A rare architectural masterpiece designed by Austrian-born modernist architect R.M. Schindler has hit the market in Studio City for $6.5 million. The historic residence, known as the Lechner House, represents one of the final significant works by the influential architect who revolutionized California's residential design in the mid-20th century.
Schindler, who spent a decade working under Frank Lloyd Wright before establishing his practice in Los Angeles, was renowned for merging the rigorous geometries of early European modernism with California's relaxed lifestyle. His innovative approach to design made him one of the undisputed mavericks of early to mid-twentieth century architecture.
The Studio City home was commissioned in the mid-1940s by Dr. Richard Lechner and his wife, who selected Schindler to design their residence in a wooded glade nestled in the foothills of Los Angeles. The house sits almost completely hidden behind a zigzagging wall draped with bougainvillea, perfectly hugging its sloped hillside site. Architecture critics now regard the property as one of Schindler's last masterpieces, showcasing his experimental approach and long-standing commitment to unassuming materials, spatial rhythms, and seamless integration with natural surroundings.
The property underwent several ownership changes and modifications over the decades. According to U.S. Modernist records, architect Paul Sterling Hoag added a two-story addition featuring a guest room and bathroom in the mid-1980s. The home was subsequently sold multiple times in 1992, 1999, 2004, and again in 2008, when it was acquired by acclaimed designer Pamela Shamshiri of Studio Shamshiri and her then-husband, film editor Haines Hall.
Shamshiri spearheaded a comprehensive two-year restoration project that her firm's website describes as "less a restoration than an excavation and undoing of myriad bad renovations that left the original structure unrecognizable." The meticulous renovation involved removing inappropriate sheetrock to reveal Schindler's original plywood-paneled walls and the distinctive angular stainless-steel fireplace. Throughout the process, key architectural elements were carefully restored or reconstructed while implementing purposeful updates to prepare the home for 21st-century living. As the firm noted, "the house is decidedly a Schindler; it's just not your grandmother's Schindler."
Tax records indicate Shamshiri sold the property in 2019 for $4.88 million to the current owners, German multidisciplinary artist Albert Oehlen and his wife, Esther Fruend Oehlen. The couple oversaw an extensive exterior restoration handled by architecture studio Escher GuneWardena, along with a complete refresh of the grounds by Terremoto Landscape and rehabilitation of the original swimming pool.
Today, the 4,000-square-foot residence sprawls across two floors and maintains Schindler's vision of harmony between indoor and outdoor living. Large windows throughout the home fill the interior spaces with dappled light filtered through the surrounding mature trees. The living room features Schindler's original built-in sofas, now upholstered in rich marigold velvet, flanking the restored fireplace. A dramatic wall of glass opens the dining area to a large, tree-shaded deck positioned above the swimming pool.
The home's layout includes a long, narrow galley kitchen bookended by a cozy breakfast nook and family room. The residence offers four bedrooms and three full bathrooms, plus a powder room. The lower-level primary suite features a distinctive plywood bathroom that opens directly to a flagstone terrace, which meanders gracefully toward the restored swimming pool area.
The property sits on more than one-third of an acre and received official recognition as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2013. This designation means the home falls under the Mills Act, which provides substantial property tax reductions in exchange for strict preservation restrictions that protect the architectural integrity of the structure.
The $6.5 million listing is being handled jointly by Stefani Schmacker at Sotheby's International Realty and George Penner of Compass. The asking price reflects both the rarity of Schindler-designed homes on the market and the extensive restoration work that has returned this architectural gem to its original glory while adapting it for contemporary living.
