The Owner of an L.A. Neutra Doubles Its Living Space by Looking in the Unused Backyard

Patrick Thomas O’Neill has always been a fan of Richard Neutra. In the early 2000s, the creative director commissioned a home in Woodstock, New York, based on the architect’s Kaufmann House in Palm Springs. The 1946 complex with flat roofs and floor-to-ceiling windows famously hosted parties through the ’60s and ’70s—it was vividly captured by Slim Aarons in his iconic photograph Poolside Gossip—with the Southern California desert as set and setting. "I love the idea of bringing the outdoors in and being surrounded by nature all the time," says Patrick.

When he began looking for a new home in his native Los Angeles in late 2012, it only made sense to find one by Neutra, who designed nearly 100 houses across Southern California. Built in 1959, the Hailey House in the Hollywood Hills caught Patrick’s eye for its tightly knit living areas, which spill onto a deck with canyon views. "There’s a flow between private and public spaces, and they’re optimized for comfort and efficiency," he says. "I didn’t want to put my own spin on something that was so perfect."