There is a saying that states, "Those who can, do, while those who can't, teach," but that certainly isn't the case for Thornton M. Abell, the architect who is responsible for the Case Study. It is important to mention that during the 1940s and 1950s, Abell, along with leading his busy solo practice, also taught architecture at USC, his alma mater, and design at the Chouinard Art Institute, where he was taught by Richard Haines, a WPA mural artist who later went on to serve as the head of Otis Art Institute's painting department.

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It was not long after Abell's first residence in Santa Monica Canyon was done in 1951, that Haines commissioned the architect to design a house for himself, his wife Leonora and their two sons, in that bucolic neighborhood in which Abell had lived as a child and where he had created several other residences. 

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The Haines residence was built in stages, consisting ultimately of three buildings: the main house, a detached studio, and a guest house above the garage, all of which were built in stages. Despite the fact that it remained in this family for nearly half a century, this house first appeared on the market in 1997, nearly a decade after Leonora passed away.

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It was purchased by Adam Mizel, an entrepreneur from South Africa, and Taunya van der Steen-Mizel, an architect, in 2014, who completely rebuilt the house over a four-year period by extending the original footprint and modifying Abell's plans, as well as adding 21st century materials and upgraded modern conveniences to the house.

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Rich Report estimates that the main house is now 3,450 square feet, which is an increase of over 2,200 square feet from the previous 2,200 square feet. As a result of the addition of a great room on the main floor, a laundry room, and a mudroom on the lower level, as well as the addition of a master bedroom on the upper floor, the home now boasts 3,450 square feet of living space. 

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On the main level of the house, there are two more bedrooms separated by a movable wall that can be used as necessary, as well as an open-plan kitchen, equipped with Miele appliances, a Sub-Zero wine fridge, and a custom bronze sink that sets it apart from the rest of the house.

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As part of the home's design, ample amounts of high-UV protection glass are installed, high-beamed ceilings, clerestory windows, board-formed indoor/outdoor concrete walls, oak cabinetry throughout, an original wood-burning fireplace, designer tile and light fixtures, radiant heated flooring and an original wood-burning fireplace.

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There is an oversized guest apartment over the garage with a capacity of 700 square feet, as well as a detached studio with a capacity of 500 square feet. There are also several noteworthy features of the property, including an elevator connecting the two-car garage to the guest apartment and the main house, a solar panel system that powers the entire home, a new landscaping system that has an automatic watering system built in, garden planter boxes, and a skydeck on the roof.

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There is an asking price of $10.5 million for the property, which sits on a one-third-acre lot with a street-to-street aspect. The property is listed with Deasy Penner Podley agent Frank Langen.

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