touring a california modernist classic

n a stunning Los Angeles winter evening recently, J and I toured a modern icon - Case Study House #22, designed by Pierre Koenig and built in the 1950s onto a Hollywood Hills cliffside lot. This spectacular glass box has been celebrated in photographs by the legendary architectural photographer Julius Shulman, below.

Our tour took place at 4:30 in the evening, just as the sun was starting to set. Long, golden shadows lay across the pool, and wide expansive views of Los Angeles spread out before us.

The glass box living room cantilevers out over the cliffs as if in defiance of gravity.

And two perfectly placed Bertoia chairs enjoy the view.

Furnishings from Design Within Reach are featured throughout the home.

Here I’m standing in a corner — literally, a seam connecting the two massive “walls” of the southeast corner of the living room.

As the sun went down, the house lights came up.

We tried to recreate that iconic photo…without much success.

Details and impressions of the home…