A 1920s-era Spanish bungalow on a puny .13-acre parcel at the tail end of a convenient yet discreet cul-de-sac in Hollywood’s Bronson Canyon — owned per property records by vaunted crime fiction writer and essayist James Ellroy — has come up for sale at a smidgen less than $1.4 million, a 16% increase over the almost $1.2 million that was paid for the slightly less than 2,000-square-foot residence not quite three years ago. The enigmatic, articulate and unapologetically contrarian writer, who crafts dark and complex stories that scratch at the seedy underbelly of American life, has seen several of his novels adapted into acclaimed films — e.g., “L.A. Confidential” and “The Black Dahlia” — for which he did not write the screenplays and about which he’s not generally complimentary.
The three bedroom, and two vintage-tiled-bathroom residence retains a variety of original architectural details, such as hardwood floors and arched windows and doorways, and is furnished in a cinematic if spare manner that echoes Ellroy’s meticulously stripped-down prose. The living room features a fireplace and high-coved ceiling, and opens to a walled garden; the dining room is lit by antique wrought-iron fixtures; and the galley kitchen has a built-in breakfast banquette and slab-marble countertops. A second, corner fireplace anchors the master bedroom where French doors lead to another walled courtyard and, set high on the steep slope behind the house, a separate, studio/office has red brick floors, an exposed wood ceiling, a private terrace and a bathroom that Ellroy had completely covered — walls, floor and ceiling —with appropriately noir jet-black tile.
listing photos: Coldwell Banker
