered as 16 in the Case Study series . It has a modular steel structure and “the basic plan is a four-foot modular rectangle.” But the interior walls stick out past the exterior walls to bring the indoors out and the outdoors in. The Bel Air house hit the market in November with a $3 million price tag.

Case Study House No. 17 (A)

Case Study House No. 17 (A) was designed by Rodney Walker in 1947. A tight budget kept the house at just 1,560 square feet, “but more space was gained through the use of many glass areas.” The house also has a large front terrace with a fireplace that connects the indoor living room fireplace. The house has been remodeled .

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Case Study House No. 17 (B)

Case Study House No. 17 (B) was designed in 1956 by Craig Ellwood, but “governed by a specific program set forth by the client.” Ellwood took into account the clients' collection of contemporary paintings and made the living room “purposely undersized” to work best for small gatherings. The house was extensively remodeled in the sixties by Hollywood Regency architect John Elgin Woolf and his partner, interior designer Robert Koch Woolf.

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West House (Case Study House No. 18 [A])

Case Study House No. 18 (A) was designed by Rodney Walker in 1948. The house is oriented toward the ocean, but set back from the cliff edge it sits on to avoid noise issues. As A&A says, "High above the ocean, the privacy of the open south and east exposures of Case Study House No. 18 can be threatened only by an occasional sea-gull." The house features a "bricked garden room" separated from the living room by a two-sided fireplace.

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Fields House (Case Study House No. 18 [B])

Case Study House No. 18 (B) was designed by Craig Ellwood in 1958. Ellwood didn’t attempt to hide that the house was prefabricated (the magazine explains that he believed “that the increasing cost of labor and the decline of the craftsman will within not too many years force a complete mechanization of residential construction methods”). The components of the house, however, are “strongly defined with color: ceiling and panels are off-white and the steel framework is blue.” According to A&A' s website, the house has been remodeled.

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Case Study House No. 20 [A])

This two-bedroom house was meant “to serve young parents who find they can afford just that much,” according to architect Richard Neutra’s description. He also wrote that he used several different kinds of natural wood in the house.

Bass House (Case Study House No. 20 [B])

The Bass House was designed in 1958 by Buff, Straub, and Hensman for famed graphic designer Saul Bass. It's “unique in that it was based upon the experimental use of several prefabricated Douglas fir plywood products as part of the structural concept,” including hollow-core plywood vaults that covered the central part of the house.

Case Study House No. 21

Pierre Koenig designed Case Study House No. 21 in 1958. It was originally completely surrounded by water, with a walkway and driveway spanning the moat at the front door and carport, respectively. The house was severely messed with over the years, but restored in the ’90s with help from Koenig.

Stahl House (Case Study House No. 22)

Pierre Koenig's Stahl House , designed in 1960, is probably the most famous house in Los Angeles, thanks to an iconic photo by Julius Shulman . The house isn't much to look at from the street, but its backside is mostly glass surrounding a cliff's-edge pool. Tours are available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday—but book well ahead of time, as they sell out quickly.

Case Study House for 1950

The unnumbered Case Study House for 1950 was designed by Raphael Soriano. It's rectangular, with living room and bedrooms facing out to the view. However, in the kitchen and eating areas, the house “turns upon itself and living develops around a large kitchen-dining plan opening upon a terrace which leads directly into the living room interrupted only by the mass of two fireplaces.” According to A&A 's website, the house has been remodeled.

Frank House (Case Study House No. 25)

The two-story Frank House was designed by Killingsworth, Brady, and Smith and Associates in 1962 and it sits on a canal in Long Beach. A reflecting pool with stepping stones leads to its huge front door and inside to an 18-foot high courtyard. The house sold in 2015 with some unfortunate remodeling .

Case Study House No. 28

Case Study House No. 28 was designed in 1966 by Conrad Buff and Donald Hensman. According to the magazine, “the architects were asked to design a house that incorporated face brick as the primary structural material to demonstrate its particular advantages.” They came up with a plan for two symmetrical wings joined by glass galleries.

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Midcentury-Modern Architecture: Everything You Should Know About the Funky and Functional Style

Midcentury modern is a term that’s thrown around a lot these days, but what is it really? Midcentury-modern architecture is not simply anything that was designed and built in the middle of the 20th century, but in fact an architectural style with a defined set of principles and influences. The style continues to influence contemporary architecture in ways big and small, so below, with the help of four industry experts, we’ve broken it all down from you—from the history to the most famous examples that still stand today. 

What is midcentury-modern architecture?

Midcentury-modern architecture is a style created by architects in the middle decades of the 20th century. Influenced by the optimism of the post-World War II boom and by the exploration of a range of materials, including steel,  concrete , and newly available  insulated glass , the mainstays of midcentury-modern architecture remain appealing to this day . Though the architects we associate with the style varied in their preferences and creative decisions, there is undeniably a spirit of creativity that unites their creations. 

“Midcentury modern was about stripping away unnecessary ornament and really getting to the essence of a design gesture,”  designer Jonathan Adler says. “That clarity of vision is innately communicative and people love design that speaks to them. By stripping away the frills, the designer can communicate directly with the viewer, and communication is ultimately what good design is about.”

For John Ike, a partner of San Francisco–based architecture and design firm Ike Baker Velten , the continued draw to midcentury-modern architecture seems to be a product of specific design elements. “I think it’s really the materials, the open flowing spaces, and the real sunny feel to them that draws people to the architectural style to this day,” explains Ike, who lives in a midcentury-modern home himself in San Diego. 

Elvis and Priscilla Presley honeymooned at this Palm Springs home by architect William Krisel.

The history of midcentury-modern architecture

The stage was set for midcentury-modern design by visionary architects and designers that preceded the period. Frank Lloyd Wright is undeniably the most influential figure on the period. Hallmarks of his buildings—site-specific designs, the consideration for flow between the spaces, and his dedication to the use of wood paneling—are all prominent features of midcentury-modern homes. 

The Bauhaus movement was an important stepping stone leading to the midcentury-modern period, as was MoMA’s 1932 International Style exhibition. Architect Philip Johnson was the director of the show, which was the museum’s first architectural exhibition and featured the work of Richard Neutra, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, and other figures whose work would influence and define MCM. The works of Alvar Aalto and Marcel Breuer were also formative for MCM, particularly their furniture designs which continue to resonate today. 

The postwar Case Study Houses program—created and sponsored by  Arts and Architecture —also resulted in many key examples of midcentury-modern houses. Pierre Koenig, Eero Saarinen, A. Quincy Jones, and the Eameses were among the modern architects who designed homes in response to it, though not all of the homes were constructed. Some have been remodeled into oblivion and some of them have been demolished, but 20 remain standing today according to Forbes .

The Frank Sinatra Twin Palms Estate by E. Stewart Williams

“The style became extremely fashionable in its time,” says Leo Marmol, managing partner of AD100 design-build practice Marmol Radziner , which has worked on the restoration of midcentury-modern homes for over 25 years. “It was something that the media could really kind of sink their teeth into and show these alluring and sexy photographs, and seduce the viewer into this fantasy of modern living.”

Adler, whose work is inspired by midcentury-modern style, would concur. “More than anything I’m drawn to the vibe of optimism and the spirit of postwar possibility. Optimism never goes out of style.”

Defining characteristics and elements of midcentury-modern architecture

• Clean lines
• Floor-to-ceiling windows
• Open floor plans
• Indoor-outdoor living
• Functionality

Famous examples

Sean Connery on the set of Diamonds Are Forever in the Elrod House

Elrod House by John Lautner

Palm Springs, California

One of the most unique of the midcentury-modern homes, Lautner’s Elrod House was immortalized in the 1971 James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever. Cavelike but not dark thanks to some well-placed large skylights, the Elrod Home is almost verging on UFO territory. As KAA Design’s Grant Kirkpatrick told us, “Palm Springs is a bastion of classic midcentury architecture,” and this is probably among the desert town’s most imaginative structures. 

The TWA Flight Center now operates as a hotel. 

Eero Saarinen & Associates’ Trans World Air Flight Center

Queens, New York  

Opened in 1962 and designated as a New York City landmark in 1994, the TWA  Flight Center was designed to “express the excitement of travel,” per an ad for the Flight Center that quotes architect Eero Saarinen himself. Nowadays it still expresses that same excitement, though as a hotel that represents a flight through time. According to Antonio Román’s  Eero Saarinen: An Architecture of Multiplicity,  though many considered the structure to be built to look like a bird in flight, Saarinen himself insisted that was merely coincidental. In any case, the building is one of the most prominent examples of midcentury architecture’s futurist impulse, and a lap around its bright red-carpeted hallways is sure to make a believer out of any midcentury-modern design skeptic. 

Blocks of color add visual interest to the glass-and-steel Eames House structures.

Charles and Ray Eames’s Eames House

Pacific Palisades, California

From their furniture with Herman Miller to  designing for IBM , the influence of Charles and Ray Eames over our contemporary understanding of midcentury-modern style cannot be overstated. At the center of it all is the Pacific Palisades home they designed and built in 1949. The house in fact consists of two raised steel-and-glass structures, both flaunting flat roofs, bright color blocks, and an intentional connection to its natural surroundings.

The iconic “Poolside Gossip” photo by Slim Aarons

Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House

Also on the West Coast, this Neutra home is most remembered for its appearance in the Slim Aarons photo “Poolside Gossip.” The split-level Kaufmann House is one of Richard Neutra’s many notable structures, and undoubtedly one of the most celebrated Palm Springs homes. “The Kaufmann Home is without a doubt one of the seminal examples of midcentury modern. It is the classic open plan where the interior and the exterior are knit together very seamlessly,” Marmol says. His firm, Marmol Radziner, restored the Kaufmann House in the late 1990s. “It’s incredibly modern in its detailing: simple and elegant.”

The Farnsworth House features a covered patio off the living area. 

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House

Plano, Illinois

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Plano, Illinois, structure is a steel-and-glass house that invites the natural surroundings inside. The house also proves just how wonderful a feature can be even without sunny Southern California weather. Probably the most minimalist among the midcentury-modern homes included here, the Farnsworth House was first built as a country house for  Edith Farnsworth , a doctor, violinist, and architecture patron. The home’s core contains the kitchen and two bathrooms, and the bedroom, office, dining area, and living room flow naturally into each other and offer unfettered views of the property’s exterior, with floor to ceiling glass doors opening to a covered patio for additional living space. 

22 Midcentury Modern Architects You Should Know

These creatives left a lasting impact on design history.

No architectural style has enjoyed a longer period of buzziness than midcentury modern architecture. First developed in postwar Europe in the late 1920s, the style eschews the ornamentation of earlier Art Deco styles in favor of minimal, function-forward spaces, often inspired by or in reference to nature. But of course, as the movement spread—informed by various vernacular styles and riffs by individual creators—it evolved into various arms of one style; that's why a modern structure in New York by Eero Saarinen may look very different than one in France by Eileen Gray or in Mexico by Luis Barragán. But still, practitioners of midcentury modern architecture share a common thread of human-centric design, minimal ornamentation, and focus on functionality—just all executed through different creative lenses. From big-name icons you've probably heard of (hello, Charles and Ray Eames) to often-overlooked talents who contributed in big ways to the style, these are the midcentury modern architects you should know.

Le Corbusier

Sometimes referred to as the father of modern architecture, Le Corbusier (given name: Charles-Édouard Jeanneret) began experimenting with what are now the core principles of modernism before the movement even had a name. The Swiss-born creative was not formally trained in architecture (he studied painting and watchmaking) but began conceiving a signature style of pared-down design and simplified materials shortly after World War II. One of his most famous buildings is Villa Savoye, seen here, in Poissy, France.

Charlotte Perriand

Le Corbusier worked closely with his cousin, Pierre Jeanneret, as well as his head of interior design, Charlotte Perriand. Perriand shared many of Le Corbusier's ideas about a functional space that lives in harmony with nature. Her L'Arcs 1800 apartments, designed for the French ski town of Savoie, embody much of her ethos, consisting of minimal, repeated units that prioritize views of the natural surroundings.

Paul R. Williams

At the same time as European modernism was taking off, Paul Williams was beginning his career in Los Angeles. After three years working for John C. Austin, Williams opened his own office, where he received acclaim as a master draftsman (shown is a drawing of his for the Linde Building in Los Angeles). As a Black architect often working for white clients, Williams even became proficient at sketching upside down—to accommodate racist clients who refused to sit beside a Black man. Williams had an incredibly prolific career, designing numerous public buildings as well as homes for the likes of Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball, in a career that spanned five decades. He was the first African American architect inducted into the AIA.

Eileen Gray

The daughter of an Irish painter who encouraged artistic interest early, Eileen Gray studied art in Paris before switching her focus to design and architecture. In 1922, she opened her Paris shop, Jean Désert, where she first stocked items in more luxurious materials of the Art Deco movement, but later adopted the more minimal aesthetic of the burgeoning modernist movement. Her most famous architectural work is E-1027, an oceanfront villa in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, which she built between 1926 and 1929 and which Le Corbusier famously vandalized by nakedly painting colorful on its walls while visiting, against Gray's wishes, in an act many consider to be a sexist outburst in response to such a seminal work of architecture created by a woman.

Walter Gropius

Born in Berlin, Walter Gropius studied architecture in his home city and Munich before joining the office of industrial designer Peter Behrens, which also employed Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe. He is best known for founding the famous Bauhaus School, a pioneering educational institution that celebrated the unison of art and craft, the beauty of functional design, and the potential of mass production. Paul Klee, Josef Albers, László Moholy-Nagy, and Wassily Kandinsky were all involved with the school. With the rise of Naziism, Gropius emigrated to the U.S., where he completed several notable modern buildings in the burgeoning International Style, including New York's Pan-Am building (now the Met Life building), shown.

Mies van der Rohe

Perhaps no name is as synonymous with the clean-lined architecture of modernism as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (born Ludwig Mies, he later adopted his surname as a first name and adopted the upper-calss "van der Rohe" when he began working with wealthy clientele). The German-born creative began his career creating neoclassical homes but after World War I he, like his close associates Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, turned to minimalism, looking to create a style that felt encompassing of the era. Van der Rohe served as the last director of the Bauhause before emigrating to the U.S. when the Nazis took power in his native country.

John Moutoussamy

A Chicago native, John Moutoussamy studied at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where Mies van der Rohe was one of his professors. Moutoussamy adopted many of van der Rohe's principles of simplicity, several of which are evident in his most famous building, the Johnson Publishing Company, which housed the offices of magazines like Jet and Ebony. To this day it is the only skyscraper in downtown Chicago designed by a Black architect. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2018.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Though the majority of his work was completed before the midcentury era, Frank Lloyd Wright in many ways laid the foundation for modernism in America and beyond. His philosophy of "organic architecture" emphasized the importance of nature and the human body in design, a sharp contrast to the coldness with which the International Style was often regarded. Wright was also incredibly influenced by Japanese art and architecture, and his adoption of certain motifs—decorative screens, lacquer, paneling—embedded these in the language of American modernism for years to come.

Rudolph Schindler

Born and educated in Vienna, Rudolph Schindler was introduced to the work of Frank Lloyd Wright through the Wasmuth Portfolio, a wildly-successful two-volume tome of the American architect's work, which he promoted in Europe in 1911, leading to cross-influence with several modernists on the continent. Fascinated with Wright's work, he continued writing him letters until he was finally hired to oversee Wright's work in the U.S. while he focused on the massive Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, begun in 1919. Wright and Schindler would end up having a falling out in 1931 over differing claims of Schindler's influence within the firm, especially overseeing such iconic projects as Hollyhock House and contributing to the Imperial Hotel. After leaving Wright, Schindler went on to create several iconic modern homes in the Los Angeles area, including the Chase House, shown, whose relationship with its surrounding nature is reminiscent of Wright's ethos. (The two architects did allegedly end up reconciling in the 1950s).

Richard Neutra

Also a Vienna native who relocated to Los Angeles, Richard Neutra once enjoyed a brief partnership with Rudolph Schindler—though the two would soon have a falling-out that resulted in them remaining nemeses for the remainder of their careers. (The relationship fractured, allegedly, when Neutra and his wife came to the home Schindler shared with his wife and where he frequently hosted debaucherous parties, many with swingers. The more buttoned-up Neutras were not a fan.) Still, both created some of the most recognizable modern homes of the country, including several in the modernist haven of Palm Springs, like the Kaufmann Desert House, shown, which was immortalized in a photoshoot of its residents by the legendary photographer Slim Aarons.

Hilyard Robinson

After serving in Europe during World War I, Hilyard Robinson studied architecture at Columbia before returning to his native Washington, D.C. There, he worked for various firms while also serving as a professor at Howard University, whose campus is dotted with buildings of his design. He also designed the country's first housing project, D.C.'s Langston Terrace Dwellings, shown, which opened in 1939. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

Luis Barragan

Born in Guadalajara and educated as an engineer, Luis Barragán remains one of Mexico's most renowned creatives for his thoughtful use of bold color juxtaposed against staunchly minimal forms. His work was greatly influenced by a 1931 trip to Europe, where Barragán visited many buildings by Le Corbusier, which he described as “very modern, like a beautiful sculpture.” This sculptural take on building forms would go on to inform many projects, like a Los Angeles shop for Paul Smith, shown, as well as the artist's own home, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1980, he won the illustrious Pritzker Prize in architecture

Marcel Breuer

After a brief stint studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, Hungarian-born Marcel Breuer became one of the youngest students at the Bauhaus, where he was soon appointed head of the carpentry shop. The Bauhaus's ideal of holistic design had a huge impact on Breuer, who would go on to develop groundbreaking designs for furniture (like his iconic tubular steel-and-wicker chairs) as well as architecture. After relocating to the U.S. via London following the rise of Naziism, Breuer designed several buildings stateside, including the headquarters of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Madison Avenue's Breuer Building (formerly the Whitney Museum, now the Frick Madison), shown.

Isamu Noguchi

Born to a Japanese father and Irish-American mother in Los Angeles in 1904, a young Isamu Noguchi soon moved to Japan to join his father, where he had his first exposure to woodworking trailing the carpenter who built his mother's home. He returned to the U.S. for high school and after graduation began an apprenticeship with the sculptor Gutzon Borglum (best known for Mount Rushmore). In 1926, he was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship to study sculpture in Paris before traveling through Asia. Shortly after he returned to the United States, he was interred at the Poston Camp, the largest of several concentration camps created out of growing anti-Japanese sentiment in the U.S. ahead of World War II, where he was accused (and acquitted) of espionage. It was only after his return to New York following the war that Noguchi fully realized the organic, sculptural modern style for which he is known today. Much of his work—like the iconic Akari lamp —pulls from Japanese tradition, while architectural and furniture designs draw from his experience with sculpture.

Philip Johnson

Born in Ohio and educated at Harvard, Philip Johnson became the first director of the architecture department of the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1930, where he cultivated a focus on modernism by inviting pioneers of the movement, like Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, to visit. Though his designs for skyscrapers in many American cities remain parts of the skyline, his most famous project may be the Glass House, the home he designed for himself and his longtime partner, David Whitney, in New Canaan, Connecticut, for which he won the inaugural Pritzker Prize. Later in his life, Johnson received criticism for his Nazi sympathies—he vacationed in Germany and wrote admirably of the regime in its early days, writings for which he apologized later in life. Criticism continued posthumously, with Harvard removing his name from a building he designed on its campus as recently as 2020.

Oscar Niemeyer

Born in Rio de Janiero and educated at the city's Escola Nacional de Belas Artes at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Oscan Niemeyer would go on to have perhaps the largest impact of any creative on his home country. Following his graduation, he joined the office of architects Lúcio Costa, Gregori Warchavchik, and Carlos Leão as a draftsman. He would go on to assist Costa on the headquarters for the Ministry of Education and Health, a project on which Le Corbusier served as a consultant. The subsequent glass-and-concrete skyscraper would serve as a touchpoint for modern urban architecture going forward. From there, Niemeyer went on to assist Costa on the Brazilian pavilion at the 1939 World's Fair, before completing many iconic monuments with various collaborators. But Niemeyer's masterpiece was his urban plan for the city of Brasilia, a socialist utopia created in collaboration with Costa. The city was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Charles & Ray Eames

The veritable "first couple" of modern American design, Charles and Ray Eames (née Gayber) met while students at the illustrious Cranbrook Academy, the Michigan art school that produced such design greats as Eero Saarinen, Florence Knoll, and Harry Bertoia. They would go on to open the Eames Office, a collaborative, experimental studio where they worked with cutting-edge materials like molded plastic and bent plywood. The Eameses were passionate about mass production and functional design, principles that laid the foundation for much of their iconic furniture. Their work in architecture was equally inspired, with living spaces—like their famous Case Study House No. 8, shown, where they lived and worked—showcasing modern, functional living. Though Ray and Charles nearly always worked as a team, Charles was often mistakenly listed as the sole creator of their designs.

Eero Saarinen

Son of Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, Eero was born in Finland and emigrated to the U.S. aged 13. When his father accepted a faculty position at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, the younger Saarinen enrolled there, becoming close friends with the Eameses and Florence Knoll. After Cranbrook, he studied Architecture at Yale before touring Europe and beginning work for his father's firm. His first real renown came when a chair he designed with the Eameses won first prize in a design competition in 1940 (the chair was produced by Knoll, the company classmate Florence founded with her husband Hans). That kicked off a long collaboration with Knoll, for which Saarinen designed some of his most iconic furniture, like the Tulip table and chairs, which were dotted throughout the interiors of the TWA Terminal, shown, at Idlewild airport (now JFK), a modern icon and ode to the glamorous travel of the era. The structure is a testament to Saarinen's sculptural sense of modernism, also evident in the St. Louis Gateway Arch, which he designed.

Lina Bo Bardi

Born Achillina Bo in Rome, Bo Bardi studied architecture in her home city before moving to Milan, where she embarked on several collaborations, including with Italian Giò Ponti on a design magazine. Following World War II, she relocated to South America, where she reopened her practice in Brazil and cofounded, with her husband, the design magazine Habitat. Bo Bardi became a prolific creator in her adopted country, with a slew of public and private buildings including her own glass house, "Casa de Vidro," shown, in the rainforest near São Paulo. The structure adapts modern principles by the likes of van der Rohe and the Eameses and marries them with Brazil's lush climate.

Beverly Lorraine Greene

Widely believed to be the first licensed female African American architect in the United States, Beverly Lorraine Green's many contributions to architectural history have often been overlooked. Greene received a bachelor's degree in architectural engineering as well as her master's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. After graduation, she returned to Chicago to work for the Housing Authority, before relocating to New York City, where she received a master's from Columbia. She worked in the offices of Isadore Robinson and Edward Durell Stone, then went on to work for Marcel Breuer, where her designs were incorporated into buildings on NYU's campus as well as the UN Headquarters in Paris, shown.

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The Stahl House by Pierre Koenig | Case Study House #22

Perched on the Hollywood Hills with a commanding view of Los Angeles, the Stahl House, also known as Case Study House #22, is a paragon of mid-century modern architecture. Designed by Pierre Koenig and completed in 1960, this residence is an architectural masterpiece and a symbol of a particular era in Los Angeles, characterized by a burgeoning optimism and a new approach to residential design.

The Stahl House Technical Information

• Architects 1 : Pierre Koenig
• Location: 1636 Woods Drive, Los Angeles , California , United States
• Topics: Mid-Century Modern Houses
• Area: 210 m 2 | 2,300 ft 2
• Project Year: 1959-1960
• Photographs: Various, See Caption Details

If you don’t know the Stahl House, then you don’t know mid-century modern architecture. – Julius Shulman 3

The Stahl House Photographs

A Vision of Glass and Steel

The journey of the Stahl House began in 1954 when Buck Stahl purchased a lot that was considered unbuildable. His vision was clear—a home that embraced its surroundings with vast expanses of glass to capture the sprawling cityscape. In 1957, Koenig, known for his proficiency with industrial materials, was commissioned to realize this vision. The result was a structure of steel and glass that was both minimalistic and expressive.

Design and Layout

Koenig’s design was a masterclass in the use of industrial materials in residential architecture. The house is distinguished by its “L” shaped plan, separating public and private spaces through a simple yet effective layout. Large, 20-foot-wide panes of glass form the majority of the walls facing the view, offering unobstructed panoramas of Los Angeles.

The design also cleverly incorporates the landscape into the living experience. The swimming pool, positioned between the wings of the house, not only serves as a physical buffer separating the living spaces but also as a visual corridor to the city beyond.

I design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown. – Pierre Koenig 2

Iconic Status and Architectural Significance

Julius Shulman’s photography cemented the Stahl House’s iconic status. In a series of images that have become synonymous with mid-century modern architecture, Shulman captured the essence of the house. These photographs highlight the house’s integration with its surroundings and open, transparent design.

The Stahl House was included in the Case Study House program, which aimed to reimagine residential architecture post-World War II. Case Study House #22 became an influential model showcasing the possibilities of modernist aesthetics in suburban settings.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Over the years, the Stahl House has transcended its role as a private residence to become a cultural landmark. It has been featured in numerous films, commercials, and fashion shoots, each time underscoring its timeless appeal and architectural significance.

Despite its fame, the house remains a family-owned property, preserved as the Stahls left it. The family offers tours, allowing architecture enthusiasts to experience the space and its spectacular views firsthand.

The Stahl House Plans

The Stahl House Image Gallery

About Pierre Koenig

Pierre Koenig was a pioneering American architect, born on October 17, 1925, in San Francisco. Renowned for his influential contributions to mid-century modern architecture, Koenig is best known for his work in the Case Study House program, particularly the iconic Case Study House #22, or Stahl House. His designs emphasized industrial materials like steel and glass, integrating buildings seamlessly into their environments while promoting sustainability through the use of prefabricated materials. A long-time professor at the University of Southern California, Koenig’s legacy continues to influence architectural practices and education. He passed away on April 4, 2004, leaving behind a significant impact on the landscape of Southern California architecture.

Notes & Additional Credits

• Client: Buck Stahl
• Case Study Houses by Elizabeth A. T. Smith
• Modernism Rediscovered by Julius Shulman
• Pierre Koenig: Living with Steel by Neil Jackson

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The Eames House (also known as Case Study House No. 8) is a landmark of mid-20th century modern architecture located in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was designed and constructed in 1949 by husband-and-wife Charles and Ray Eames to serve as their home and studio.

It was one of roughly two dozen homes built as part of The Case Study House Program. Begun in the mid-1940s and continuing through the early 1960s, the program was spearheaded by John Entenza, the publisher of  Arts & Architecture magazine. It was developed to address a looming issue: a housing crisis. Millions of soldiers would be returning from the battlefields of World War II, and were wanting to start families. John Entenza recognized that houses needed to be built quickly, inexpensively, yet without sacrificing good design. In a challenge to the architectural community, the magazine announced that it would be the client for a series of homes designed to express man’s life in the modern world. These homes were to be built and furnished using materials and techniques derived from the experiences of the Second World War. Each home was designed with a real or hypothetical client in mind, taking into consideration their particular housing needs.

Click here to see their design brief more clearly from the December 1945 issue of Arts & Architecture .

First Design: Bridge House (unbuilt)

The first plan of the Eameses’ home, known as the Bridge House, was designed in 1945 by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen. The design used pre-fabricated materials ordered from catalogues, a continuation of the idea of mass-production. The parts were ordered and the Bridge House design was published in the December 1945 issue of the magazine, but due to a war-driven shortage, the steel did not arrive until late 1948.

While they were waiting for delivery, Charles and Ray picnicked in the meadow with family and friends, flew kites and did archery.  By then, Charles and Ray had “fallen in love with the meadow,” in Ray’s words, and they realized that they wanted to avoid what many architects had done: destroy what they loved most about a site by building across it.

Second Design: Eames House

Charles and Ray then set themselves a new problem: How to build a house that would 1) not destroy the meadow and trees, and 2) “maximize volume from minimal materials”.  Using the same off-the-shelf parts, but notably ordering one extra steel beam, Charles and Ray re-configured the House. The new design integrated the House into the landscape, rather than imposing the House on it. These plans were published in the May 1949 issue of Arts & Architecture .  It is this design that was built and is seen today.

Charles and Ray moved into the House on Christmas Eve, 1949, and lived there for the rest of their lives.  The interior, its objects and its collections remain very much the way they were in Charles and Ray’s lifetimes.  The house they created offered them a space where work, play, life, and nature co-existed.

While many icons of the modern movement are depicted as stark, barren spaces devoid of human use, photographs and motion pictures taken at the Eames house reveal a richly decorated, almost cluttered space full of folk art, thousands of books, shells, rocks, prisms, etc. The Eameses’ gracious live-work lifestyle continues to be an influential model.

The House has now become something of an iconographic structure visited by people from around the world.  The charm and appeal of the House is perhaps best explained in the words of the Case Study House Program founder, John Entenza, who felt that the Eames House “represented an attempt to state an idea rather than a fixed architectural pattern.”

Help us share the Eameses’ joy and rigor with future visitors, so they may have a direct experience of Charles and Ray’s approach to life and work.

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Case Study Houses

The Case Study Houses served as a blueprint and inspiration for Mid-Century homes in Southern California.

In 2013, ten Case Study House program residences were added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Relevant Places

Bass House (Case Study House #20B)

Case Study House #1

Case Study House #10

Case Study House #16

Case Study House #28

Entenza House (Case Study House #9)

Stahl House (Case Study House #22)

Triad (Case Study House #23A)

Triad (Case Study House #23C)

West House (Case Study House #18)

Launched in 1945 by John Entenza’s  Arts + Architecture  magazine, the Case Study House program commissioned architects to study, plan, design, and ultimately construct houses in anticipation of renewed building in the postwar years.

While the Case Study House program did not achieve its initial goals for mass production and affordability, it was responsible for some of Los Angeles’ most iconic and internationally recognized modern residences, such as the  Eames House (Case Study House #8)  by Charles and Ray Eames and the Pierre Koenig-designed  Stahl House (Case Study House #22) , famously photographed by Julius Shulman.

After a decade-long effort, L.A. Conservancy’s Modern Committee succeeded in listing ten Case Study residences on the National Register of Historic Places.

About This Issue

With an emphasis on experimentation, and a goal of promoting good, modern, affordable design for single-family homes, the program helped to disseminate the midcentury modern aesthetic through its thirty-five published plans. Of these, twenty-five houses and one apartment building were built in California and Arizona.

The program offered an unparalleled opportunity for commissions and publicity for established architects including Richard Neutra, J. R. Davidson, Sumner Spaulding, and William Wurster. It helped raise the profile of then-lesser-known designers including Craig Ellwood, A. Quincy Jones, Edward Killingsworth, Ralph Rapson, Eero Saarinen, and Raphael Soriano.

Our Position

On November 21, 2013, the  Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee was awarded a Governor’s Historic Preservation Award to recognize its work in nominating eleven Case Study Houses to the National Register of Historic Places.

Through the efforts of the Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee, eleven Case Study House residences in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ventura counties are now recognized as nationally historic. Ten are officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and an eleventh was deemed eligible for listing.

Few of the Case Study Houses currently have preservation protections, and some have been demolished or significantly altered. This proactive step recognizes the eleven nominated homes and raises greater awareness about the Case Study House program while providing a historic context for future designation of the remaining eligible properties.

On May 1, 2013, the State Historical Resources Commission voted to recommend listing of ten Case Study Houses in the National Register of Historic Places.  These ten residences with certifying recommendations were submitted to the National Park Service for final review and listing by the Keeper of the National Trust.  They were formally listed on July 24, 2013.

An eleventh nominated residence, Case Study House #23A, was not formally listed because of owner objection, but it received a determination of eligibility for listing in the National Register. All eleven residences will be considered historic resources and will enjoy the same protections under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Several Case Study Houses were not included in the nomination — if they’ve been altered or demolished, or for other reasons — but with this platform in place, it will be easier for other CSH homes to be nominated in the future.

Likewise, a few CSH houses, such as the  Eames House  (CSH #8), weren’t included because they’re already individually listed.

Case Study House residences included in nomination:

Los Angeles County

• Case Study House #1 , 10152 Toluca Lake Ave., Los Angeles
• Case Study House #9 , 205 Chautauqua Blvd., Los Angeles
• Case Study House #10 , 711 S. San Rafael Ave., Pasadena
• Case Study House #16 , 1811 Bel Air Rd., Los Angeles
• Case Study House #18 , 199 Chautauqua Blvd., Los Angeles
• Case Study House #20 , 2275 N. Santa Rosa Ave., Altadena
• Case Study House #21 , 9038 Wonderland Park Ave., Los Angeles
• Case Study House #22 , 1635 Woods Dr., Los Angeles

San Diego County 

• Case Study House #23A , 2342 Rue de Anne, La Jolla, San Diego (determined eligible)
• Case Study House #23C , 2339 Rue de Anne, La Jolla, San Diego

Ventura County

• Case Study House #28 , 91 Inverness Rd., Thousand Oaks

What are Case Study Houses and why are they so important?

Case Study House #8 (Eames House) designed by legends of the design world Charles and Ray Eames

Los Angeles is renowned for its fantastic motley of architectural styles. Every road might offer anything from a ranch-style pad to a Victorian cottage, a Mediterranean revival house to a Craftsman family home. What I was there to see on a recent trip, though, were the city's iconic mid-century modern houses, and particularly the iconic Case Study Houses built between 1945 and 1966. Honked and nudged by LA drivers unused to British politeness, I made my way down Sunset Boulevard. With built up shops and flats down a neon-flashing thoroughfare, I couldn't comprehend how I would possibly come across the airy, Modernist houses I'd heard so much about. Turn off the main stretch though, and you'll quickly find yourself ascending through jasmine and eucalyptus-scented streets and into the Hollywood Hills, which play host to some of the most important mid-century modern houses in America.

The Case Study House Program stands as one of the most iconic architectural endeavours of the mid-20th century. Initiated by Arts & Architecture magazine editor John Entenza in 1945, the program aimed to address the post-World War II housing boom in the United States caused by the return of millions of soldiers by creating affordable and efficient model homes. These experimental homes were designed by some of the era’s most forward-thinking architects, including Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, and Pierre Koenig.

The Hollywood Hills play host to several Case Study houses - along with the leafy suburb Pasadena. The style has been hugely influential, infusing the architecture of many of the hillside houses built since the mid-20th century.

The vision behind the Case Study House Program was ambitious: to create modern homes that could be easily replicated for the American middle class. The program emphasised the use of new materials and techniques developed during the war, which promised efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The homes were to be innovative, flexible, and reflective of contemporary lifestyles.

With 36 prototype designs, the Case Study House program aimed to house thousands of Americans in modern, functional homes. The prefabricated nature of the houses (meaning they were largely or partially built before being taken to site – think flat-pack houses) were intended to make the building process streamlined and affordable.

The program was successful in defining California's architectural vernacular and mid-century design globally, with architects still using the prototype plans to create reproductions of the Case Study houses. But the roll-out program was not hugely effective, and only around 24 of the 36 prototypes were built – 20 of them in LA , plus one in Northern California, an apartment complex in Phoenix and one near San Diego. The steel-framed single-family homes which were in great demand after the war turned out to be less popular than predicted, and the wooden-frame home model continued as the norm for developers. High inflation and low supply also meant the houses quickly became unaffordable for the masses – exactly the market the scheme was intended for. Today the houses are deemed as exceptional slices of history, and (ironically) sell for millions.

A Bigger Splash 1967 © David Hockney - Tate, which is on display currently as part of Tate Britain’s free collection.

These Modernist houses were designed by architect Richard Neutra around 1965 on a hillside Los Angeles. Though not Case Study houses themselves, Neutra was one of the most significant contributors to the scheme.

As with so many architectural phenomenons, what started as a practical solution has now become celebrated and enshrined as emblematic of a historical period. The houses are also, as I found out on my slalom through the hills, beautiful and striking in their own right.

A major difference between the Case Study houses from the designs that came before them was the open-plan nature. Following a period of social change and emancipation, families were beginning to prioritise open-plan living as opposed to separating the kitchen (and therefore the women) away from the living space. The houses also often included sleek, built-in furniture, which reduced costs for families moving in, and made them instantly liveable. Stylistically this was very different from pre-war interior design, where free-standing furniture would have been essential.

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The balmy Los Angeles climate was also considered, with plenty of integration of indoor and outdoor spaces through modern porches. The architects all used glass, steel and concrete as their central building materials, all of which are recognisable hallmarks of the mid-century modern movement. Though they may not have used the term ‘sustainable’ in the era, architects often used efficient materials and cross-ventilation in their buildings. Charles and Ray Eames were particularly keen to “maximise volume from minimal materials," according to the Eames Foundation .

Several houses from the program have achieved iconic status, including Case Study House #8 (Eames House) designed by legends of the design world Charles and Ray Eames. The pair are perhaps most famous for their contribution to the furniture world, particularly in the creation of the iconic reclining Eames Chair. This Case Study house, which still remains in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles, is still celebrated for it's joyful take on the brief, featuring Bauhaus-inspired flats of colour in a simple steel and glass frame.

“The house would make no demands for itself and would serve as a background for life in work, with nature as a shock absorber," Charles said of the house . Despite these claims, the house is certainly more than a ‘background,' with flocks of fans continuing to visit the colourful construction (now a National Historic Landmark) today.

Though I glimpsed swathes of houses clearly inspired by the mid-century movement, I only managed to get into Case Study House #22 or Stahl House. Designed by Pierre Koenig in 1960, the Stahl House is perhaps the most famous of all, known for its dramatic glass walls and breathtaking views of Los Angeles. It epitomises the seamless blend of indoor and outdoor living with its jutting roof that extends over a shaded poolside area. When I think of iconic LA houses, this one stands out. In fact it's not dissimilar to the Modernist house in Hockney's most famous work A Bigger Splash, painted in 1967. Like many of the Case Study structures, Stahl House is precariously balanced on a typical LA hillside (for maximum views, sunlight and privacy, among other factors) and a new residence at the base of this particular hill puts the house at risk. Many are now calling for its protection which, given its significant place in architectural history, feels deeply necessary.

Drawings for one of two Pierre Koenig designs for a Case Study House

The Case Study House Program had a profound impact on the trajectory of American residential architecture. It challenged conventional notions of home design and demonstrated that modernist principles could be applied to create beautiful, liveable, and affordable homes. While not all the houses were built, as I drove through the hills, begrudging my past self for not forking out for a soft-top, you can see the indelible mark the scheme has left on the architectural landscape of Los Angeles.

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8 Famous Midcentury Homes You Can Actually Tour

The simple, rational homes designed by the illustrious architects of the 1950s and ’60s define the era’s values, aesthetics, and lifestyle. The impact of midcentury icons like Philip Johnson’s Glass House and the Eames House is hard to overstate, and more easily understood when experienced in person. As preservation efforts continue across the country, famous homes are increasingly opening as house museums. Read on for the eight residences at the top of our list.

Gropius House in Lincoln, Massachusetts

Walter Gropius designed his residence in Lincoln, Massachusetts, after fleeing Germany’s Third Reich regime for a teaching position at Harvard.

Designed by famed architect and founder of the Bauhaus school Walter Gropius, the Gropius House in Massachusetts was completed in 1939. Gropius and his wife fell in love with rural New England and opted to design and build their family home in the countryside instead of in Boston or Cambridge. The home incorporates traditional elements of New England architecture—wood, brick, and fieldstone—with distinctly modern forms, technology, and materials like glass block, chrome banisters, a rectilinear shape, and acoustical plaster. Inside, visitors will find the family’s possessions still in place, from furniture designed by Marcel Breuer to pieces designed by Gropius himself while leading the Bauhaus. The house is run by Historic New England and is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday. 

The Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut

Philip Johnson's Glass House is in fact one building out of 14 that sit on the 49-acre property, each with their own approach to structure, geometry, siting, and proportion.

Designed between 1949 and 1995 by architect Philip Johnson , The Glass House is a campus of multiple buildings on a 49-acre landscape. The 14 structures include the famed Glass House, completed in 1949, which functioned as Johnson’s residence until his death in 2005 and is noted for its minimal structure, geometry, proportion, and use of glass to achieve transparency and reflection (as well as its close resemblance to Mies van der Rohe’s 1947-1951 Farnsworth House, also included in this list). Other buildings on the property include the Brick House, the solid counterpart to the Glass House, a studio, and a painting gallery, among others. The home is now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and tours of the site are available to the public in May through November. 

Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Abiquiu, New Mexico

Visitors can take a trip to Georgia O'Keeffe's former home and studio in Abiquiu, New Mexico, and get a sense of the landscape and surroundings that inspired her.   

Open to the public since 1997, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, which has cared for and preserved O’Keeffe’s home and studio in Abiquiu, New Mexico, since 2003, offers the unique experience to see and experience the residence and surroundings that inspired the influential and significant artist. Although the compound was originally constructed in the Spanish Colonial-era, O’Keeffe purchased it in 1945 and supervised its restoration that was carried out by her friend Maria Chabot; its interiors are simple and sparsely decorated, speaking to the influence of Modernist aesthetics. The site is only open to the public for tours by appointment, and can be visited along with one other of O’Keeffe’s former homes and residences. 

Manitoga in Garrison, New York

Manitoga, or Dragon Rock, was the residence of industrial designer Russel Wright and is filled with design details that incorporated nature, including rooms with boulders rising from the floors and a tiered layout that worked with the natural topography.

Manitoga is the former residence of American industrial designer Russel Wright , and is comprised of a house, studio, and 75-acre quarried landscape. With the help of architect David Leavitt, Wright realized Dragon Rock, the name given to the home; both shared an influence and interest in Japanese design and together incorporated nature and natural elements into the house and studio through siting, scale, structure, intimacy, and details. Approached from below, the house sits on a dramatic landscape created by a former limestone quarry; the home is open to the public seasonally. 

The Miller House and Garden in Columbus, Indiana

The Miller House and Garden features a custom-made sofa in the open-plan living area designed by Saarinen with textiles by Girard. The home was widely published and is in part credited for the popularity of conversation pits in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Miller House and Garden, completed in 1953, is a one-of-a-kind showcase of the work of architect Eero Saarinen , designer Alexander Girard, and landscape architect Dan Kiley at a single residence. Originally designed for the family of J. Irwin Miller, a local industrialist and philanthropist, the home features an open floor plan with several custom built-in pieces of furniture—such as one of the earliest conversation pits —that was clad in bold textiles designed by Girard. The geometric gardens include a dramatic allée of honey locust trees, and the home is open to the public for a 90-minute tour. 

Eames House in Los Angeles, California

The Eames House, also known as Case Study House #8, is on Chautauqua Drive in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, California.

As one of the most iconic private residences in American midcentury design, the Eames House was completed in 1949 to serve as the home and studio for the husband-and-wife partnership of Charles and Ray Eames . Also known as Case Study House No. 8, the landmark residence was commissioned by the magazine Arts & Culture as part of their program for architects to design progressive, affordable, and modest homes in Southern California. The home’s exterior is comprised of glass and painted metal panels in a grid steel, and was recognized for its bold use of color and functional interior layout. The historic house museum is maintained by the Eames Foundation and is open to the public by appointment. 

Duplex at Modulightor in New York City

246 East 58th Street was designed by Paul Rudolph in 1989 and is the only residence designed by Rudolph that is currently open to the public.

Although technically not a midcentury building, the Duplex at Modulightor is the only New York City residence designed by noted architect Paul Rudolph that is open to the public and features many of the motifs, materials, and concepts evident in much of his work. Completed in 1989, the building was designed as a residence and commercial building to house Modulightor, the lighting company Rudolph founded with Ernst Wagner. The fifth and sixth floors of the building were added in 2007-2015 by a former Rudolph employee and were based on Rudolph’s early sketches for an unbuilt nine-story building. Today, the building serves in part as the headquarters of the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation is open for Foundation events and for tours by appointment.

The Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois

The Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois, was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as a retreat for client Dr. Edith Farnsworth.

Located about two hours outside of Chicago, the Farnsworth House was completed in 1951 by famed architect Mies van der Rohe and is considered one of his most significant and influential works. Consisting of an almost puritanical, transparent facade of glass propped up on thin, white I-beams, the home is an essay on Mies’ struggles to perfect modernist ideals of minimalism and structural expression. Although the home has been subject to flooding from a nearby river near which it was intentionally sited, mitigation efforts have allowed it to remain open to the public seasonally from April through November.

Related Reading: 

Design Icons: 24 Modern Architects and Designers That Have Shaped Our World

10 Classic Midcentury Pieces That Will Never Go Out of Style

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Mid century modern homes – the ultimate design guide

Everything you need to know about mid century modern homes, inside and out

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Mid century modern homes have appeared everywhere from Slim Aarons famous photographs of backyard parties to noir films from the 1960s. But mid century modern homes are the most recent style of architecture and house design to be given an iconic status among design historians. 

The angular forms and signature elements of any mid century modern house goes behind the stone masonry of a Georgian home or the joinery used in Craftsman cottages; this most distinctive of house styles remains memorable for a different reason – the modernist lens that broke traditional barriers in the mid-20th century.

What are mid century modern homes?

Mid century modern homes are residential, single-family homes built using modernist principles and design tactics like cantilevered walls, flat-facing surfaces, and simple lines. 

While the style is still used today in new structures, the name comes from the period in which the style emerged, between 1945 and 1970, though primarily between 1947 and 1957.

Where did the mid century modern style originate?

Because this style is pegged more to time than geography, there are a few answers that could be plausible. Depending on your preferred versions of modernism from this era, some might say that the Bauhaus school led to mid century modern design in America. 

Within the US though, the style largely stems from California, where architects and designers like Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, Arne Jacobsen, and so many other pioneered the style by bucking the traditions of more formal, ornate styles.

In cities like Chicago and in Europe, designers like Le Corbusier, or Mies van der Rohe were working on modernist structures, building large, monolithic structures that made the most of flat surfaces and curtain-glass windows for a sleek, minimalist approach.

What are the characteristics of mid century modern homes?

Mid century modern homes are characterized by the geometric lines of the architecture, flat, angled roofs that extend beyond the walls, and flat surfaces without ornamentation. Large windows that often slide open on to similarly geometric inner courtyards, patios or decks – integrating indoors with outdoors is an important design feature – are the main feature of rooms that often have changes in level. These rooms are often wood-panelled, boxy and flooded with light.

Where other homes might have a sloping mansard roof or jutting bay windows, mid century modern buildings catch the eye for their lack of grandeur. Aesthetically, mid century modern homes are so simple that they read as sophisticated. They are, almost literally, a box. 

Rather than deal with the ornate exteriors and ornamented molding that inhibited designs previously in architectural trends, mid century design throws all that away and lets fewer lines, broader spaces, and the openness do the talking for the rest of the architectural plan, which people find refreshingly open.

People gravitate toward the style for several reasons. Unlike other home styles like Victorian or Colonial homes, which are old too, but feel more antiquated than retro , mid century modern homes aren’t so old that there are people today who still remember when they came to prominence. Like when your grandfather tells you about how he remembers seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan.

Where are most mid century modern homes?

You can find mid century modern homes just about anywhere in America, with slightly different variations. The originals are mostly tucked into the hillsides of Southern California – notably Palm Springs – and you'll find everything from bungalow style homes and stilted silhouettes are dotted all along the streets of Los Angeles and Long Beach. 

Across the country, other formats of mid century modern house design came to prominence, but using more winter-worthy materials like brick to construct their signature looks. A few hours north of New York City, for example, pupils of the legendary modernist architect Frank Lloyd Wright built an entire town of case study homes using mid century modern design, dubbed 'Usonia'.

Original mid century modern homes sell for millions of dollars in California – even for just a one-bedroom home. New builds have become expansive, sprawling properties with thousands of square feet to show off and angular, clean shapes that stand out on any street in America.

How to decorate a mid century modern home

Luckily, there’s a whole interior design style under mid century modern interiors. 

Most interiors are open floor plans in these homes, so less is more. Use rugs or plants or bookshelves to create your own dividers that suit you and your family’s needs in these architectural floor plans. 

As for what furniture to bring into the space, there are plenty of examples of classic, mid century designs to use, such as tulip chairs from Eero Saarinen, Eames lounge chairs, Barcelona seating from van der Rohe, and plenty more alternatives that use chrome plating and minimalist lines to make the same simplicity outdoors work inside.

Mid century modern interiors also lend themselves to new design styles and trends, such as the retro revival trend or the Organic Modern trend , offering new styles timeless appeal.

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Timothy Latterner is a writer and editor living in New York City. His work has appeared in GQ, Conde Nast Traveler, Playboy, Vice, and Architectural Digest, where he also worked as the local news editor. He typically covers all things design, travel, and pop culture. 

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10 Iconic Mid-Century Modern Homes That Redefined Architecture

Each of these homes represents a unique chapter in the story of mid-century modern architecture..

December 21, 2023, 2:05 pm 1 Comment

Mid-century modern architecture, a style defined by clean lines, organic forms, and functional simplicity, revolutionized residential design in the 20th century. This design movement, spanning from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s, produced some of the most iconic and groundbreaking houses.

Here are 10 such houses that not only exemplify mid-century modern design but also left a lasting impact on architectural history.

The Glass House Philip Johnson (1949)

In New Canaan, Connecticut, The Glass House is a quintessential example of mid-century modernism, featuring a minimal structure with glass walls that dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior. Johnson’s use of transparency and open space redefined residential architecture.

The Eames House (Case Study House No. 8) Charles and Ray Eames (1949)

Located in Pacific Palisades, California, this house was part of the Case Study House program and is known for its innovative use of off-the-shelf materials. It’s a landmark of mid-century modern architecture, reflecting the Eames’ design philosophy of blending work, life, and nature.

Villa Savoye Le Corbusier (1931)

Located in Poissy, France, Villa Savoye is a seminal work of modernist architecture. Though built slightly before the mid-century period, it heavily influenced the movement with its emphasis on a functional structure, geometric form, and the famous “five points” of architecture, including pilotis (supporting columns), flat roof terrace, open floor plan, horizontal windows, and free facade design.

The Farnsworth House Mies van der Rohe (1951)

Located in Plano, Illinois, this house is a masterpiece of international style architecture. Its use of a minimal structural framework and large glass panels creates a profound dialogue between the interior and nature.

The Gropius House Walter Gropius (1938)

In Lincoln, Massachusetts, this house was designed by Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius. It blends traditional New England architectural styles with innovative Bauhaus principles, featuring a simplistic yet functional design.

The Lovell House Richard Neutra (1929)

One of the earliest examples of mid-century modern architecture, located in Los Angeles. Neutra’s design focuses on health and fitness, featuring expansive glass walls and a steel frame construction.

The Schindler House Rudolph M. Schindler (1922)

Also known as the Kings Road House, located in West Hollywood, this house is an early modernist masterpiece. Its design emphasizes space as a utility, using sliding panels and an open floor plan.

The Kaufmann Desert House Richard Neutra (1946)

In Palm Springs, California, this house is known for its seamless connection to the desert landscape. Its design includes large glass walls, deep overhangs, and an integration of indoor and outdoor spaces.

The Miller House and Garden Eero Saarinen (1957)

Located in Columbus, Indiana, this house is a significant mid-century modern residence, known for its open and flowing layout and the integration of the house with its beautiful garden landscape.

Villa Mairea Alvar Aalto (1939)

In Noormarkku, Finland, this house showcases Aalto’s unique approach to modernism, blending local materials and forms with modernist ideals. The design is particularly noted for its organic forms and the use of wood.

Each of these mid-century modern houses represents a unique exploration of space, form, and material, challenging traditional concepts of residential architecture. They not only defined the aesthetics of their era but also continue to influence contemporary design and architecture.

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10 Iconic Mid-Century Homes in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, often referred to as the epicenter of architectural innovation, boasts a rich history of mid-century modern homes. These have left an indelible mark on the world of design and continue to inspire architects and enthusiasts alike. Also, these homes , characterized by their clean lines, open spaces, and seamless integration with nature, emerged as a response to the post-World War II era and have since become timeless icons of modern living.

In this article, we will explore ten of the most famous mid-century homes in Los Angeles that have helped shape the city’s architectural identity.

• The Stahl House
• The Eames House
• The Bass House
• The Lovell Health House
• The Sheats-Goldstein Residence
• The Kaufmann House
• Case Study #20: The Bailey House
• Case Study #16: A Serene Oasis in Bel Air
• The Schindler House
• Case Study #21: The Bailey House

1. The Stahl House: A Monument to Modernist Vision

Located at 1635 Woods Dr, West Hollywood, CA 90069, USA, the Stahl House (Case Study #22) is an epitome of modernity and Japanese minimalism. A collaboration between Clarence and Carlotta Stahl, who had the vision for the home, and architect Pierre Koenig, this house has been recognized as one of LA’s historic cultural monuments. Besides, it is listed as one of the top architectural structures in America. Furthermore, its elegant exteriors and iconic Eames Lounge Chair make it a symbol of architectural excellence.

2. The Eames House: Home to Iconic Designs

Situated at 203 Chautauqua Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90272, USA, the Eames House (Case Study #8) is not only a mid-century modern masterpiece but also the birthplace of iconic designs like the Eames Lounge Chair. Designed and built by Charles and Ray Eames in 1949, this home is known for its modernity, Japanese minimalism, and innovative modular construction.

3. The Bass House: A Unique Wood-Clad Gem

Located at 2275 Santa Rosa Ave, Altadena, CA 91001, USA, the Bass House (Case House #20B) stands out as a unique gem among mid-century modern homes in Los Angeles. Designed by Buff, Straub & Hensman in 1958, it deviates from the prevalent steel construction with its distinctive use of wood as the primary building material. To add, this home seamlessly integrates with its natural surroundings, exemplifying the principle of bringing the outside in.

4. The Lovell Health House: A Modernist Pioneer

Designed by Richard Neutra in 1929, the Lovell Health House in Los Feliz predates the mid-century movement but greatly influenced it. With its innovative use of space, interconnected rooms, and strong geometric lines, this home served as a precursor to mid-century modern design principles.

5. The Sheats-Goldstein Residence: An Organic Marvel

Designed by John Lautner in 1963, the Sheats-Goldstein Residence in Beverly Crest seamlessly integrates with its natural surroundings. Also, its concrete roof seems to float above the living spaces. And its distinctive design has been featured in movies and magazines, making it an emblem of architectural innovation.

6. The Kaufmann House: Desert Modernism in Palm Springs

Designed by Richard Neutra in 1946, the Kaufmann House in Palm Springs is a striking example of desert modernism. In addition, its horizontal lines, flat roof, and floor-to-ceiling glass walls blur the lines between the interior and the arid desert landscape.

7. Bailey House: A Mid-Century Family Home

Designed by Richard Neutra in 1947, the Bailey House (Case Study #20), located at 219 Chautauqua Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90272, USA, is an intriguing example of mid-century modern architecture. Further, crafted as a family home that could evolve with its occupants, it features simple rectangular shapes and a captivating curved glass staircase.

8. Case Study #16: A Serene Oasis in Bel Air

Tucked away in the serene hills of Bel Air at 1811 Bel Air Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90077, USA, Case Study #16 is a remarkable creation by Craig Ellwood. As the last surviving member of a trio designed by Ellwood as part of the Case Study program, this house is a city landmark recognized for its innovative design. Moreover, it features oversized translucent floor-to-ceiling glass panels and exposed steel framing.

9. The Schindler House: A Mid-Century Pioneer

Designed by Rudolph M. Schindler in 1921, the Schindler House in West Hollywood set the stage for mid-century modern design principles. As well, its innovative use of space, interconnected rooms, and strong geometric lines paved the way for the mid-century movement.

10. Case Study #21: The Bailey House

Another prominent member of the Case Study House program, the Bailey House (Case Study #21), designed by Pierre Koenig in 1958, exemplifies mid-century modern design principles. Also, perched on a hill in the Laurel Canyon area, this house boasts an open floor plan, sleek steel structure, and walls of glass that invite nature into the living spaces. Additionally, it’s a testament to Koenig’s talent and vision.

Los Angeles’s mid-century modern homes are not just architectural marvels but also cultural touchstones that continue to inspire designers, homeowners, and aficionados worldwide. These homes, with their forward-thinking designs, innovative use of materials, and deep connections to the California landscape, have left an enduring legacy. Also these shape the city’s architectural identity and standing as testaments to the enduring allure of mid-century modernism. Exploring these homes allows us to not only appreciate their aesthetic beauty but also to gain insight into the spirit of innovation and creativity that has defined Los Angeles for decades. Whether you’re a design enthusiast or simply appreciate architectural excellence, these iconic homes are a must-visit to experience the essence of mid-century modern living in Los Angeles.

Check out Minimalist Interior Design: Pros and Cons for more inspirational ideas.

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Founded in 2017, Satin and Slate is one of the elite interior design studios in Southern California. Located in Long Beach, this dedicated team of designers oversees from kitchen and bathroom renovations to commercial projects. Equipped with their own showroom/studio they can satisfy the needs of any client. Featuring clean lines, bright colors and fresh ideas Satin and Slate’s mission is to bring your vision to life and help transform your space into something extraordinary.

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The Case Study House 25 by Killingsworth, Brady and Smith

Completed in December of 1962, the Case Study House 25 towers above the canal that runs through the Naples section of Long Beach, California, you can glimpse the canal in the background of the photo below. The house, double the height of most others in the area, presents a closed façade to its exterior while intelligently creating its own sense of luxurious space within.

The Case Study House 25 was designed by architects Killingsworth, Brady and Smith for their client Edward Frank.

Frank was a bachelor who owned the firm Frank Brothers , a company known at the time as one of the most important providers of modern furnishings in Southern California. Frank, who travelled the world extensively, had a keen passion for boating and it would be this character trait that was to be strongly emphasized in the design of his home. Because he believed that most visitors to the home would arrive by boat, the architects situated the main entrance of the house on the canal face of the structure.

Having disembarked from their vessel, visitors would approach the vast property by means of a pathway of steppingstones situated above a reflective pool.

The Case Study House 25 consists of a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, a utility room, three bathrooms and three bedrooms. The living room and master bedroom are situated in a way that enables their inhabitants to take full advantage of the view of the canal while another of the rooms serves a dual capacity as a study and a bedroom for guests. It is this dual purpose that serves as the general basis for the entire project.

Despite its height, the Case Study House 25 was designed in a compact manner that works to hide the additional, less social interior rooms. The kitchen, dining room, utility room and additional bedrooms are more privately housed alongside the more luxurious rooms that overlook the courtyard. This enabled the inhabitants to retain their privacy while more social or professionally orientated activities took place in the main section of the house.

Whether private, functional or a more socially oriented area of the house, the wooden frames and smoothly plastered services throughout the avant-garde home radiate an air of opulence, drama and relaxed elegance that demonstrates the skill and mastery of Killingsworth, Brady and Smith.

Photos via Modernism Rediscovered .

The Case Study Houses Program: Richard Neutra’s Bailey House

The case study houses program: craig ellwood’s case study house 18.

The Case Study House Program: A Mid-Century Modern Marvel

The Case Study House Program was an innovative architectural experiment that ran from 1945 to 1966. It was initiated by John Entenza, the editor of Arts & Architecture magazine, with the goal of creating inexpensive and efficient model homes for the post-World War II housing boom.

7/16/2024 3 min read

This program aimed to design and construct affordable, efficient model homes to address the post-World War II housing boom. The initiative brought together some of the most innovative architects of the time, producing a series of homes that continue to influence modern architecture today.

John Entenza envisioned the Case Study House Program as a way to address this demand by demonstrating how modernist principles and new materials could be used to create affordable, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing homes.

Objectives and Vision

The primary goal of the Case Study House program was to create practical yet aesthetically pleasing homes for the average American family. Post-World War II, there was a pressing need for housing that could accommodate the growing population. The program sought to address this by focusing on affordability, efficiency, and modern design principles. The homes were intended to serve as prototypes, demonstrating how good design could be accessible to the masses.

Notable Case Study Houses

Several of the homes built under the program became iconic examples of mid-century modern architecture:

Case Study House #8 (Eames House): Designed by Charles and Ray Eames, this house served as both their residence and studio. It featured an open, flexible layout and extensive use of glass and steel.

Location: Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California

Completed: 1949

Features: Prefabricated steel structure, open interiors, extensive use of glass, strong connection to nature.

Case Study House #22 (Stahl House): Designed by Pierre Koenig, this house is famous for its glass walls and panoramic views of Los Angeles. It epitomizes the minimalist aesthetic of the program. Location: Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California Completed: 1960 Features: Glass walls, cantilevered design, panoramic views of Los Angeles, minimalist aesthetic.

Case Study House #9 (Entenza House): Designed by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen, this house was built for John Entenza himself and showcased the use of prefabricated materials. Location: Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California

Features: Steel and glass construction, open plan living areas, emphasis on indoor-outdoor integration.

The Case Study House Program was a groundbreaking initiative that addressed the post-war housing crisis with innovative, modernist designs. It brought together some of the most talented architects and designers of the time to create model homes that were functional, affordable, and aesthetically pleasing. The program’s emphasis on new materials, construction techniques, and modern living principles had a lasting impact on American residential architecture and continues to influence contemporary design.

Key Architects and Their Contributions

Several renowned architects contributed to the success of the Case Study House program. Each brought a unique perspective and style, resulting in a diverse range of homes that shared common goals of functionality and simplicity. The designs often featured open floor plans, large glass windows, and a seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. The program attracted a number of notable architects who contributed their designs. These include:

Charles and Ray Eames: Known for their innovative use of materials and their integration of indoor and outdoor spaces. Eero Saarinen: Recognized for his sculptural approach to architecture and design. Richard Neutra: Famous for his emphasis on the relationship between architecture and the natural environment. Pierre Koenig: Known for his use of steel and glass to create minimalist, transparent structures. Raphael Soriano, Craig Ellwood, and A. Quincy Jones were also among the prominent contributors.

Enduring Legacy and Influence

The impact of the Case Study House program extends far beyond its original timeframe. The principles of mid-century modern design, such as minimalism, integration with nature, and the use of new materials and technologies, continue to resonate in contemporary architecture. Many of the homes built during the program are now considered iconic, and their influence can be seen in various aspects of modern home design.

The Case Study House program remains a testament to the ingenuity and forward-thinking of mid-century modern architects. By addressing the needs of a post-war society with innovative solutions, the program not only provided practical housing options but also left a lasting legacy on the architectural landscape.

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Inside L.A.’s Ultimate Mid-century Modern Home

In March 1954, Clarence “Buck” Stahl and Carlotta May Gates drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and got married in a chapel. They each worked in aviation (Buck in sales, Carlotta as a receptionist), had previous marriages, and were strapping, tall, and extremely good looking—California Apollonians out of central casting. Buck was 41, Carlotta, 24. Back home in L.A., as the newlyweds pondered their future, they became preoccupied with a promontory of land jutting out like the prow of a ship from Woods Drive in the Hollywood Hills, about 125 feet above Sunset Boulevard. It was as conspicuous as it was forbidding, visible from the couple’s house on nearby Hillside Avenue. “This lot was in pure view—every morning, every night,” Carlotta Stahl recalled. Locals called it Pecker Point, presumably because it was a prime makeout venue. For the Stahls, it became the blank screen on which they projected their dreams of a life together, a place to build a future, a family, and a house like no other.

Buck Stahl teaches his infant son Mark how to swim, 1967.

Carlotta with daughter Shari on the lounge chair and Bruce in the pool.

About two months after their dash to Las Vegas, the Stahls decided to drive up to this mystery spot and have a look around. They found themselves gawping at the entirety of Los Angeles spread out below in a grid that went on for an eternity or two. While they stood there, the owner of the lot rolled up. He lived down in La Jolla and rarely came to L.A. In the kismet-filled conversation that followed, Buck agreed to buy the barren one-eighth-acre lot for $13,500, with $100 down and the seller maintaining the mortgage until the Stahls paid it off. A handshake later, the couple owned 1635 Woods Drive. On that site, they would construct Case Study House #22, designed by Pierre Koenig, arguably the most famous of all the houses in the famous Case Study program that Arts & Architecture magazine initiated in 1945. For generations of pilgrims, gawkers, architecture students, and midcentury-modern aficionados, it would be known simply as the Stahl House.

The house in 1960, as captured by Julius Shulman during the day.

Sixty-one years since its completion, the modestly scaled L-shaped dwelling still exemplifies everything that is Californian and modern, a built metaphor in prefabricated steel and glass for Los Angeles itself. Yet the Stahl House—which began as a model that Buck fashioned out of beer cans and clay—transcends time and place. Its very image, as the architect Sir Norman Foster once wrote, embodies “the whole spirit of late 20th-century architecture.”

The family’s streamlined kitchen.

You probably know that image, the one Julius Shulman, the architectural photographer, created of the Stahl House in 1960, when the house was barely complete: black and white, twilight, a pair of seated women in conversation, the glass corner of the house cantilevering 10 feet out into nothing except a forever view of glistening, celestial L.A. In 2016, Time Magazine declared it one of the 100 most influential photographs of all time. “If I had to choose one snapshot, one architectural moment, of which I would like to have been the author,” Foster wrote, “this is surely it.” The image continues to hold sway over contemporary practitioners. “That photograph was pivotal in so many peoples’ lives,” the laureled Seattle-based architect Tom Kundig said. “I mean, is there any other photograph that captures in a single image the potential of architecture, the optimism of it? I don’t know if there is.”

Buck and his nephew, Robert, in front of his DIY model of the house.

Carlotta and a family friend (left) with Mark in 1967.

Thanks to a seven-and-a-half-minute exposure, Shulman had managed to capture a serenely futuristic, even utopian, tableau. But the shoot, with plaster dust everywhere and a furniture delivery man taking a detour to visit his mother in Kansas City, was chaos. The backstory of that photograph is one of many spun out in The Stahl House: Case Study House #22 , a sumptuous new book by two of the Stahls’ children, Bruce Stahl and Shari Stahl Gronwald, with the journalist Kim Cross. (Buck and Carlotta, and the youngest Stahl sibling, Mark, are no longer living.) “As kids,” the authors write, “we didn’t know our house was special. It was simply ‘home.’ ” Their book is a startlingly intimate document, chockablock with family snapshots, that goes beyond steel decking, glass walls, concrete caissons, and the geometry of H columns and I beams. It’s a love song to a global icon that was, for the residents themselves, no museum.

Shulman’s famous seven-minute exposure captures the house and its sprawling city backdrop.

As the Stahls tell it, the house may have been a modernist glass bubble, but the glass had smudgy handprints all over it. The towheaded Stahl kids liked to roller-skate across the concrete floors and got up to the usual youthful japery—setting Barbies afire and the like. Jumping off the dramatic, oversailing roof into the swimming pool was an important rite, one eventually passed down to the Stahls’ grandchildren. Buck would shout for the kids to “aim for the drain,” meaning the deep end, and they would take flight, the turquoise water rushing toward them and sky all around. The pool was the center of everything. Shari once rode her tricycle into it, and Bruce developed into a champion swimmer who broke the world record for the 50-meter freestyle. Carlotta, for her part, made delicious treats in a kitchen outfitted with pink GE appliances. Adolf Loos’s dictum “ornament is crime” may have animated Koenig’s minimalist design, but she went to town on a tucked-away powder room: floral wallpaper, shag carpet, framed embroidery, and plastic daisies. Buck was the kind of dad who built the children’s nightstands himself; the Stahls’ decor was no high-end fantasia of Eames, Knoll, and Nelson. Like the prototypical postwar suburban family, the Stahls made do and got by.

Eventually, the Stahl House, like all midcentury houses, fell out of fashion. But in 1989 it was rebuilt, in replica, as the star attraction of the “Blueprints for Modern Living” show at L.A.’s Museum of Contemporary Art, a surreal experience for the Stahls, who strolled through a parallel-universe version of their family home that had been styled as if for a Hollywood production. And then, more and more, real productions began beating a path up to the real Stahl House: movies, television, Vogue shoots. In 1990, the vocal trio Wilson Phillips filmed the video for their hit “Release Me” there, with director Julien Temple evoking Shulman’s famous photograph. For Carnie Wilson, one of the singers, the experience was the apotheosis of all things Los Angeles. “Here we were in a house that overlooked all of L.A., thinking of the Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas,” she said, referring to the group’s pop-royalty parentage. “It just felt all encompassing there.” Modernism came back in style and the Stahl House, owned by the Stahl family to this day and open to hundreds of visitors on guided tours every year, became one of the most photographed buildings in the world. The house was even a guest star on The Simpsons. It doesn’t get much more pantheonic than that.

“When I built in steel, what you saw was what you got,” the plain-spoken Koenig once said. What Buck and Carlotta Stahl got when they drove up to Woods Drive in 1954 was more than they ever envisioned. “They simply built their dream home,” their children write. It’s a dream that never ends.

Photos excerpted from The Stahl House: Case Study House #22: The Making of a Modernist Icon by Shari Stahl Gronwald, Bruce Stahl, and Kim Cross, published by Chronicle Chroma 2021.

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