Kaufmann Desert House designed by Richard Neutra and immortalized in society photographer Slim Aarons' iconic 'Poolside Gossip' image hits the market for $25million
The Kaufmann Desert House in California's Palm Springs, widely considered to be one of the most iconic modernist homes of the 20th century, is up for sale for the eye-watering asking price of $25million.
The sleek single-story home, crafted out of glass, steel and stone, and arranged into a pinwheel floor plan centered around the living room, was designed in the late 1940s by the celebrated mid-centruy architect Richard Neutra.
If the house sells close to its asking price, it will set a record as the most expensive residential sale in Palm Springs history.
Iconic: The Kaufmann Desert House in California's Palm Springs, best known for being featured in this famous 1970s photo by Slim Aarons, titled 'Poolsie Gossip,' is now on the market for $25million
Sleek: The single-story house was built in 1946 based on renowned architect Richard Neutra's modernist design
Picturesque: The San Jacinto Mountains serve as a breathtaking backdrop for the stone, steel and glass construction
The house was commissioned by Pittsburgh department store mogul Edgar Kaufmann, who also had Frank Lloyd Wright design Fallingwater for him in rural Pennsylvania
The listing is being handled by Gerard Bisignano, of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty,' who described the house as a 'trophy.'
The house at 470 West Vista Chino in Palm Springs was commissioned by Pittsburgh department store mogul Edgar Kaufmann, who also famously contracted Frank Lloyd Wright to design the Fallingwater house in Pennsylvania for his family.
Genius: Architect Richard Neutra designed the house, which is now widely considered a modernist masterpiece
The Kaufmann Desert House was immortalized in society photographer Slim Aarons' image 'Poolside Gossip,' which was taken in the 1970s. It shows the perfectly coiffed fashion model Helen Dzo Dzo Kaptur, dressed in a lacy white ensemble, chatting by the pool with homeowner Nelda Linsk, the wife of art dealer Joseph Linsk.
Situated on more than two acres of land, with the picturesque San Jacinto Mountains serving as a backdrop, the Kaufmann Desert House has long been celebrated as an architectural masterpiece. The centerpiece of the property is a 3,162-square-foot five-bedroom, six-bath house that features a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, a pool, a tennis court and a lounge with a bar.
Previous owners include Grammy Award-winning singer Barry Manilow and former San Diego Chargers owner Gene Klein.
The airy property features this indoor-outdoor floor-to-ceiling fireplace to keep its occupants warm against the nighttime desert chill
Spacious: The 3,162-square-foot single-story house has five bedrooms and six bathrooms
Over the years, owners made changes to the property to make it more comfortable year-round
Labor of love: For nearly 30 years, the house has been owned by Brent and Beth Harris, who had spent five years restoring it to its original glory
The current owners dug through archival material to get the details of the original design right
Over the years, the Kaufmann House, which was originally designed to be occupied only between January and February by the original owners, who lived on the East Coast the rest of the year, had undergone extensive renovations and updates to make it more livable year-round.
Grammy-winning singer Barry Manilow previously owned the Kaufmann Desert House
Subsequent owners expanded the property, enclosed patios and added air conditioning.
In 1992, financial executive Brent Harris and his architectural historian wife, Beth, purchased the home for $1.5million and decided to restore it to its original state.
The couple commissioned the renowned Los Angeles-based architectural restoration firm Marmol Radziner, and worked with archival material at UCLA to gather information about Neutra's original plans, design details and building materials used in the construction.
In an effort to ensure maximum authenticity, the Harrises reportedly went so far as to convince the owners of a Utah quarry to reopen a long-closed section so that they could procure pink-colored stone to match the one used during construction in 1946.
The Harrises convinced the owners of a Utah quarry to reopen a long-closed section so that they could procure pink-colored stone to math the original
The celebrated home sits atop more than two acres of land overlooking the mountains
If the house sells close to its asking price, it will set a record as the most expensive residential sale in Palm Springs history
The renovation took more than five years to complete, Bisignano, the Sotheby's listing agent, said.
'It is the Kaufmann Desert house, and for those into architecture... that resonates deeply, deeply,' he said.
Bob Hope's former estate holds the current record as the most expensive residential property in Palm Springs, having sold for $13million in 2016.
