Magical Moroccan-style Home Casts a Spell in Silver Lake

When it comes to interesting architecture, very few neighborhoods in Los Angeles can compete with Silver Lake. Sprinkled throughout its hills are striking homes in an eclectic array of styles, from adobe bungalows to postmodern boxes. To stand out in such an architecturally blessed setting, a house has to be extra special, and this Spanish-Moorish-style residence that’s just hit the market certainly fits the bill.

Located around the corner from the street staircase immortalized in the Laurel and Hardy short “The Music Box,” the hillside home started out as an ordinary Spanish-style duplex built in 1924. A lower-level garage was added in the mid-1940s, but beyond that, the property remained essentially the same for the next six decades. But in 2001, it was purchased by a couple who subsequently expanded and transformed the humdrum duplex into a show-stopping single-family residence.

A fanciful riff on Spanish Andalusian architecture in the early Hollywood tradition, the three-story abode is accessed by a vivid crimson stucco staircase that leads to a second, colorfully tiled staircase beyond which is a theatrical keyhole arch and finally, the zellij-tiled front doorway. Inside, more keyhole arches break up the otherwise open-plan living room/dining room/kitchen spaces. The Moorish motif continues throughout the home via a constellation of Islamic stars in all manner of materials, from light fixtures, ceiling coffers and moldings, tile designs, even doorknob handles.

Along with four bedrooms and four and a half baths, multiple lounges and entertaining spaces are distributed throughout the home’s 2,866 square feet. Among the many charming character features found therein are French doors, arched windows, carved plaster niches, hardwood floors, vintage crystal doorknobs, stunning Art Deco and Moroccan tile, detailed wrought iron work, and period light fixtures and fittings. There’s even a functional dumbwaiter!

While there isn’t an excessive amount of outdoor space, the vertically inclined residence manages to do a lot with what little it does have, carving out private areas for every level, including front and back dining patios, multiple tiled balconies, and a spacious rooftop deck where one can enjoy a nice afternoon tea while drinking in cinematic views of Downtown and the palm tree-studded hillsides.

The head-turning property is now on the market with an asking price of $2.2 million. Laura Moreno of the Moreno Group at Keller Williams has the listing.