Modern Women: Women Clients and Neutra’s Grace Miller House

Join us for a special two-part event that explores the creation, restoration, and expansion of Neutra’s Grace Miller House, spotlighting the often-overlooked influence of women in architecture.

Women have long played central roles in architecture as visionary clients. Grace Lewis Miller, a St. Louis socialite and certified instructor in the Mensendieck System of Functional Exercises, was one such figure. In the 1930s, she commissioned architect Richard Neutra to design a combined residence and Mensendieck studio in Palm Springs. Miller was a sophisticated and deeply engaged client, actively involved in shaping the building’s program, design, and even in critiquing Julius Shulman's iconic photographs of the home. Her collaboration with Neutra was marked by mutual respect and shared creativity.

Author and historian Stephen Leet will open the event with a deep dive into Miller’s life and her role in shaping the house, alongside insights into other notable women clients in modern architecture. Following his talk, Leet will lead a discussion with Catherine Meyler, the current owner, who meticulously restored the Grace Miller House and realized a previously unbuilt scheme originally designed by Neutra.