New Look, New Life for Fading Mansion
A 1920s Mediterranean showpiece that only in June was a fading Hancock Park mansion has enjoyed a spectacular face lift and is receiving visitors.
It’s Design House ‘99, sponsored by the Assistance League of Southern California. Public tours of the updated home and garden run through October.
“The house is an excellent example of the Spanish Colonial Revival-Mediterranean estates that flourished in California in the 1920s and ‘30s,” said Assistance League President Cynthia Ardell.
“It has been transformed from a stately home with separate areas for family and domestic staff to one where a modern family occupies the entire home in a more informal way,” she said.
The architectural firm of Koerner & Gage, which designed Beverly Hills City Hall, designed the 11,700-square-foot house, built in 1926 for Samuel Knight Rindge, son of Frederick Hastings Rindge and May Knight Rindge. The family owned Rancho Malibu, a 25-mile stretch of coast.
“The owners, a family with young children who recently purchased it, wanted to keep the historical and architectural integrity,” Ardell said.
More than 30 design firms and dozens of suppliers donated their services and material to upgrade the house with custom furniture, magnificent art and up-to-date technology.
When a Design House closes, designers return all furniture and accessories to their suppliers and studios. Owners of the house, who have moved out for several months, make a payment that covers some of the permanent changes.
Design House proceeds support the work of the 80-year-old Assistance League, which sponsors nine community services, including Operation School Bell, Foster Children’s Resource Center, Family Service Agency and the Hollywood Senior Multipurpose Center.
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Design House ’99 is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays through Oct. 31. (Closed Mondays.) Tickets, $18, can be purchased at the door. No reservations necessary. Because of traffic concerns, Design House addresses are not made public. Visitors can park free at the Pan Pacific Recreation Center, 7500 Beverly Blvd., a block east of Fairfax Avenue, and board shuttles for the five-minute ride. Information: (323) 993-1098 or (818) 509-3898.
