A Hollywood Hills Spanish Revival With Old World Romance

Long before Hollywood became shorthand for global celebrity culture, the hillside enclave of Whitley Heights was already shaping its mythology. Perched above the city of Los Angeles, this historic neighbourhood became a quiet refuge for actors, directors and dreamers seeking privacy, altitude and a sense of escape from the growing frenzy below.

Today, one of its most enchanting residences has re-emerged — a meticulously restored 1923 Spanish Revival home that carries with it both architectural significance and the lingering romance of Old Hollywood lore. Set within more than 4,000 square feet of mature, layered gardens, the property feels less like a house and more like a cinematic setting suspended above the city.

Rumoured to have been built for a close associate of silent-screen icon Rudolph Valentino, and long associated with actress Pola Negri, the home sits firmly within the mythology of Hollywood’s golden age. Whether fact or folklore, its history adds another layer of intrigue to a residence already defined by atmosphere and presence.

A Restored Piece of California’s Architectural Past

The home has been carefully reimagined by its current owners in collaboration with interiors studio Shapiro Joyal Studio and acclaimed landscape architects Terremoto Landscape, known for their poetic, ecologically sensitive approach to garden design. The result is a restoration that respects the building’s original Spanish Revival character while introducing a refined, contemporary sensibility suited to modern California living.

Original hardwood floors, historic ironwork, swing windows and Arts and Crafts-style Batchelder tiles have been lovingly preserved. These details anchor the home in its 1920s origins, offering texture and continuity throughout. 

At the same time, key spaces have been thoughtfully updated. The chef’s kitchen features custom walnut cabinetry, black quartz surfaces and professional-grade Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, balancing performance with understated elegance.

Living and dining spaces flow naturally toward the gardens through French doors, reinforcing the home’s enduring relationship with its landscape.

Gardens That Carry the Story

If the architecture tells one part of the story, the gardens tell another entirely. Designed by Terremoto, the outdoor spaces were transformed from overgrown layers into a structured yet wild composition of planting, paths and sculptural moments. Brick stairways, basalt stepping stones and mangaris wood boardwalks guide movement through the terrain, while dense planting creates a sense of privacy and immersion.

The palette leans heavily into greens and textural contrast: tree ferns, agaves, Italian cypress, tree aloes and native Californian species form a layered, almost theatrical landscape. At its heart sits a covered pergola — once a response to termite damage, now a defining social and spatial anchor of the home. What could have been a loss became a design breakthrough, shifting the social life of the home into the garden itself.

It is here that many of the property’s most personal moments have unfolded, including a wedding ceremony held beneath the pergola, followed by an intimate celebration with friends and family. The garden, in this sense, is not merely decorative — it is lived in, shaped by memory and ritual.

A Home That Lives Across Levels

The main residence offers two bedrooms and two bathrooms, designed with a calm restraint that allows original architecture and landscape views to take precedence. A spa-inspired primary suite opens directly to the gardens, reinforcing the sense that indoor and outdoor living are inseparable. Elsewhere, a dedicated dining room and generous living spaces provide a natural flow for entertaining.

Above it all, an upper-level bonus room offers flexibility as a study, library or creative studio. From its adjoining deck, sweeping views stretch across the Hollywood Sign, surrounding hills and the layered cityscape below — an ever-present reminder of the home’s elevated position both physically and historically.

A Separate Guest House With Its Own Life

Tucked discreetly within the grounds is a detached one-bedroom guest house, complete with kitchen, bathroom, laundry and a wood-burning fireplace.

Currently operating successfully as a short-term rental, it offers both independence and versatility — ideal for visiting guests, creative work or income-generating use. Like the main residence, it retains its own sense of privacy while remaining visually and materially connected to the broader property.

A Restored Vision of Old Hollywood Living

As listing agent Todd notes, the home retains “beautifully restored original features,” while its current iteration reflects years of thoughtful intervention by its owners. The couple, James Roncal and Stuart Marks, describe their approach simply: “We fell in love with the grounds, the style of the house and the neighborhood and we knew we could do a very cool resto-reno to bring our own style to the house while respecting its history and tradition.”

 It is a sentiment that defines the entire property. What emerges is not a museum piece, nor a purely contemporary renovation, but something more nuanced — a lived-in, evolving home shaped by care, collaboration and continuity.

A Rare Offering Above the City

In a city often defined by reinvention, this Whitley Heights residence stands apart for its sense of permanence. It carries the romance of Old Hollywood without leaning on nostalgia alone, and it embraces modern living without erasing its past. Set above the noise of Los Angeles yet deeply connected to its cultural memory, it represents a rare convergence of architecture, landscape and story.

Here, history is not preserved behind glass — it is lived, layered and continually reinterpreted among the gardens, terraces and rooms that make this hillside escape one of the city’s most compelling private worlds.

Credits

Images: Sterling Reed Photography