17 Midcentury Homes That Are Classic Examples Of The Style

Southern California is home to so many iconic midcentury buildings thanks in large part to the Case Study House Program, an Arts & Architecture sponsored experiment in American residential architecture. From 1945 to 1966, the magazine commissioned some of the major, cutting-edge architects working at that time, like Richard Neutra, Craig Ellwood, Charles and Ray Eames, A. Quincy Jones, and Joseph Eichler, among others, to design and build inexpensive, easily replicated, and efficient model homes for the postwar housing boom caused by millions of WWII soldiers returning home to the U.S.

Not all of the original 36 Case Study designs were actually built, but most of those that were constructed are in Los Angeles, aka Hunker territory (another in San Rafael, Northern California, and one in Phoenix, Arizona, for good measure). Not all of those lucky enough to acquire such architectural gems know to carefully preserve the history of their home but when they do, the magic of simple post-and-beam construction may live and be passed on to the next generation, and the next, and the next. From California to Poland, here are 17 pristine examples of how to honor midcentury architecture.

TAKE THE TOUR: Through this Pasadena, California, home's baby-blue front door to find a post-and-beam vision that truly takes your breath away, all set against the San Gabriel Mountains as the ultimate otherworldly backdrop.

TAKE THE TOUR: Inside this interior designer's updated midcentury in Santa Monica, California, where Scandi-style white oak flooring with a lye finish is a serious upgrade from the old wall-to-wall carpeting.

TAKE THE TOUR: Calling all Eichler superfans — the atrium, a common feature in Eichler homes, in this house has floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors, adding to its indoor-outdoor feel (and that dreamy Concrete Collaborative terrazzo tile flooring also helps).

TAKE THE TOUR: A midcentury lover's dream in the form of a ... 100-year-old flat in Szczecin, Poland? With access to rare vintage furnishings sourced from Poland, Denmark, and the Czech Republic, now it's all starting to make sense.

TAKE THE TOUR: Through this long-forgotten, totally hidden modernist gem by famed architect Albert Frey, who was hired while working nearby at the Racquet Club of Palm Springs in 1966 just to spite its overzealous property owner (juicy!).

TAKE THE TOUR: "In this redesign, we aimed to have a reinterpretation of paneling: echoing the original concept, but making it more strategic," said the building Lab principal whose team optimized original wood paneling with better lighting, more natural materials, and less of a barrier to the outside world.

TAKE THE TOUR: Built in 1962, this Detroit home went practically untouched for decades, and while it had a generous footprint, the layout rendered awkward in a modern setting, so, you guessed it, they remodeled and brought it back to former glory.

TAKE THE TOUR: Bet you can't guess the shape of this epic, midcentury Palm Springs property in the Coachella Valley (the only hint you get is this puzzle of triangular and trapezoid-shaped windows, all custom created we might add).

TAKE THE TOUR: Artist Julie Burton filled her midcentury Los Feliz home with useful curios, like, oh I don't know, a steel specimen cabinet and what looks like some tall, old-timey torture device but is actually a well-designed rowing machine by WaterRower.

TAKE THE TOUR: When fine artist Maureen Meyer first visited her future home, there was one word that came to mind: brown. Well, they kept the brown but see how chic it can become when fully embraced and adorned with crisp, modern furnishings.

TAKE THE TOUR: The before-and-after pics of this hillside Seattle midcentury must be seen to believe (um, hi, indoor pool).

TAKE THE TOUR: This ranch-style Austin home, in its quintessential midcentury North Shoal Creek neighborhood, goes for a swinging '60s vibe by fully embracing authentic midcentury design.

TAKE THE TOUR: Here's a Joshua Tree Airbnb where midcentury design principles combine with prefab to create the ultimate desert escape (aka The Graham Residence).

TAKE THE TOUR: And see how this Portland couple made a classic midcentury property their own, while keeping gems like this double-sided brick fireplace that heats both the living room and kitchen, and adding in trendy elements like geometric tile backsplash.

TAKE THE TOUR: A creative director bought this once tired midcentury house close to L.A.'s gothic-style Shakespeare Bridge in Los Feliz and soon realized it wasn't reaching its potential, so they brought it up to snuff by adding huge windows for a better view of the iconic 1926 bridge.

TAKE THE TOUR: Palm Springs proves an ideal match for West Elm's modern, clean lines, with its midcentury modern architecture and vivid colors: Welcome inside the 2018 West Elm Pool House, a 2,700-square-foot pad built in the 1970s and ready for your next pool party (with a minimum 29-night rental and rates around $650 per night, no big).

TAKE THE TOUR: Another iconic Eichler home shows the world how we should be doing, and redoing, classic midcentury architecture.