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Modern Love: You Can Rent Case Study House #18 in Pacific Palisades

Plenty of people go gaga over the concept of living close to celebrities in Los Angeles. In this Rodney Walker–designed Case Study House for rent—furnished or not—in Pacific Palisades, you’ll be surrounded by names such as Neutra, Soriano, and Eames instead of the A-listers of the silver screen.

“That area is very special due to where it’s located,” listing agent Frank Langen says. “It’s one of four or five Case Study homes. It’s adjacent to the Eames House.” For fans of Mid-Century Modern design, these star architects of yesteryear are celebrities in their own right.

The Walker home belongs to a collector—the home is a historical landmark. Langen notes that the owners intended to live there, but plans changed and business took them elsewhere. This is great news for a restless soul who desires to experience life in a Case Study House.

To recap, the Case Study House program, commissioned by Arts and Architecture magazine in 1945, challenged up-and-coming architects to create experimental prototypes using modern and low-cost materials.

The idea was to replicate them to house returning soldiers from World War II. Thirty-six model homes were designed by now-renowned designers, but only 24 were actually built—including this Case Study House #18, also known as the West House, which was built in 1948.

Amazingly, the home design not only worked, it is also more popular now than ever. “This type of architecture is still livable by today’s standards,” Langen says in an understatement.

Sure, we guess we’d live in a single-level home, with floor-to ceiling windows, an indoor-outdoor flow, and amazing views. Twist our arm.

“That is still what people are looking for today.” The agent adds that the architect “had the foresight to create what people still want. In some ways, it took 50 years.”

In the past half-century the future-thinking home has seen some changes in keeping with the times. For example, a bedroom was added to make it a three-bedroom, three-bathroom residence, and the kitchen and bathrooms were updated.

“The house is [in] very good original condition,” the agent says. What you won’t find: a “cushy” master bathroom or  a very modern kitchen.

But you do have a chance to be part of the Case Study House club, which has limited membership, which is probably reflected in the $15,000-a-month price tag.

In the grand scheme, living in a work of art comes with a high price tag. “When you get people who understand it, the price is actually cheap,” he says.

It’s the price you pay for living among the stars of the architecture world.

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