Sublet in Culver City's Historic Hobbit Compound

If you yearn to live like Bilbo Baggins, good news: there's a sublet coming available in one of Culver City's famous "Hobbit houses." Officially known as the Lawrence and Martha Joseph Residence and Apartments, the whimsical compound near Sony was built between 1946 and 1970 by Lawrence Joseph, a former Walt Disney Studios artist. Per the LA Conservancy's page on the complex (declared Historic-Cultural Monument #624 in 1996), "Joseph redesigned an existing single-family residence and added two two-story buildings with multiple units. An expert carpenter and sailor, he also created nautically themed interiors for the three buildings. The apartments feature galley kitchens, vertical-grain boat plank flooring, and built-in furniture with hardware made from boat latches." According to the Craigslist ad, the sublet is for a 1,000 square foot upper unit with one bedroom and one bathroom. Accompanying photos are the patented "Craigslist-murky"--almost all shown here are from the LA Conservancy page--but the description is fairly detailed. Some highlights:

The Living Room: The interior looks as though you are in a combination of a boat/treehouse. The ceilings are 20ft high at the tallest but the space is also very cozy with benches on many of the walls. Very large windows let in a lot of light and there is a view of the koi pond and garden in front. The floor is all swirling hardwood in the same style as boat. There are no right angles to be found. All original furniture built by the man who built the home.
The Kitchen: Is galley style in keeping with the ship theme. It has all original red tile and a linoleum floor. There is a large window overlooking another storybook home in the compound. Electric stove and wall mounted fridge. Lots of beautiful redwood and built ins.
The Bedroom: Has floral wall paper and fresh carpeting. Again lots of wooden built ins and a dressing table with mirrors. Built in bed frame with full bed and a built in wooden canopy. Gets beautiful light in the morning and afternoon, overlooks a neighboring church steeple.

The Bathroom: Is in the style of a grotto with red carnival tile that matches the tile in the kitchen. Alas, no pets are allowed, but "there are turtles that like lettuce in the pond out front." The unit will be available to sublease beginning in late January/early February for $1,600/month.
· $1600 / 1br - 1000ft² - H.M. Storybook Style Sublet [Craigslist]
· Lawrence and Martha Joseph Residence and Apartments [LA Conservancy]