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Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House in Palm Springs, CA sells for $15 Million at Christie’s Auction in NYC

On May 13th 2008, the world-renowned auction house, Christie’s, premiered its Post War and Contemporary Art auction to a full-house at 20 Rockefeller Center. There were many of the world’s best paintings up for auction, including Elizabeth Peyton’s “Kurt Cobain” and Andy Warhol’s “Four Jackies“.

But the highlight of the evening was the auction of Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House in Palm Springs. I had never been to a live auction before, so watching the live video stream was the next best thing. There were 57 lots (items) that were up for auction, and the Kaufmann House was Lot 42. The opening bid for this architectually significant home started at $9 million. The bidding was fast & furious, but the winning bid for this came in by telephone for $15 million. This is now the most expensive piece of real estate sold in the city of Palm Springs.

Richard Neutra, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed his modern “masterpiece” for Pittsburg department store tycoon, Edgar Kauffman Sr., in 1946. The home was designed as a desert retreat from the harsh winters of the East Coast.

The Kaufmann House is one of top 5 homes in the United States, and now has a new owner. Stay tuned for more info.

Update on this story: The sale of the Kaufmann House did not go through. The winner of the auction did not follow some of the contractual guidelines of the sale.

© 2008 Blog of the Desert.