Behind the gates of Los Feliz’s tony Laughlin Park enclave, this Spanish Colonial Revival-style dwelling awaits its next owners.
Built in 1922, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom house was designed by architect Carleton M. Winslow as his private residence. Winslow was an in-demand architect in the early 20th century, with commissions including the (now demolished) Carthay Circle Theater and a number of churches throughout Southern California.
Winslow also worked on the Central Library in Downtown with Bertram Goodhue, and finished the library when Goodhue died before the project’s completion.
The house at 1923 Laughlin Park Drive retains a number of its original features, including hardwood floors, wood details, fireplaces, fixtures, and Spanish tile. The high, beamed ceilings and wealth of windows also appear original to the well-preserved house.
The roughly 2,300-square-foot house sites on a quarter-acre lot with a large, currently scruffy lawn bordered by mature, privacy-providing trees. It is listed with Rosemary Low and Natalie Gonzalez of Sotheby’s International Realty for $1.85 million.
Comments
I wanted to love this, but this is a SERIOUS money pit. Add about half to one million to the purchase price to make it the showplace it deserves to be. With up to three million invested will you get any return? A quick look at the comps show similar properties already in better condition for the same price. You may have to sit on this awhile
By mrjim1 on 09.27.19 9:52am
I love the location of this house and the amount of land. I would like to see what the layout is like and the bathrooms. I agree with your financial assessment. That being said, ALL homes in Los Angeles are rotting and do not deserve the sales price they receive. It is a sad reality.
By WyliesDad on 09.27.19 1:44pm
Totally my thought: $500K – $1MM in improvements for this beast. A magnificent end result but comps will be hard.
By SableCrow on 09.30.19 8:32am
i don’t see anything worthwhile about this house. tear down.
By cicinla on 09.27.19 11:28am
That house needs a lot of work. A lot of deferred maintenance. The home was probably inherited and the occupants couldn’t afford to do the necessary maintenance and upgrades like central A/C.
What’s up with all those weird shutters on the inside all over the house? Kind of creepy and I’m sure are not original.
On the listing website, it shows the basement are there are numerous cracks in the cement floor. Not sure if they would affect the foundation but a few of the cracks look substantial.
By mrxman on 09.27.19 5:55pm
Very dismal. No TLC. Poor thing. Could be interesting after lottos work and a soft hand or it could become a bigger disaster.
By lanatik on 09.27.19 6:24pm
This house has potential but I do agree its waaaaaay over-priced for the condition it’s in. With that said, someone, somewhere is taking their check-book out for this property.
By subaruwrx on 09.27.19 6:39pm
You know what? If I had the money, I would actually buy that house. But then I would fix it up. The outside and the inside of the house. And IMHO, the pricing is not that bad for a four bedroom and three bath home.
By S.M.P on 09.27.19 8:43pm
Yikes. That is an unlovely house.
By AngelusLiving on 09.27.19 8:59pm
I know a house designed by a noted architect has a certain cachet that’s often reflected in the asking price, but this property is just SAD.
By Mickeymod on 09.28.19 12:13am
It’s a very nice, classic LA house. I guess some readers just need a house to be staged with trendy furniture to appreciate it.
By goingup on 09.28.19 5:30am
I think people appreciate it, well, except for the "tear down" crowd, but you have to be realistic in that it’s going to cost a fortune to bring it back, add to the already steep purchase price and you’re looking at close to 3 million. Is it worth it? Fortunately it’s in an area where the aesthetics of "old Hollywood" are more appreciated, so you might find a handful of people who’ll think it’s preservation is worth it.
Personally I like the house, it strikes me as being an original split-level, but it’s renovation would be more then I could handle
By mrjim1 on 09.28.19 6:04am
The neighborhood is great.
The house…I don’t care for any aspect of this house. The flow appears poor. The rooms are uninspiring. Stairs seem to intrude into every public space.
Blechhh…
By LudwigBlue on 09.28.19 7:27am
Not everyone wants to live in an open-plan, white-walled box. These houses in Los Feliz were built at a completely different time, when people wanted things like a separate dining room. It’s a classic house – in Laughlin Park! – that is par for the course for many of the houses in the area. Yes, that’s probably an unrealistic asking price and it will probably take a lot of money to restore this place, but I hope someone ponies up the cash to do it right and not tear it down to build some ugly monstrosity. There are already plenty of those in Los Feliz anyway.
By mcshan on 09.29.19 11:49am