Though it’s just a few miles from downtown Los Angeles, the Hancock Park neighborhood is rife with historic, palatial estates dating back some 100 years.
The Mediterranean Villa that sits at 545 S. Rimpau Boulevard is one of those original projects, dating back to 1925. It was built after its original owners, the father-son architecture duo known as Weston and Weston, purchased the parcel of land from G. Allan Hancock, the neighborhood’s namesake.
Now, the more than 7,000-square-foot home is for sale, asking nearly $10 million, according to a listing on Homes.com. While it still retains many of its original features, it has been updated by recent owners to include upgraded mechanics and a two-bedroom guest house. In all, the property has seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms.
“They didn’t suck any of the soul out of this, which is what everyone loves about it,” listing agent Brent Watson of The Beverly Hills Estates told Homes.com of the home’s upgrades.
A residence built by and for municipal designers
The villa is hidden behind towering hedges, so from the street, if the gate is open, all that's visible is a stucco-faced home. It's almost deceptive.
Inside the home's wood and metal-grate front door is a cavernous gallery hallway with soaring ceilings, glass French doors and original tiled floors. From there, the first floor spreads out in what could be described as the opposite of an open floor plan. It's more reminiscent of a public building than a home, according to Watson.
The Weston pair "were builders that mostly did monuments, libraries, municipal buildings way back in the day,” Watson said in an interview. “There’s a different vibe here than most residential. The sequestered staircase, for example. The way they’ve sort of separated things.”
Indeed, the father-son duo is known for their work throughout Los Angeles, including two public libraries, a bank branch and the American Legion headquarters in Hollywood, according to the Pacific Coast Architecture Database.
While many of the original details are intact — including the wood and tile flooring, fireplaces and wood-paneled ceilings — many of the home's mechanics have been upgraded. For example, all water on the property goes through an "insane osmosis system," Watson said.
"It's like, the purest drinking water," he added.
The property's pool is also new. So is the air conditioning system and the property's "super-high-powered generator" that could probably power "three of these houses," Watson said. And there's the guest house that was added about 30 years ago.
More than that, the property has a storied history of ownership that includes the Colombian Consulate General, actress Milla Jovovich and Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist John Anthony Frusciante.
Selling a luxury estate during the holidays
Even with all those amenities and historical features, it's a bit of a wonky time for the housing market, according to Watson. On the whole, November and December are typically slower months for sales — though Watson said some of the best months of his 30-year career have been Decembers. This year, the month is likely to be hit by broader economic influences.
"It's not a good market. It's very fickle," Watson said. "People are a little skittish."
In Hancock Park, there's been a bit more movement than in the broader market, though, in part because it's such a desirable neighborhood for transplants from the East Coast, especially families.
"Right now, Hancock Park, it's pretty insane," he added. "I mean, everything has sold. There's been some off-market deals."
Watson said he sees this property in particular as drawing attention because it offers more than just the chance to live in a historic home in the neighborhood. It's also an investment opportunity for buyers willing to put in $1 million to $2 million, he said.
"If this house was, like, completely dialed in to the next level, it's a $14 million house," Watson said.