Though there are thousands of beautiful architectural homes throughout Los Angeles, it’s not everyday that the opportunity to live within a true work of art arises. A Studio City home designed by “architect to the Hollywood elite” Paul László is now on the market at just under $5 million.
László was born into a Jewish-Hungarian furniture manufacturing family in 1900 and served in World War I, working with heavy artillery. Upon his return from the war, his parents encouraged him to pursue his interest in design, so he moved to Stuttgart, Germany — regarded as one of the epicenters of the modernist movement — and later took on an apprenticeship in Cologne. However, by 1934, the Nazi regime had taken control of Germy and László was forced to flee to the United States; two of his siblings and both of his parents would perish during the Holocaust.
Upon his arrival to the U.S., László immediately bought a car and drove from New York to Southern California where he established an office in Beverly Hills and quickly became a favorite designer of celebrities and the non-famous wealthy alike. Soon, László was designing houses for names like Gloria Vanderbilt, Barbara Stanwyck and Cary Grant, and he’d garnered a reputation for his acute attention to detail — László was said to oversee even the minutest design matters of a house, right down to the ashtrays.
The Studio City house in question, located at 3255 Fryman Road, lies in a particularly leafy part of Studio City’s coveted Fryman Canyon. However, it should be noted that the structure is not a true László original. The Mayo family, who owned the property during the 1940s, commissioned the designer to reimagine their nondescript residence and transform it into an artistic paradise. Its unassuming front façade hides the modernist design extravaganza that awaits inside.
The listing is held by Brian K. Courville and JB Fung of Compass.
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Image Credit: Redfin It would be hard to miss the focal point of the living room … a hint — it’s the fireplace! A floor-to-ceiling fireplace with a curiously curved, painted and mirrored 1940s mantle is the show stopper of the sunken living room. The only aspect of the space that feels dated is the beige shag carpeting. Large French windows, that have been embellished with dramatic wrought iron bars, let in plenty of sunshine. The formal dining area, located just a few steps up and away from the living room, is situated underneath a radiant modern chandelier.
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Image Credit: Redfin Some other rooms of note within the house include a small informal sitting area/library which features an oversized fireplace that’s been decorated with mosaic inlaid glass that depicts a fantastical Mediterranean seascape scene with an accompanying wild horse. The library also offers built-in bookshelves that have been painted a whimsical shade of shamrock green and access to the pool area via a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door.
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Image Credit: Redfin Perhaps the home’s most stunning showstopper is its sunken circular bar, which listing materials note has been a “focal point for family and friends to gather over the past century.” The room features classic black and white tiling, fanciful wallpaper and curved built-in seating that echoes the bends of the bar. The space looks it was transported straight out of a Parisian fantasy!
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Image Credit: Redfin The home’s kitchen has a retro feel, thanks to its 1950s-esque black and white checkerboard tiling and minimalist color palette. The kitchen is decked out with all of the necessary appliances (including a heavy-duty gas range) and also has an accompanying eating area that’s been painted completely black for all of your goth breakfast/brunch needs.
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Image Credit: Redfin The roomy master bedroom features an artfully sloped ceiling and French windows overlooking the backyard. The accompanying master bath has a chic, European flair with its peachy beige walls that make one feel as if they’re bathing in an Estée lauder powder box.
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Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin There are several areas to enjoy the outdoors on the property, all of which are centered around the ovular swimming pool. There’s a roomy lanai that’ll shield visitors from the SoCal sun as well as an al fresco dining area located on the opposite side of the pool that’s situated underneath a mature shade tree.
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Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin A garage that has been converted into a fourth bedroom/home office by the current owners rounds out the residential perks.