It’s no secret that the mountains above Beverly Hills are chock-full of Hollywood veterans. And there’s hardly a more ideal illustration of that fact than the cul-de-sac we shall discuss today. Located in the Coldwater Canyon area of Los Angeles, the barely-there street contains just six homes, all of them owned by people who make their living in the entertainment industry — one way or another.
Current residents on the cul-de-sac in question include celebrity stylist Petra Flannery, cinematographer Peter Deming, actress Ashley Greene, and prolific writer/producer Jeph Loeb.
Anyway, the largest and most expensive house on the wee street recently sold for $4.9 million to Lee Daniels.
Born and bred in Philadelphia, Daniels began his career as a nursing agent — similar to a talent agent, but dedicated to “casting” nurses in hospitals — before becoming a casting director after a chance meeting with a Hollywood producer. Eventually he founded Lee Daniels Entertainment, his own production outfit. Monster’s Ball, his first film production, proved critically successful, and through it Halle Berry became the first black woman to win a Best Actress Oscar. He also produced and directed Precious, for which he received a Best Director nomination at the 2009 Academy Awards.
But Mr. Daniels’ most profitable work has almost certainly been on the small screen. He is the co-creator and producer of both the Fox shows Empire and Star, both of which have become commercially successful and spawned multiple seasons.
The unique structure is ideal for a celebrity: set way down a long driveway and behind a hulking gate and a dense tree canopy, the entire house is invisible from the cul-de-sac out front.
According to records, the house was originally built in 1952, but it’s been redone multiple times in the 65+ years since. A large motorcourt rests outside the two-car garage. Per the listing, there are a generous 5,245 square feet of living space with 4 beds and 4.5 baths.
Inside, the home has slate, granite, marble and exotic hardwoods throughout. Large windows flood the property with light, and the massive kitchen directly overlooks lush Coldwater Canyon and features a vaulted ceiling and a La Cornue range.
The lavish upstairs master suite is all-new and spans 1,000-square-feet — or about one-fifth of the entire home. Prairie-like areas within include a bedroom with direct access to a private balcony, a double-sided fireplace, and a massive closet/dressing room area equipped with a skylight.
The other three bedroom suites are much smaller but outfitted in a very similar luxe manner: glassy showers, Toto toilets and walls of glass.
In addition to the upstairs deck (equipped with yoga mats), there’s also a huge 2,500-square-foot deck off the lower level that includes a classy rectangular swimming pool and tons of space for outdoor furniture and entertaining.
Also in the backyard is small accessory building that functions as a standalone library.
