This quintessential midcentury modern house sits in one of Pasadena’s best neighborhood pockets, behind gates on a quiet side street. Designed by local architect Robert E. Bennett — a son of J. Cyril Bennett, architect of the Pasadena Civic Auditorium — it was built in 1960 as Bennett’s own personal home, and remained in the family for over 60 years. Earlier this month, the low-slung structure was sold for the very first time ever to Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, best known as a member of iconic, pioneering hip-hop group Beastie Boys.
Because the house was never on the market, recent photos aren’t available. But tax records show Horovitz, 54, paid exactly $3.5 million for the roughly 3,500-square-foot structure, and dated photos from previous rental listings provide a glimpse inside.
The older photos show the house received some rather unfortunate cosmetic upgrades over the past six decades, including a rather ’90s kitchen and some decidedly un-midcentury decor. But the home’s pristine bones always remained intact, with its very livable indoor/outdoor floorplan, and many other midcentury hallmarks remain — terrazzo and polished concrete floors, walls paneled in lustrous hardwood, and even a “hidden” bar in the living room.
All three of the bedrooms are located in their own wing of the single-level structure, screened off from a vast area that merges the living room, dining room and den into a single living area. A central fireplace has a stone mantle that runs floor-to-ceiling, and the home’s skylit entryway boasts a gorgeous atrium. The master bedroom overlooks the bedroom and boasts several closets and private bath, while the two guest bedrooms share a single full bathroom.
But perhaps the property’s best features are outside, where a covered loggia shades an original conversation pit overlooking the sunken rectangular pool. The entire yard is landscaped simply, with drought-tolerant plantings, and around front lies an attached two-car garage.
Horovitz still owns another house in the neighboring city of South Pasadena, this one a Craftsman-style bungalow acquired in 2018 for $1.7 million. Presumably the New York native shares that place with his longtime wife, feminist activist Kathleen Hanna. The couple have also long owned a contemporary co-op loft in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, which was put up for sale in March at $3.1 million and is currently in contract to be sold. with And over the summer, they put their lakefront hideaway in semi-rural New Jersey up for grabs at $975,000; public listings say the funky spread is currently in escrow at an unknown price.