Neutra Gem Seeks Steward

Master architect Richard Neutra's Hinds residence in Los Angeles is a special property in search of a steward.

Built in the early 1950s, the home, "distilled by time and gloriously untouched," as described in the listing, features expanses of glass and Neutra's signature 'spider-leg' roof beams that extend into space across a panoramic hillside view.

"This is not a forgotten Neutra. It's a known home, photographed by Julius Shulman…and man, when you're in that house you really feel it," says Mark Mullin, a member of the home's realty team.

Sitting atop Mount Washington in Los Angeles, the property, located at 3940 San Rafael Avenue in the Mount Washington neighborhood, is represented by Tracy Do and Ronda Doyal of Coldwell Banker, and listed at $1,599,000.

"There's an energy to this house, and the use of space is magnificent," adds Mullin. "It's a little pocket-sized house, but because of the way it's designed, it just feels very open and connected."

At 1,082 square feet, the compact home is a shelter that merges with the landscape. Neutra's skill in designing homes that blur the line between indoors and out created understated homes that call little attention to themselves, keeping the focus on the natural beauty surrounding them.

The road traveling up Mount Washington to San Rafael Avenue is "like a big pile of spaghetti roads, all twisty and turny," says Mullin. The house is accessible via the street behind it, Glenalbyn Drive.

Originally commissioned by Jay and Katherine Hinds in 1947, the house hugs the ground and speaks to the architect's understated manner, with a low, broad façade. The house changed hands in 1959, and has remained in the Nomura family ever since. "One family ownership going on 63 years—now that's a long time," says Mullin.