With her wonderfully eccentric Manhattan co-op likely sold—the literate SoHo unit hit the market in September at $3.5 million, and is worth a look on its own terms—model Elsa Hosk recently went ahead and invested in a singular SoCal property: a Richard Neutra modern called the Wilkins House. The purchase drained $4.27 million from her wallet, and Hosk closed on the property in the final days of November, sealing a holiday defection from East to West.

The residence has an interesting history. It was constructed in 1949 from plans drawn up for Case Study House 13, the Alpha House, which had been developed in 1946, but were never used; in 1948, just one year before the Wilkins went up, Neutra designed another home for the Case Study program: the Stuart Bailey House in Pac Pal. That one was constructed, and ultimately was Neutra’s single finished contribution to the Arts & Architecture Magazine series of forward-looking residential designs.

Although the Case Study program homes were built to a series of common-denominator ideals that includes an emphasis on social interaction and familial dynamics, Neutra’s designs were overtly, even explicitly, psychological in layout. This one—a five-bedroom of 3,780 sq. ft.—features a long, steel pergola-covered outdoor walkway as an invitational flourish that encourages entry.

Once inside, the visitor is greeted by an open, glossy and exceedingly warm main living area that is both stimulation and energizing; walls of glass erase the distinction between the house and the world outside it. Details include tile and terrazzo floors, plank ceilings and a masonry fireplace. Toning in the bedrooms veers from warm to cool, with soothing blues and greens balancing the warmth of the hardwood and facilitating down time.

The 1.17 acres of grounds that frame the house are bordered by a line of mature trees, providing shade and privacy for the lawn, pool area, and patio space.