From Los Angeles’ socialite set of the 1920s, to gangster film cult classics, to the city’s beloved tacos – and even the world-famous Hollywood sign – if the walls of this Hollywood estate could talk, they’d make for an excellent talk show guest.
Built in 1926 by acclaimed architected Roland Coate – other properties of his design are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places – this sprawling, 30-room property was first built for Eva K. Fudger in the Spanish Colonial style. Soon after completion, however, the West Coast socialite rented it to Hollywood icon and pioneering aviator, Howard Hughes.
With Hughes paying $1,000 for it a month to Fudger during those years, (today, that totals to considerably above the $17,000 mark), local media questioned why. The answer can be found in the Hollywood estate’s proximity to the acclaimed Wilshire Country Club, which still exists today.
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Hughes, naturally, went on to produce iconic films of the period, such as 1927’s Two Arabian Nights, 1930’s Hell’s Angels, and the original Scarface, released in 1932. Hughes remained at the property for two decades, in which affairs with Joan Crawford, Hedy Lamarr, and Katherine Hepburn were documented; and the assumed many parties of Hollywood’s Golden Age within this estate, maintained as more of a secret.
Yet far from this Hollywood estate become a homage site of sorts, its location and glorious architecture and gardens lost to the motions of nostalgia.
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A recent renovation by previous owners, Ash Shah and Niroupa Shah – Ash Shah is the restaurateur behind the city’s beloved Danny Trajo brands, including Trejo’s Tacos, Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts, and Trejo’s Spirits – has revived this beautiful property for the 21st century sensibility.
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Still boasting the same glorious vistas across the golf course, the Hollywood Hills, and even the Hollywood sign, much of the original architecture remains, granting the estate the same romantic charm and sun-dappled escapism of similar villas found across the Mediterranean.
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The eight bedrooms feature brilliant windows that manage to usher in natural light and the bountiful vistas without ever losing that timeless style that pulses through the Hollywood estate, whilst the seven bathrooms similarly see great success in subtly fusing state-of-the-art appliances within these endlessly alluring spaces.
The original landscape, first designed by Florence Yoch and Lucille Council, remain loyal to its inception; citrus fruit trees are abound, whilst the lush greenery has a somewhat magical quality to it. The inner courtyard is similarly transporting.
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Naturally, the motor court is a new addition, as is the three-car garage. Owners and their guests – this is a space perfect for hosting – will also enjoy updated features of the backyard, which includes multiple lounge areas, a stone pizza oven, and a gorgeous swimming pool. And not to forget the 2,500-bottle temperature-controlled wine vault, nor the intimate screening room within the estate; this is Hollywood, after all.
$23,000,000. smithandberg.com
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