A house made for partying
The small blond-haired boy wearing a pressed shirt and wet-combed hair -- a child’s version of “California casual” -- took in the foyer’s stained glass and its arched ceiling, a decoupage of replica masterpieces, and asked quietly, “Is this a church?”
“No,” answered owner Xorin Balbes. “It’s my house.”
The boy stared into the ballroom ahead, silent -- a reaction shared by the small group of journalists, artists and other friends of Balbes and co-hosts writer Cliff Rothman and E! Network talent executive Lillian Mizrahi who gathered at the Los Feliz mansion last Sunday afternoon. It was a birthday party for Rothman and Mizrahi and a first glimpse of Balbes’ latest renovation, the 1920s-era “Talmadge House.”
It’s clear from the romantic decor, panoramic views and sheer vastness of the place -- 13,000 square feet -- that early owner Norma Talmadge, the silent-screen star, had an appreciation of grandeur to match her glamour. “If you have bad news,” said one woman, “I’d deliver it here.”
As he had with Lloyd Wright’s Sowden House on Franklin Avenue, Balbes plans to open his new residence for parties, fundraisers and movie and photo shoots. “Renee Zellweger was here all day on Thursday” for a magazine shoot, he said.
This spring, the house will make its grand Hollywood return with two major events: a fundraiser for Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation and a pre-Oscar bash to raise money for the United Nations Foundation and Amnesty International, among other charities.
At last Sunday’s more casual gathering, Balbes’ soon-to-be neighbors, Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton and his wife, Rikki Klieman, walked in singing “Happy Birthday” and offered Rothman and Mizrahi LAPD ball caps. Wolfgang Puck’s soon-to-be ex-wife Barbara Lazaroff made a late appearance. (The Puck eatery Vert catered the affair.)
After taking in the view from the rooftop patio, Balbes walked downstairs. At each floor, the sound of the estate’s seven fountains echoed off the walls. As he headed into the cocktail party, Balbes turned to a guest and smiled.
“We’ll have a lot of parties here,” he said.