Architect John Lautner Designed—and Lived in—This Mid-Century LA Home. Now It’s Up for Sale.

Back in the ‘40s, you could get a Dodge sedan for a thousand bucks and a full keg of beer for $3.50. If you want to time warp back to those simpler times, the ideal Californian abode has just hit the market.

Designed by none other than acclaimed American starchitect John Lautner, the striking 1,244-square-foot property sits atop a picturesque hillside in Silver Lake and represents the style of residence that would make Humphrey Bogart swoon.

The Lautner Residence was realized by the Michigan-born architect between 1939 and 1949, shortly after he finished his six-year apprenticeship with Frank Lloyd Wright. Thus, the property brings together the organic architecture for which Wright was renowned and Lautner’s modernist edge.

Priced at just shy of $1.6 million, the angular abode is split across three levels to ensure it’s at one with its surroundings. The floorplan sees an expansive main living room on the bottom level with a staircase that leads to the perfectly retro kitchen and dining space.  There’s also an adjoining patio that delivers plenty of natural light and breathtaking views, plus three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Replete with swaths of natural redwood and yellow stucco throughout, the interior boasts an original built-in fireplace and period-correct touches that evoke a bygone era. On top of that, the home is packed with Lautner’s architectural expertise. Thanks to the sloping ceiling, the main living quarters are naturally ventilated so any warm air simply rises and exits above the kitchen.

When the Lautner Residence was first unveiled to the public, architectural critic Henry Russell Hitchcock deemed it the “best house by an architect under 30 in the US” and it’s now on the National Register of Historic Places. Not to mention it was lived in by the midcentury architect himself.

If you’re ready to splash out on a property with high levels of old-world charm, Crosby Doe Associates are managing the listing. Unfortunately, you won’t get those sweet, 1940s property prices.

Check out more pictures of the Lautner Residence below: