This weekend I was digging for landscape inspiration on Pinterest when I stumbled upon this jaw dropping 1930s Colonial Revival located in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. Originally designed by the illustrious Paul Williams, the home had been badly neglected over the years until architect Richard Manion, interior designer Craig Wright, and landscape architect Daniel Busbin brought it back to life.
They expanded the house and restored the original Moderne interiors with Art Deco furnishings exuding elegance and grace. Influenced by 1930s Hollywood glamour, they brought back white-painted brickwork, Chippendale-style railings and decorative details from the streamlined era. Featured in Architectural Digest, the 11,329 square foot, 7 bedroom, 11 bathroom manse is situated on one acre of exclusive land, and it was listed for sale in 2011. Today’s tour includes images from Manion’s website and from the old real estate listing as captured by Pricey Pads.
I also enjoyed learning about Paul Williams, one of the most celebrated architects of his generation and the first African-American member of the American Institute of Architects. Williams designed over 3,000 projects, including the Jet Age Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, Saks Fifth Avenue, and W. & J. Sloane’s department stores in Beverly Hills, the famous Beverly Hills and Ambassador hotels, and restaurants including Chasen’s and Perino’s. He also designed mansions for Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Tyrone Power, William “Bojangles” Robinson, Lon Chaney, and other entertainers. Let’s take a tour of this spectacular masterpiece!
Old Hollywood Glamour by Thomas Proctor and Elizabeth Dinkel
For Sale: A Celebrity home in Pasadena, California
California Dreaming with Peter Dunham
Botanically Beautiful in California
Paul Williams was in my opinion the very best architect. Traditional yet innovative his proportions were and are glorious. When I was single in Beverly Hills I had the enormous pleasure of living in a Paul Williams apartment. It was my favorite ever and everybody wanted to come over to just be inside. I think he put special love into each of his designs making them happy and beautiful – no matter how you decorated. His granddaughter who wrote the book about him is wonderful as well.
Like Mark Sikes keeps saying, “beauty can save the world!”
Splendid! So nice to see when someone actually does justice to a property and understands it. And what a house! I had that dressing table in my Pinterest board for a few years now, but should have looked further at the rest of the property. Amazing.
Fab.U.Lous. Especially love the black and white exterior and garden!
I love your blog. You always have the prettiest of the prettiest!!!!! Hope you are safe and well!
J
Joni,
This is the ultimate compliment coming from you, I am a HUGE fan of your blog as well!! 🙂 Thank you for the kind words!
Xx,
Andrea
The Glam Pad
Beautiful. And understood by the current owners, or so it seems. Contrast this house with the Bel Air Paul Williams in this month’s Elle Decor whose owner likes “minimalism.” Ugh. Ruined. I say if you want new buy new! But save the classic best for the rest of us!
The butler’s pantry is incredible (not just because it’s the size of my living room). The dressing table reminds me of a Pre-Code picture and I’m just waiting for Dietrich to enter.
Pre-Covid Bel Air HOA hosted a garden tour that included many by Paul Williams. Unfortunately, historic properties aren’t quite as protected in LA as they are in other cities and many have been lost to the wrecking ball, but we’re making strides! Where we’re not, the Bob Igers and Jay Paleys (check out the zodiac pool) of the world are stepping in to save the homes.
A Paul Williams designed my grandmother’s house. Once I appreciated Williams’ contributions to LA architecture, I asked questions. She did not know Williams well but remembered that he could draw upside down. I marveled at the ability but also wondered why. I wrote it off a party trick. Years later, a documentary made note of the inverted drawing and confirmed Williams adopted this technique to make his white clientele comfortable as he assumed they wouldn’t want to sit next to him. While he quite literally had a seat at the table, it was qualified. I should have liked to ask Grams more about this but she had long since died when the documentary was released,
Andrea, I’ll email you a Paul Williams house that recently came on the market for the first time ever. If there are more pictures of the house online, it may be one to cover (if you haven’t already which is typically the case!)