He may not be a household name in the vein of Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Travis Scott or The Weeknd, but Frank Dukes has writing and production credits on multiple hits from all of the above and many other popular artists, too. The 36-year-old Canadian super-producer — real name Adam Feeney — has had continuous industry success for well over a decade, though his biggest smash came more recently, with the late 2017 release of Camila Cabello’s “Havana.” That international smash, which Dukes co-wrote and singlehandedly produced, became the world’s best-selling digital single of 2018, and solidified Dukes’ status as one of music’s most in-demand producers.
Over the past two years, Dukes has funneled a substantial portion of his music profits into Los Angeles real estate. Instead of purchasing one oversized mansion, however, he’s picked up three relatively modest — if hardly inexpensive — houses in prime Los Feliz. In 2018, he paid $1.85 million for a 1920s Spanish-style cottage, and earlier this year he paid “Glee” actor Darren Criss $1.8 million for his low-slung area bungalow.
Dukes’ latest purchase, completed last month, ran him just over $2 million, according to property records. Spanning nearly 3,300 square feet, with four bedrooms and four baths, the cream-colored Mediterranean-style villa was built in 1926 and last sold in 2009 for $1.3 million.
Though it retains many original architectural features, the home’s interiors have clearly been updated in a somewhat fussy manner. There are crystal chandeliers, elk antlers on one bedroom’s wall, and renovated bathrooms with luxe stone finishes. Per the listing, there’s a so-called “sitting salon” with stunning garden views out of large windows, and an adjacent breakfast room with a built-in banquette and similarly delicious views.
The main floor also includes hardwood floors throughout, plus an updated kitchen and formal dining and living rooms, the latter sporting original casement windows and a substantial stone fireplace. The .14-acre lot is rather petite, but the house is admirably private, tucked away behind walls and gates and ringed by dense tropical landscaping. From the rooftop deck, over-the-treetops vistas take in the Griffith Observatory and surrounding park’s hills.
The multi-level structure also offers a basement-level “garden level” with a media room, additional bedroom suite — perfect for a live-in staff member or overnight guest — a dedicated laundry area, and a sauna. Out back, the cozy backyard is defined by a terracotta-tiled patio with a fountain and seating areas shaded by towering ficus trees.
Jeffrey Giordano of Keller Williams held the listing; Denise Rosner of Compass repped Dukes.