A secluded oasis in the Hollywood Hills
This updated 1935 Spanish home in Hollywood Hills’ Outpost Estates features a sprawling backyard with a pool, patios for entertaining and a panoramic view from downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean.
But perhaps most important for this neighborhood, the gated compound, which sits on more than half an acre, is landscaped for privacy with king palms, queen palms, carob trees and numerous fruit trees. The area is known as a celebrity enclave and has been home to residents such as Ben Stiller, Charlize Theron, William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman.
“We purchased this house from Howard Hesseman [‘WKRP in Cincinnati’], who had owned it for 25 years,” says Pam Callander, an interior designer who owns the home with her husband Jim Hoitsma, an independent investment advisor. “We love fixers, and fell in love with the property, which is like an oasis.”
The couple have maintained the original flavor of the home, opening up the arched doorways, adding period chandeliers and updating the hardwood floors in the living room with Brazilian cherry when no match could be found for the original Filipino mahogany.
The front entrance opens to a tiled foyer that leads to a step-down living room with a marble fireplace and views of Hollywood. Patio doors open to a terrace for entertaining, also accessible from the dining room. Off the foyer are a powder room and a den with a fireplace.
The dining room flows into a breakfast nook with a built-in bench and views of the backyard. A small bar area leads into the barrel ceiling kitchen, which has white custom-made cabinetry that hides the appliances.
Beyond the kitchen is a pantry, a laundry room, a bathroom and an office that can be used as a bedroom.
A winding staircase with wrought-iron banister leads upstairs, past original stained-glass windows, to a bedroom suite that includes a dressing area with a closet, a bathroom with separate tub and shower, and an outdoor deck.
Another bedroom suite features original cabinetry with mirrored closet doors in the dressing area, and a bathroom with separate tub and shower.
The master bedroom suite has a built-in entertainment center, a double-sink vanity in the master bath, with separate tub and shower, and a skylight. A master walk-in closet has built-in shelving, and the suite opens to an outdoor deck.
The house features surround-sound speakers indoors and by the pool area outside. A terraced walkway leads to an entertainment lanai with a seating area next to the guesthouse in back.
The guesthouse is a studio apartment with a fireplace, kitchen, bedroom/living room area, bathroom with a shower, and an outdoor deck.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos on a CD, caption information, the name of the photographer and a description of the house to Lauren Beale, Business, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Send questions to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
