Landmarked Neutra Available For Lease in the Hollywood Hills

Newly available for lease in the Hollywood Hills is Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 1210, Richard Neutra’s Bonnet House. Located in the Hollywood Dell, the International Modern-style residence was built in 1941 for novelist and LA Times reporter Theodore Bonnet and his wife, Lois, a publicity writer for film studios.

Responding to the challenges of the property’s sloped lot, Neutra designed the house as a series of cubes angled into the hillside, orienting them to maximize southwest views of the wooded canyon and the city below, a plan that earned the home praise in Architectural Record and Arts & Artists magazines. Its most significant endorsement, however, would be the fact that the Bonnets remained in residence for over forty years!

Eight decades after its construction, the two-bedroom, two-bath home still retains Neutra’s original floor plan and a preponderance of original details, including hardwood floors, wood-paneled walls, International-style ribbon windows with crank casements, a brick fireplace in the living room, and a semi-circular fireplace in the primary bedroom. In 2004, a subsequent owner, musician Jonathan Anastas, hired design firm Woodson & Rummerfield’s House of Design to spruce up the home’s interior. The kitchen was kitted out with marble countertops and stainless appliances, while the primary bath was resheathed in Heath ceramic tiles. Other updates include a new roof, HVAC, plumbing, electric panel, WiFi, and digital TV.

In keeping with the Modernist ethos of maintaining a connection to nature, the redwood-clad residence features walls of glass that slide open to a flagstone view deck. There’s also an ample side yard that terraces up behind the house to a flat area suitable for al fresco dining or just idly contemplating the enveloping flora and fauna.

Of course, in a city obsessed with vintage design, an architecturally pedigreed house in a sought-after neighborhood does not come cheap; the landmark property is on offer with Veronika Sznadjer of Crosby Doe Associates with a monthly rent of $9,000.