As an architect to the stars, Wallace Neff designed homes for the likes of Judy Garland, Douglas Fairbanks, and tons of other Hollywood royalty. But he didn’t just think about his A-list clients.
In 1946, Neff built an experimental residence for his brother Andrew. The dome-shaped structure, known as an “Airform” house, was created by inflating a giant balloon, covering it in steel mesh, spraying it with gunite concrete, and then deflating the form. Inspired by a soap bubble when shaving, Neff thought the Airform blueprint could help solve the postwar housing crisis by creating homes that could be built quickly and with lower construction costs.
A sculptural fireplace anchors the circular living room.
Cameron Carothers
Recently renovated, that Pasadena home is now on the market for a hair under $2 million. Listed with George Penner at Compass, it’s believed to be the last surviving Neff-designed Airform house in the United States. The sellers are Priya Girishankar, a media and marketing executive, and Damon Cleckler, a tech exec. The two led a restoration process that kept all of the home’s quirky attributes intact, while turning it into a comfortable residence fit for modern homeowners.
