Bubble houses of Wallace Neff

In 2004, The Times profiled the last Neff bubble house still standing in the United States – the Pasadena residence of Steve and Sari Roden, who still own the home and "can't imagine living anywhere else," Steve recently said.

In 2004, The Times profiled the last Neff bubble house still standing in the United States – the Pasadena residence of Steve and Sari Roden, who still own the home and “can’t imagine living anywhere else,” Steve recently said.  (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)

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Wallace Neff (1895–1982) may be best known for the Spanish Colonial Revival homes he designed for Hollywood stars including Judy Garland, Groucho Marx and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., but Neff considered his most significant contribution to the field of architecture — his legacy — to be his Airform bubble houses.

Bubble houses

The Rodens bought the house in 1998 for $260,000.  (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)

Bubble houses

The high ceiling, rounded walls and open plan make the petite house seem larger than it is.  (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)

Bubble houses

The unassuming exterior of the Rodens’ house, as photographed in 2004. The full article on the Rodens’ house, called the Shell House, has been reposted to our L.A. at Home blog, as has the adapted excerpt from Jeffrey Head’s new book on Neff’s bubble houses.

More profiles: Southern California homes and gardens

Landmark Houses: Wright, Kappe, Eames and more  (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)