Flip through the "inspiration" file that every designer keeps, and at some point you will find a picture of C.Z. Guest. Debutante, showgirl (briefly), model (painted nude by Diego Rivera), socialite, gardener, intimate of artists and writers; Guest had the kind of life that seems fiction, and the perfect patrician looks to illustrate it. She wore her designer clothes with thoroughbred elegance, keeping to simple lines, rich fabrics, and soft colors to suit her cool complexion. But perhaps what drew creative types to her most was Guest's down-to-earth personality, exemplified by her recent advice to would-be gardeners visiting her web site, "The most important thing is to enjoy yourself and have a good time."
Neutra's son Dion has kept the Silver Lake offices designed and built by his father open as "Richard and Dion Neutra Architecture" in Los Angeles. The Neutra Office Building is itself listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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The revival in the late 90s of mid-century modernism has given new cachet to his work. As with homes built by the architects John Lautner and Rudolf Schindler, Neutra properties have become trophies for a wide variety of Los Angeles celebrities, from hair stylist Vidal Sassoon and ex-Gucci and YSL head Tom Ford, actress Kelly Lynch and her screenwriter husband Mitch Glazer, to personalities such as XL clothing line founder Eli Bonerz, Devo musician Gerald Casale (paid $2 million for Kun House #1, 1936, in 2008) and hardcore punk musician Jonathan Anastas (Bonnet House, 1941). Prices have topped $4 million for the Case Study House #20, and $6 million for the Singleton House (purchased by Mr. Sassoon in 2004 — the Singleton house is now back on the market, post renovation, at $20 million dollars). The famed Kaufmann house in Palm Springs was auctioned by Christies for almost $20 million dollars in the summer of 2008, only to fall out of escrow. Kaufmann is back on the open market at nearly $14 million