When the owners of a midcentury modern home in San Bernardino, CA, bought the place, they weren’t aware of its architectural pedigree.

But they later discovered that the architect behind the 1955 home was actually the late modernist, Richard Neutra, an Austrian-American designer with numerous Southern California commissions, including the Kaufmann Desert House in Palm Springs.

The owners decided to make improvements to the 2,285-square-foot building and mechanics, leaving aesthetic decisions to the eventual buyer. The listing has three bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a detached garage, and an outdoor pool, all spread over 2 acres. It’s often referred to as the Gillen House.

“The house was in very, very bad shape, and the seller took it down to the studs,” says Lark Gwartney, of Californian Estates, who is handling the $599,999 listing.

That overhaul included new plumbing, HVAC, wiring, and vinyl windows. Two of the original bedrooms were also transformed into a primary suite with two patios, a large walk-in closet, and walk-in tiled shower. The rest of the primary bath still needs to be completed.

Next up, for the new owner, would be adding a kitchen, finishing the baths, updating the flooring, and painting.

“Now somebody needs to come and put the lipstick on,” Gwartney says.

The sellers’ strategy worked. The home sold in six days.

“Buyers came from as far as San Francisco,” Gwartney says. “We listed on a Thursday, had an open house on Saturday, by-appointment showings on Sunday, and offers were due Monday. We opened escrow on Wednesday and had multiple offers. We were well over asking [price].”

The sale is listed as pending, so the final transaction amount isn’t yet known.

There are plenty of potentially appealing features on the property. A pool house was added in 1956, and the original windows, walls, and structure have been retained. Most of the home’s interior walls are also original.

“The previous owner walled in an entire wall of glass that Neutra is known for,” says Gwartney. “You could really restore this to a wonderful Neutra. That’s what the buyer’s planning to do.”

The listing created a buzz among Neutra fans.

“There were a couple of Neutra owners who came out, from San Francisco and Pasadena, and several Neutra enthusiasts locally,” Gwartney says.

In addition to the Neutra link, the location is key.

“It is a great proximity between mountain living and access to L.A.,” says Gwartney. Nearby Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake offer ski resorts, boating, and fishing. The Yaamava Resort & Casino nearby is also attracting entertainment and development to the area.

“Whenever you have a unique property it’s like a diamond in the rough—this was more like a diamond among other diamonds,” Gwartney says, explaining that some nearby Brutalist-style properties, with raw building materials and structural elements, have also proven popular with buyers.

And the new owner of this home is likely to appreciate the extra room for expansion on the lot. Gwartney notes that the property could be split into three or four more lots “without affecting the original layout and structure.”

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