Tucked into one of Hollywood’s oldest neighborhoods is an unassuming 1,100-square-foot cottage.
The Whitley Heights home’s white concrete exterior and red roof are complemented by an array of cacti and lush trees, but it’s what’s inside that makes the house worth $1.2 million, according to listing agent Federico Rolon.
“You pretty much walk into the golden age of Hollywood,” Rolon, an agent with Compass, told Homes.com in an interview. “There’s so many little details that were preserved here in this house.”
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom property was built 101 years ago, and it still maintains many of its original features: wood beams on the ceiling, stained glass windows, wall built-ins and more.
“It’s a very elegant home with all these built-ins, original molding,” Rolon said, “so it’s pretty phenomenal.”
It hit the market at the end of July. The property last sold for $1.18 million in April 2024. Rolon said his sellers are leaving for personal reasons.
“They’re very sad to have to sell it,” he said.
The listing price is below the neighborhood's typical value of $2 million, though the home's size is also roughly half the area average.
A piece of Hollywood history and the chance to go 'full circle'
The home offers more than aesthetic appeal, too. It was designed by Oscar-winning art director Carl Jules Weyl, known for his work on movies such as “Casablanca” and “Robin Hood.” As an architect, Weyl contributed to at least six projects in the Hollywood area.
Though the home’s systems have been updated to today’s standards, Rolon says Weyl’s influence and the old Hollywood feel is very much present in the property.
“The integrity, the design, the workmanship, it just feels different,” he explained. “We keep seeing the same cookie-cutter renovations or developer developments, the square boxes. Despite that this property had interior and … minor exterior alterations, it retains the integrity of [its] era.”
Of course, maintaining that integrity, design and workmanship takes work from a homeowner, but Rolon said his sellers are leaving the home in great shape. The original wood doors, for example, “have been sanded and obviously stained to preserve them.”
Now, Rolon sees the property returning to its roots.
“I would love to see this property go full circle — from an Oscar-winning art director to the next generation of art directors and filmmakers,” he said.
The home is near freeways, studios and the Hollywood Bowl, a draw for that pool of buyers, according to Rolon. More than that, it even offers a view of the Hollywood sign from the front door.
“This house would be perfect for the artist type — a writer, someone in the entertainment industry, someone in the studio,” Rolon said. “You’re pretty much in the heart of Hollywood and Hollywood history.”
