A century ago, California health fanatic Philip Lovell had some unusual ideas about how people ought to live. He believed in vegetarianism, plenty of exercise, fresh air, and nude sunbathing. All good there. He also thought sleeping outdoors was good for you, which is why, when he commissioned architect Rudolph Schindler to build a beach house in Newport Beach in 1926, he insisted on open-air sleeping porches instead of bedrooms.

That particular experiment lasted about two years. It turns out the California coast gets pretty chilly at night.

Related Articles

The house, however, has fared considerably better. Now, after 100 years in the same family, the Lovell Beach House, one of the most celebrated examples of early California Modernism, is on the market for $18.8 million.

Schindler designed the house for health enthusiast Philip Lovell and his wife, Leah, incorporating plenty of natural light and space for outdoor living.…