the eames house and studio

Built in 1949, the Eames House and Studio, designed by the married dynamic duo, Charles and Ray Eames, nestles into a 1.4-acre Pacific Palisades wooded hillside with glorious views of the ocean. Built with off-the-shelf parts, the house was part of the Case Study House Program sponsored by John Entenza's Arts & Architecture Magazine. The house is now owned and operated by the Eames Foundation and is available for limited outdoor and indoor visits (although indoor visits will set you back mightily, starting at $275). Because of all the glass, you'll get a good view of the public indoor spaces, so only true Eamesheads need to ply serious scratch for indoor tours. You need a reservation to visit the house, so plan accordingly.

The lot is spectacular with a massive meadow that opens up to the sea. The original design (with Eero Saarinen) called for a more dramatic structure fully embracing the view, but the Eames, after three years of lot picnics while waiting for house parts to appear, redesigned the house with a lighter footprint toward the hillside. Next door and along the street are several difficult-to-see Richard Neutras.