Hot Property: The Kun House, Nichols Canyon, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles

Asking Price: Dh12.86 million
All glass walls, wrap-around balconies and landscaped terraces, the modernist architect Richard Neutra's 1936 Kun House is on the market for the first time after an extensive seven-year restoration
If we're strictly talking numbers, at 1,732 square feet, this three-bedroom, two-bathroom space may not be considered extravagant. That is, until you factor in that the house spans three-and-a-half storeys; and that the entrance, located on the rooftop patio, dramatically descends through the house, ending in a garage with a back wall made completely of glass - all the better to see West Hollywood below.
Designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2011, Kun House was the pet project of Richard Neutra, one of the most important figures in the modernist architecture movement. Known for his blend of art, landscape and practical comfort, Neutra famously made his clients fill out lengthy questionnaires - unheard of at that time. This passion for detail is what led the Devo musician and current owner Gerald Casale to collaborate with preservationist James Rega and designer Christopher Steele to "defend the vision of a genius".
The team spent three years researching the original design of Kun House. Over the next course of the other four, they replaced all post-1930s details with period elements. Lost materials were made to period-correct specifications, while the main door was brought in from one of Neutra's other projects. From casement windows fitted with low-iron glass to ottomans from 1939; from lighting by Alvar Aalto, Gerrit Rietveld and Walter von Nessen to art by Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee and László Moholy-Nagy - everything was returned to an early 20th-century aesthetic.
Well, almost everything.
For behind the kitchen cabinetry hides a state-of-the-art dishwasher and fridge. In the bathroom - hidden under a Breuer-esque sink and linoleum floors - is all-new plumbing and a heated floor. A landscaped yard leads to a meditation garden, and Neutra's signature wrap-around balconies on each floor render the space airy and attractive. Not too bad for US$3.5 million.
pmunyal@thenational.ae