This Ad-Friendly Concrete Block House Is Popular With Location Scouts

Here’s a fun fact about Northridge: In its early years, the unsung San Fernando Valley town went by the name of Zelzah. Then in 1929, its name was changed to North Los Angeles. Unsurprisingly, this appellation caused a fair amount of confusion, so in 1938, it was changed once again to Northridge Village, which eventually got shortened to plain ol’ Northridge. It’s not nearly as zesty as Zelzah, but c’est la vie.

Another fun fact about Northridge is that it’s quite popular with location scouts, popping up in numerous films (“E.T.” “Licorice Pizza”), TV shows (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Glee”) and countless photo shoots. So if this photo-/telegenic residence looks familiar to you, it may be because you’ve seen it in GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, or ad campaigns for Seth Rogen’s cannabis company Houseplant.

Located at the end of a cul-de-sac street about two miles east of Cal State Northridge, the single-story residence was originally built in 1957 by J.S. Plummer, an aerospace engineer with the aircraft manufacturer Northrup who was responsible for the design, test, and production of many of the corporation’s target drone aircraft. Measuring 2,241 square feet, the three-bedroom, three-bathroom home was constructed mainly out of concrete blocks, wood, and glass.

In 2020, the Plummer residence was purchased by Andy and Anthony Bossley, partners in life and in the design company Piney Interiors. The couple did a selective revamp, integrating new features, such as herringbone parquet floors, automatic solar shades, and a Phillips Hue light system, with original character elements, including beamed ceilings, sliding glass doors, a concrete fireplace, and quirky built-ins.

Additional updates include a replastered saltwater pool and hot tub, an owned solar panel system, and new California-native-based landscaping. There’s also a detached four-car garage with ADU potential. But the home’s strongest selling point seems to be its earning potential as a shooting location — according to the listing description, it generates “six figures” annually.

Sold two years ago for $750,000, the quarter-acre property is now listed with agent Cameron Stephens with an asking price of $1.399 million.