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Unfortunately, the home is not open to the public for tours, but don’t let that stop you from a quick (and respectful!) look-see on a walk through the neighborhood. Many tour buses drive by the property, so you can catch a glimpse of the magic that way, too. At the corner of Walden Drive and Carmelita Avenue, the Spadena House, more affectionately known as the Witch House, is unlike anything else in Beverly Hills. The home is within walking distance of Beverly Hills staples such as the Waldorf Astoria, Neiman Marcus, Starbucks, and Los Angeles Country Club, but the exterior appears to be straight off the pages of a storybook. Thanks to the pointy, lopsided roof, tiny windows and stucco with a distressed paint technique, the storybook home has been described as the quintessential Hansel and Gretel house. Since its move to the affluent suburb, the house has been the subject of many urban legends.
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But there were no wands for Libow to wave, no wishes to be granted. The home had been delivered to him on the nimbleness of the wind, stoking the fires of passion in him, and ultimately tapping his liquid resources. Ultimately, the only element left at the magic man’s disposal was pure, hard earth. Little did the fair folk of Beverly Hills know he was not only returning the Spadena house to its former glory, but getting it closer to its fabled inspiration than it had ever been.
Inside the Beverly Hills "Witch's House"
Also known as the Spadena House, this storybook home that was once situated on a movie studio lot and now serves as a private residence—it's unusual to say the least. Its sharply sloped rooftop evokes images of a witch's pointed hat; a moat filled with koi fish circles the front of the property; and the warped wooden shingles and lopsided shutters give off the illusion that this is a dilapidated home ripe for collapse. Even the outdoor landscaping is filled with thorny bushes, twisted plants and black dahlias. Before it was the Spadena house or the Beverly Hills witch house, this storybook structure served as the professional offices for Irvin Willat’s Culver City film studio. You’ll find another of Oliver’s still-standing creations in Atwater Village. The Tam O’Shanter restaurant, a Scottish steakhouse, wouldn’t seem out of place at the heart of Disneyland.
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The protected landmark was built 100 years ago in Culver City for Willat Studios. Its exterior originally served as a set while the interior held offices. The Witch’s House was designed by Hollywood art director Harry Oliver. Harry played a big role in Storybook homes in the 1920’s and 30’s.
The Fascinating History Of The Beverly Hills 'Witch House' - LAist
The Fascinating History Of The Beverly Hills 'Witch House'.
Posted: Wed, 26 Oct 2016 07:00:00 GMT [source]
"That was the corner where the police would always go looking for kids who had eggs in their pockets or whatever nonsense they would do on Halloween, so it came to represent Beverly Hills at Halloween." The Lascelles divorced in 1938 and ex-wife Lillian Lascelle got to keep the house. She and Spadena ended up getting married in the late 1940s (hence the "Spadena House" name) and would continue to live there until they sold it to Martin and Doris Green in 1965. She added that the cottage is believed to have made its first on-screen appearance in the 1921 silent film The Face of the World.
Some say the house was built by a Snow White and the Seven Dwarves fanatic, others have claimed that the house was built for a movie version of Hansel and Gretel. Though neither is true, the most plausible legend is that a former resident would dress up as a witch and hand out candy on Halloween. For Halloween in 2014, Libow prepared for 4,000 trick-or-treaters. In 1921, shortly after it was completed, the Witch’s House made its first on-screen appearance in the silent film The Face of the World. Sitting on a 0.29-acre lot in prime Beverly Hills (and sporting a highly desirable zip code), the storybook house packs 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms between its slightly crooked walls and 3,982 square feet of living space.
Please use the following steps to determine whether you need to fill out a call slip in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room to view the original item(s). In some cases, a surrogate (substitute image) is available, often in the form of a digital image, a copy print, or microfilm. But Fort Oliver was not Oliver’s first attempt at historically elaborated architectural design. Around 1920, Oliver designed the most iconic storybook structure in Los Angeles, now known as the Spadena House—or the Witch’s House, if you’re spooky.
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There was only the entry foyer, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a tiny kitchen,” Libow said. Libow bought the 3,500-square-foot property in 1998 and breathed new life into the home. The Spadena house has been inhabited since its move to the 90210, almost a century ago.
From the Archives: The Witch's House - Los Angeles Times
From the Archives: The Witch's House.
Posted: Fri, 27 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Facebook/Beverly Hills Heritage Construction on Spadena House finished in 1921, and it originally held offices and dressing rooms for Irvin Willat's silent film studio. She had to fit her possessions in a one-bedroom apartment with a plethora of built-ins. The style also probably inspired Walt Disney, then a small-time animator living in Los Feliz. Disney became a lifelong patron of Tam O’Shanter and included many stylized storybook structures in his films and parks. Ironically, this light-hearted style sprang out of one of the bloodiest conflicts in the world. “The Great War sent many young American soldiers to Europe for the first time, and many came back charmed by the romantic architecture of rural France and Germany,” Gellner says.
Aside from the landscaping, the exterior of the house doesn't differ too greatly from its original construction. Rather, it's inside that Libow truly made his mark, creating what he calls a "charming storybook interior replete with amorphous shapes and unique broke tile installations." Once described as the "quintessential Hansel and Gretel house," the home has a pitched roof, tiny shuttered windows, and intentionally distressed walls. As Libow told CNN, the exterior is designed to evoke "a home that looks as if it's 300 years old that really isn't."
Libow was even partly responsible for getting the home listed on Beverly Hill's local register of historic properties in 2013, meaning the house can't be torn down. While Libow's home is not open to the public (though he says it's a regularly requested stop on Starline's drive-by celebrity homes tours), he has allowed some camera crews to record video of his unique digs. One of the most recent ones was a live Facebook video with ABC 7's "Eye on L.A." recorded earlier this month, which can be watch here. The Witch’s House, also known as the Spadena House, is one of a handful of storybook homes located in Beverly Hills.
It should come as no surprise that he was instrumental in the rise of storybook architecture. Having worked as a member of the art department for over 30 films from 1919 to 1938, he brought a unique design perspective that challenged standard conventions of domestic architecture. The storybook design began with Harry Oliver, an art director for a film studio.
We can’t say for certain, but if we do, we know where they’d love to convene. Amidst the decadence of Beverly Hills sits a spellbinding sanctuary plucked like a poison apple straight out of a fairytale. But there’s no dimensional rift at the corner of Walden Drive and Carmelita Avenue; at least not one that we can confirm.
Every aspect appears antique including the features created since Libow’s acquisition of the Spadena house. He estimates that around 98% of what you see inside the home is relatively new despite looking like it was salvaged from a medieval cottage in Germany’s Black Forest. As you wander its arched corridors, three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and comprehensive kitchen, you may recognize a distinct lack of right angles if you’re particularly observant. This was an intentional choice for Libow, who incorporated Feng Shui into much of his interior design. Beneath the exaggerated wooden shingles of the swayback roof, you’re now greeted by an interior that matches the home’s festive fairytale exterior. The real estate agent found particular inspiration in the works of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi whose curving contours, kaleidoscopic tiles, and art nouveau aesthetic breathe life into the streets of Barcelona.
In the divorce settlement, it was decreed that Lillian Lascelle would retain the Beverly Hills witch house. The house came close to being torn down after it was put on the market in 1997. However, real estate agent Michael Libow fell in love with the property and bought it himself the next year. He began carefully restoring it alongside another art director, Nelson Coates. Because of its unusual appearance, it appeared in several silent films.
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