Neutra’s Hendershot House in Nichols Canyon Now Available For Lease

Sandwiched between Laurel Canyon and Runyon Canyon, the Hollywood Hills enclave of Nichols Canyon is significantly more lush than its neighbors. That’s thanks in part to the diligent efforts of one of its earliest settlers, Dorothy Miller, who planted the first avocado trees to survive in Los Angeles, and saw countless other plants and trees to fruition, and also thanks to the 1.3-mile-long creek, fed by two waterfalls, that runs through the canyon.

The neighborhood is also blessed with an abundance of homes by L.A.’s finest practitioners of modernist architecture, including John Lautner, Buff & Hensman, Ed Fickett, and Richard Neutra. One such significant specimen, Neutra’s Hendershot House, is now being offered for lease.

The International Modern-style residence was built in 1962 for Robert Hendershot and his wife, Harumi Taniguchi. Hendershot passed away not long after the home was completed, but Taniguchi, an artist and poet, continued to reside there for five decades. During her occupancy, the home was expanded under the supervision of Richard Neutra’s son and partner, Dion, as well as Neutra’s apprentice John Blanton, who designed a two-story addition that included a studio and gallery.

Cloistered behind a long wall, the home feels like a private sanctuary. A water feature in its front courtyard sets a tranquil tone for the approach to the front door, and the serene vibe is continued inside with the house’s soothingly neutral palette of blond wood and tan-colored stone and soffit lighting.

The 3,086-square-foot home is composed of a series of L-shaped volumes that descend three stories down into a wooded dell, with four bedrooms and an equal number of bathrooms spread throughout. In service to the California Modern core principle of merging the indoors and out, there are vast expanses of glass, skylights, and decks on each level. Other stylistic elements include stacked-stone fireplaces, floating staircases, hardwood floors, high ceilings, and built-in seating and shelving. The lowest level opens out to a spacious dining patio, surrounded by verdant greenery, and overlooking the neighborhood creek.

The peaceful, pedigreed property is now available for lease for a monthly rent of $16,500. Barry Gray of Deasy Penner Podley holds the listing.