A Richard Neutra masterpiece in the Nichols Canyon section of the Hollywood Hills has listed for $5.95 million, offering buyers a rare chance to own what architectural historians call one of the modernist master’s most well-preserved residences.
Known as the Hendershot House, the glass-walled retreat was designed by Neutra in 1962 for Robert Hendershot and his wife, the artist Harumi Taniguchi. Tucked into a secluded canyon just south of Mulholland Drive, the home has changed hands only once since it was built.
What makes the property especially unusual isn’t just its pedigree. A natural creek flows beneath the residence year-round, giving the house a serene feeling.
“When you’re in the house looking out the windows, you’ve got trees everywhere and you can hear the sound of a babbling creek that does run year-round on that property,” said listing agent Barry Gray of Compass, who is representing the house alongside Mike Deasy.
Despite its secluded atmosphere, the property sits just minutes from the Sunset Strip.
“It’s a nice pocket,” Gray said of the Upper Nichols Canyon enclave, noting that residents can quickly reach Hollywood, West Hollywood and Studio City. Two homes by the architect John Lautner are nearby, and the actor Anthony Perkins — an occasional guest of Hendershot and Taniguchi, along with Frank Zappa and Dan Aykroyd — and the singer Cass Elliott both lived in the neighborhood.
The home represents a particularly important chapter in Neutra’s career. Featured in architectural historian Barbara Lamprecht’s comprehensive monograph on the architect’s work, the residence displays many of the hallmarks that made Neutra one of the defining figures of American modernism: ribbon windows, floating rooflines, full-height glass walls, white stucco surfaces, and seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Lamprecht’s work has drawn a direct connection between the residence and Neutra’s celebrated Lovell Health House, the landmark 1929 steel-frame property frequently ranked among the most influential homes of the 20th century.
Inside, the approximately 3,371-square-foot dwelling unfolds across three levels. The main floor includes an expanded kitchen and dining area, a library, a fireplace-equipped living room and a primary suite. Additional bedrooms and living spaces occupy the upper level, while a lower-level office or gym opens directly onto a terrace overlooking the creek below.
Gray said the experience of being inside the home is what tends to captivate visitors.
“There’s something about the way the light comes in,” he said. You get that feeling of being part of the exterior when you’re still inside.”
The property’s architectural lineage extends beyond Richard Neutra himself. In 1982, the architect’s son and longtime collaborator, Dion Neutra, added a front wall and garage. A dozen years later, John Blanton — one of Richard Neutra’s most trusted project architects — designed a carefully integrated addition that expanded the home while preserving its original character. Architectural historians note that such multigenerational continuity is exceptionally rare among Neutra residences.
The latest chapter began when the architect Eve Steele purchased the home following the death of Taniguchi, who had lived there for decades after her husband’s passing.
Steele, who personally knew the original owners, spent years restoring the residence using archival drawings, specifications and correspondence sourced from UCLA’s Neutra archives, as well as materials preserved by the Hendershot family. The work included restoration of original cabinetry, wood finishes, flooring, fireplaces and Neutra’s carefully selected color palette.
One particularly notable addition was the installation of a courtyard water feature that Neutra originally envisioned but never realized during construction, a feature added based on recommendations from Dion Neutra.
The restoration earned a 2023 AIA Los Angeles Board of Directors Emerging Practice Award.
For Gray, who has spent more than two decades specializing in architecturally significant properties, the home stands apart.
“I’ve been doing this for over 20 years selling architecture in Los Angeles,” he said, “and it’s really one of the best restorations that I’ve had the privilege of representing.”
