Mid-Century Modern Homes for Sale

What Is Mid-Century Modern?

Mid-century modern is the style that defined Southern California living after World War II. Between the late 1940s and the 1960s, architects and builders traded the closed rooms of older houses for open plans, walls of glass and roofs that seemed to float, and they built them not only for the wealthy but for young families buying their first homes.

The style still draws a devoted following, and original examples are getting harder to find. This page collects every home for sale in Orange, Los Angeles and Ventura counties and the Palm Springs area whose listing describes it as mid-century, post-and-beam or a Case Study House, so you can see the whole market in one place.

Signature Features

• Post-and-beam construction, with exposed wood beams carrying the roof so walls can open up to glass
• Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors that blur the line between inside and out
• Flat, low-pitched, gabled or butterfly roofs with deep overhangs
• Open floor plans, with living, dining and kitchen sharing one space
• Clerestory windows set high in the walls for light and privacy from the street
• Atriums and courtyards at the center of the house, especially in Eichlers
• Natural materials: wood paneling, stone, brick and terrazzo
• Simple street faces, with the house turned toward the back garden

Where to Find Them in Southern California

Buying a Mid-Century Home

• Ask about radiant heating. Many homes of the era, Eichlers especially, were heated by pipes in the concrete slab, and older systems can leak or fail. A specialist can pressure-test the lines.
• Look closely at the roof. Flat and low-slope roofs need the right roofing and regular care, and many original roofs had little insulation.
• Plan for the glass. Walls of single-pane glass are part of the look and part of the energy bill, and replacement options vary in cost and appearance.
• Test before you renovate. Homes from this era can contain asbestos (in flooring, ceilings or siding) and lead paint, so test before any work that disturbs them.
• Check historic district rules. The Orange Eichler tracts and Los Angeles historic districts like the Mar Vista Tract have design guidelines for exterior changes, and many homes qualify for the Mills Act, which can lower property taxes.
• Value the originals. Original beams, paneling, built-ins and windows are what buyers in this market pay for. Ask what has been changed, and check the permits.