When real estate agents Tina Marie Pham and Howard Stevens first walked the property at 3105 Ledgewood Drive in Los Angeles, it was clear there was more to the home than meets the eye.
For one, the Hollywood Hills chalet is one of the oldest homes in what was once the Hollywoodland development. More than that, its owners, and now sellers, have deep connections to the music industry: Lisa Coleman was Prince’s bassist, and her wife, Renata Kanclerz, is a music producer.
On their first tour of the home, though, what really stood out to the agent duo was an old, faded Chrysler with flat tires in the driveway.
Intrigued by the seemingly out-of-place vehicle, Stevens asked Kanclerz about the story behind the car.
“She says, ‘One night, we were recording real late and Prince [was] tired, so he walked outside, and he crawled into the car and he fell asleep,’” Stevens said. “When he woke up, he wrote a song about the car. It’s called ‘Little Red Corvette.’”
It’s just one of dozens of stories that accompany the property, the agents said. Now, the home and its history are on the market, asking nearly $3 million, according to a listing on Homes.com.
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom house spans just over 3,200 square feet. It includes a recording studio, art studio and vineyard that yields fruits such as plums, apples, and avocados.
A piece of Hollywood music and architectural history
The home also boasts a storied architectural past.
The property was built in 1927 as one of the original Hollywoodland development homes, made famous by its advertising, including the Hollywood sign. It was designed by Charles David Grolle, an artist and architect known throughout the Los Angeles area in the 20th century.
Grolle's influence is palpable in the home's storybook exterior — but it's also present inside. The frescoes in the great room are original paintings he did, according to Stevens and Pham.
Many of the home's original features, such as those frescoes, have been preserved throughout the years, the agents said. Aside from a few restorations and appliance updates, the sellers maintained the home's character. And even then, restorations were carried out mindfully. For example, the owners replaced light fixtures with similar period pieces from the 20s.
It's rare to find a Hollywoodland home in that condition, Stevens said.
"They're scattered throughout the area," he explained. "But a lot of them have been changed up a lot inside."
Another rarity: the home has an abundance of parking. In addition to space on the property for cars, the street is quiet and has ample parking spots for guests, the agents said.
"It's well designed for entertainment or an avid car collector," Pham said. "We've had showings with people that have three to five classic cars. So, it lends itself not only to a rustic, elegant setting, but also, there's a practicality involved."