Ready for its happy ending
Once upon a time, there was a Storybook house built in the Hollywood Hills by Roland Hill, a movie set designer and art director who went on to design the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.
And not unlike Sleeping Beauty, the 1927 house fell into a lull of sorts. In that period of disrepair, its pool stood empty, covered by a deck, and a crude bathroom occupied the walled balcony.
Former owners took it on as a project in 2002 and restored the home according to its original plans.
The Storybook, Hansel and Gretel or Fairytale style of architecture emerged with the movie industry in the 1920s and ended as a trend in the ‘30s. Heavy eaves, half timbering, leaded-glass windows and building details made to look as though they are from a bygone era characterize the whimsical style.
In their heyday, Storybook-style houses were built from California to Connecticut, but they were most popular in the Hollywood Hills, near the industry that straddles fantasy and reality.
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About this property: There is a guesthouse with a kitchen, bathroom and separate entrance. The refurbishing included both the main and guesthouse kitchens, which have new appliances, and the bathrooms, fitted with maple cabinetry.
Asking price: $1,649,000
Size: The mini-compound has four bedrooms and three bathrooms in 2,459 square feet.
Features: The two-story main home has mountain views, central air conditioning, a yard with a pool, a flagstone patio and a fireplace in the living room.
Where: Hollywood Hills
Listing agent: Brett Karns, Keller Williams Realty, Beverly Hills, (310) 903-7949.
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To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send color interior and exterior photos on a CD with caption information and a description of the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate Section, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweeklatimes.com.
