Veteran TV Director’s Hollywood Loft Is Ready for Its Close Up

At the time it was completed in the early 1930s, the Bank of Hollywood Building was the second high-rise office building to be built at Hollywood’s fabled intersection of Hollywood and Vine. Festooned with hand-carved gargoyles and floral ornamentation, the 12-story Gothic/Art Deco building was designed by architect Aleck Curlett.

Later re-christened the Equitable Building, after one of the building’s earliest and largest tenants, the Equitable insurance company, another early tenant was Joyce-Selznick, Ltd. Co-founded by Frank Coleman Joyce and Myron Selznick, son of film pioneer Lewis J. Selznick and brother of renowned movie producer David O. Selznick, it was the first talent agency to hang a shingle in Los Angeles.

In 2008, when it was converted to 60 loft-like live-work condos, the building was again re-named, as The Lofts at Hollywood & Vine, and it continues to attract people working in the entertainment industry. Among the building’s numerous showbiz-related residents are a young TikTok star with almost 23 million followers, an Oscar-nominated sound editor, and a prolific songwriter/producer who’s worked with the likes of Michael Jackson, Alanis Morrisette, Katy Perry and Ringo Starr.

Another resident of the building is Tinseltown scion and veteran TV director/producer Deran Sarafian. The son of actor/director Richard C. Sarafian and the nephew of acclaimed filmmaker Robert Altman, Sarafian worked for B-movie maestro Roger Corman and directed Jean-Claude Van Damme in the action flick “Death Warrant” before he shifted to television where his dozens of credits as a director and/or producer include “House,” “Hemlock Grove,” and “Rosewood.”

Now looking to unload the 1,400-square-foot spread for $1.158 million, tax records show Sarafian purchased his ninth-floor duplex condo about four and a half years ago for $910,000. The unit is available via Laura Thomas Mullen at Sotheby’s International Realty.

With high ceilings, painted masonry walls, and exposed duct work, the one-bedroom and one-and-a-half-bath unit retains the vibe of a classic loft. A linear kitchen along the back wall of the living/dining space has been upgraded (and expanded) with stainless steel cabinets and an island. Other enhancements include wood floors, in-unit laundry — it’s tucked into the bedroom’s walk-in closet — and remote-controlled shades over the original casement windows.

Up the steel staircase, a den leads to the bedroom, where the bathroom is largely open to the bedroom and the soaking tub is elevated to take advantage of the up-close view of the iconic Capitol Records Building across the street.

Amid all the delights, conveniences, and curiosities that the heart of Hollywood has to offer residents and visitors alike, the landmarked building offers 24-hour security and valet services, secured parking, and a rooftop terrace complete with lounge seating, a fire pit and a barbecue, all beneath a giant neon sign promoting Patrón tequila that flashes “FAME IS FLEETING. PERFECTION IS FOREVER.”