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Scott Mayoral
Designed by Richard Neutra, a pillar of 20th century Modernism, the Kaufmann house has a sleek form, sliding panels and glass-and-stone aesthetic which helped shape the postwar Modernism movement.
HOME OF THE WEEK

Neutra's Modernist masterpiece

Home of the Week: A Palm Springs masterpiece by Richard Neutra
Scott Mayoral
Designed by Richard Neutra, a pillar of 20th century Modernism, the Kaufmann house has a sleek form, sliding panels and glass-and-stone aesthetic which helped shape the postwar Modernism movement.
His Palm Springs classic is fully restored, down to the stones that were excavated from a Utah quarry for the chimney and walls. The property can be yours for $12.975 million.
By Diane Wedner
October 30, 2008
Richard Neutra, a pillar of 20th century Modernism, is known for his sleek, glass-sheathed designs that take advantage, to beautiful effect, of the surrounding natural landscape.

The Kaufmann house in Palm Springs, commissioned by Pittsburgh department store magnate Edgar J. Kaufmann, was built in 1946 and is considered one of the Viennese-born architect's greatest works. Its sleek form, sliding panels and glass-and-stone aesthetic helped shape the postwar Modernism movement.

 
When Brent Harris and Beth Edwards Harris bought the property in 1993, however, for about $1.5 million, the home needed a ton of work. It had sat vacant for years after Kaufmann's death in 1955 and had undergone a series of remodels and additions by owners that included singer Barry Manilow. A patio was enclosed and a wall had been removed to create a media room.

Today it is fully restored, down to the stones excavated from the same Utah quarry that Neutra tapped for the original chimney and walls. The couple spent about $11 million on the house purchase, restoration, extensive period landscaping and the purchase of surrounding land. The entire lot is 2.53 acres.

Like other notable Modernist classics -- including multi-month John Lautner listings in Glendale and in La Cañada -- this masterpiece isn't fetching the premium it once commanded. In May, it sold for $19.1 million at auction in a deal that fell through. It currently is listed for $12.975 million.

"Markets have their ups and downs," said Crosby Doe, the sellers' agent. "In the 1980s, the price of Picassos suddenly fell, and headlines pronounced the end of high-priced art. It turned out to be a very good time to invest."

Wedner is a Times staff writer.

diane.wedner@latimes.com

To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos with caption and credit information on a CD and a detailed description of the house to Diane Wedner, Real Estate, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.






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