Rumored to have once been occupied by Brat Pack actor Judd Nelson, this Hollywood Hills house in the Cahuenga Pass neighborhood pocket was designed by noted modernist architect William Kesling. Originally built in 1935 and now owned by a local L.A. trauma surgeon, the streamline moderne structure has been meticulously preserved over the years, while simultaneously updated and expanded via the addition of an accessory structure. Now asking $2.1 million, the entire place — essentially two separate houses — is connected via a cantilevered, enclosed walkway.
“I would say one of the greatest moments of the home is the super-cool addition by Mills Studio in 2002,” says listing agent Julia Allos of Deasy Penner Podley. “Whenever I take buyers to the bottom level, all I hear is ‘Wow.’ The design was so forward-thinking and artful. It plays off of the ’60s, as well as being very current. You kind of feel like you’re in a James Bond movie as you discover and walk through it.”
Known as the Estes Residence, the original structure is one of only 15 single-family homes designed by Kesling during the early 1930s still standing in L.A.; that includes a spot in the historic Fairfax district built for Oscar-winning actor Wallace Beery in 1936, along with the side-by-side art deco-style Vanderpool and Skinner residences on Silver Lake’s Easterly Terrace.
Arrested on fraud charges in 1936, Kesling was sentenced to two years probation and prohibited from working in the construction industry. He later resurfaced in San Diego, designing privately commissioned houses, including a 1946 cliffside dwelling in La Jolla for Walton McConnell that was captured by famed photographer Julius Shulman and featured in Life magazine.
Nestled amid a hillside, on a heavily wooded 0.15-acre corner lot, the stucco and green-trimmed house boasts a striking exterior marked by the original steel casement windows. It’s fronted by a grassy yard and driveway that empties into a one-car garage; inside, just over 2,000 square feet of light-filled living space includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms — one containing a Roman tub and glass block walls in keeping with the architect’s original design.
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Image Credit: Charmaine David Two sets of stairs lead up to the glass front door, which opens to a sun-drenched living room boasting hardwood floors and a massive flagstone fireplace.
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Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David There’s also a formal dining room, and a galley-style kitchen outfitted with high-end appliances, an eat-in peninsula and accompanying breakfast nook.
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Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David The primary bedroom suite can be found upstairs; and a full accessory dwelling unit with a separate entrance on the bottom level was updated with Heath tile and Fleetwood windows in 2018.
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Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David The aforementioned cantilevered walkway travels from the main house to the property’s new addition. Highlighted by light portals connecting all three levels, it also hosts a spacious living room with wet bar and a bath that opens directly to an outdoor hot tub.
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Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David In addition to the expansion’s roof deck — which comes equipped with built-in benches and strategically placed light portals — the compact yard makes optimum use of its space with several spots ideal for lounging and al fresco dining amid mature jacaranda trees.
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Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David -
Image Credit: Charmaine David “Everything about the home has been so well-executed,” says Allos. “Every square foot of the property has been used, which is so rare with hillside homes.”