Mid-century modern houses are hot in real estate due to their clean, minimal aesthetic, open floor plans, and integration of the outdoors.
This American design movement, which began in the 1950s, is timeless and remains one of the most celebrated and popular architectural styles.
A True Time Capsule Outside of Atlanta
Location: Smoke Rise, Georgia
Price: $475,000
Year: 1968
Size: 1,268 square feet
Bottom Line: A True Time Capsule Outside of Atlanta
Admittedly, it doesn't look like much from the outside, but this 1968 home really hasn't changed much since it was built. The previous owner purchased it 1985 and didn't change it at all.
Gold-accented, smoky mirrors and cork paneling line the walls and ceiling throughout the home. There's also a floating fireplace and round or mirrored beds.
While smaller items have been sold, much of the home's furniture was built to its specifications and goes with it in the sale.
The Sarasota Round House
Location: Sarasota, Florida
Price: $899,000+
Year: 1971
Size: 1,268 square feet
Bottom Line: The Sarasota Round House
This adorable mid-century modern house was modeled after the Hilton Leech Art Studio also in Sarasota. Before its restoration, it was a rental that was mostly obscured by trees.
Enter realtor Sue Tapia, who spotted the rundown home on Facebook Marketplace. "It didn’t look like this [like it does now], but still I saw the potential. I came back a second time, I came back the third time and made the offer and then we closed 30 days later, so it was purely accidental … but I love rare pieces in general when it comes to my [furniture] collection and this house is just the rarest home I’ve ever seen."
Tapia put the house put on the market in April 2022, and it quickly went viral for its unusual design. It has since been pulled off the market, perhaps because Tapia couldn't bear to part with it. We don't blame her.
A John Hinchliff Designed Home in Portland, Oregon
Location: Portland, Oregon
Price: $1.8 million
Year: 1957
Size: 2,482 square feet
Bottom Line: A John Hinchliff Designed Home in Portland, Oregon
This Portland-area abode was designed by John Hinchliff of SOM architects, whose postwar homes are considered iconic examples of American mid-century modern architecture.
The three-bedroom, three-bath home has already been restored to its former glory and updated with modern conveniences.
It features walls of floor-to-ceiling windows, tongue and groove beams, an open floor plan, outdoor dining patio with a firepit and even a bocce court.
A Robert M. Jones Designed Home in Tacoma
Location: Tacoma, Washington
Price: $2.15 million
Year: 1962
Size: 2,734 square feet
Bottom Line: A Robert M. Jones Designed Home in Tacoma
Owned by just one family since 1962, this mid-century house is the product of a collaboration between Tacoma architect Robert M. Jones and the original owners.
This three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath home features floor-to-ceiling windows throughout that create a strong bond between indoor living and the lush greenery outside.
The home features access to Tacoma's Eld Inlet and the area's wildlife.
The 'Zigzag' House
Location: Sarasota, Florida
Price: $3.25 million
Year: 1959
Size: 3,419 square feet
Bottom Line: The Sarasota Zigzag House
Designed by architect Tollyn Twitchell (known as the father of the Sarasota School of Architecture), the Zigzag House, named for its sawtoothed roof, is a classic 1950s mid-century modern home.
The four-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom house is a single story. Its kitchen, dining, and seating areas are part of the home's open floor plan and overlook the swimming pool outside. The fully covered lanai acts as a second living room.
The home was fully restored in 2019, with en suite bathrooms, a guest room, a media room, and an office. It was so expertly done the American Institute of Architects and the Society of American Registered Architects have awarded the work.
The Baldwin House
Location: Woodland Hills, California
Price: $3.3 million
Year: 1962
Size: 3,062 square feet
Bottom Line: The Baldwin House
Designed by famed architect Richard Neutra, this three-bedroom, three-bath home had a full remodel in 2020 but maintains much of the original designer's signature elements, like ribbon windows that allow natural light to flood into the home while offering stunning views of the surrounding hills.
The home's new owner will even get Neutra's original drawings, blueprints and construction book. How's that for a sale perk?
Frank Lloyd Wright's Fawcett Farm
Location: Los Banos, California
Price: $4.25 million
Year: 1961
Size: Approximately 4,000 square feet
Bottom Line: Frank Lloyd Wright's Fawcett Farm
Built in 1961 — two years after Frank Lloyd Wright's death — the home is one of the architect's last designs. It was constructed for Randall "Buck" Fawcett, a farmer who was drafted by the Chicago Bears but turned away from a sports career to run the farm.
Fawcett was the 70-acre property’s owner for 48 years. When he died in 2009, the Fawcett Farm went on the market and was promptly restored with the help of former Wright apprentice Arthur Dyson and Wright's grandson, Eric Lloyd Wright.
The compound's main residence has seven bedrooms, six bathrooms, multiple fireplaces, and an open living, dining and family area. The property features a "small museum," a workshop, a pool, a Koi pond and even a Japanese garden.
The Lewis Estate
Location: Encino, California
Price: $8.5 million
Year: 1972
Size: 6,811 square feet
Bottom Line: The Lewis Estate
Joby and Helen Lewis, husband and wife owners of the Cal-Vada Lodge casino and nightclub in Lake Tahoe, hired famed architect Donald G. Park to build this stunning mid-century modern home.
The six-bedroom, six-bathroom home consists of three 12-sided structures (dodecagons) connected by a glass pavilion.
After the Lewis couple died in 2011, Peter and Shannon Loughrey, the founders of Los Angeles Modern Auctions, bought the home and restored it while adding modern conveniences.
Bob Hope's Lautner House
Location: Palm Springs, California
Price: $13 million in 2016 ($16.5 million today)
Year: 1979
Size: 23,600 square feet
Bottom Line: Bob Hope's Lautner House
Bob Hope and his wife, Delores, hired architect John Lautner to build this Palm Springs home in 1973. The initial build was destroyed by flames from a welder's torch, and the project was scrapped for four years.
During the new build, Delores began asserting her vision for the house. Lautner distanced himself from the project when she and Bob hired a Beverley Hills decorator whose ideas didn't match with the modernist interior that he envisioned.
After her death in 2013 (Bob died in 2003), the house was put on the market for $50 million. It dropped to $25 million a year later and sold for $13 million to billionaire investor and supermarket owner Ron Burkle, who restored it to Lautner's original vision.
The house sits on 6.2 acres and has 10 bedrooms and 13 baths. It's not open to the public, but if you're lucky, you may attend a wedding or another event there.
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