Description Lantern Garden: Los Angeles

Designed in 1959 by Yehuda Lavie – a student of Lloyd Wright – this Sherman Oaks house carries its mid-century bones beautifully. At its heart is a Japanese garden crafted by landscape designer Lew Watanabe, and the pool and hot tub sit right within it, making every swim feel unhurried. The living and dining rooms both look out across the garden, so the outdoors is never far from view. A converted garage family room, an alfresco barbecue area, and a mini gym mean there's plenty to keep a group busy between meals.

Home truths:
* At full occupancy, two guests will sleep on the sofa bed in the office.
* If you're travelling with little ones, your host can provide a cot, baby bath, and a crib in one of the bedrooms.
* The pool is unheated, so its temperature depends entirely on the weather – it's best suited to warmer months when the California sun does the work.
* The driveway provides parking for your group, so you won't need to rely on street parking – useful given how spread out the LA attractions on your doorstep can be.