Just a mere few steps away from the infamous Playboy Mansion, the legendary Owlwood Estate has been home to such Hollywood legends as Tony Curtis, as well as Sonny and Cher. Located in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles’ prestigious “Platinum Triangle” this Tuscan-style mansion at 141 South Carolwood was considered the most prominent house in LA at the time of its construction.
History of Owlwood
Owlwood was built on a 3.7-acre parcel of land in 1936 by famed architect Robert D. Farquhar, who built the Beverly Hills High School 8 years earlier. Originally known by the name “Carolwood,” it was commissioned by the original developer of Holmby Hills, Arthur Letts. Letts had specifically chosen this property for the site of his home and excluded it from the land offerings for sale. Letts subsequently died unexpectedly before the home was completed.
Arthur’s widow, Florence, inherited the property and was quickly remarried to businessman Charles H Quinn. Eventually, the house was sold to Joseph Drown, founder of the Hotel Bel-Air, who in turn sold it to Joe Schenck, the first president of United Artists and chairman of 20th Century Fox. Marilyn Monroe had publicly denied having a secret romance with Schenck, despite Monroe’s frequent visits to the property. In 1956, Schenck sold the home to William Keck, of Superior Oil.
Tony Curtis
Not long after his divorce from Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis purchased the home from Keck. He lived here for several years, before selling to Sonny and Cher in the early 1970s, who became interested in the property when they attended a birthday party held within its hallowed walls in 1967. Cher sold the home in 1976 to Chase and Ralph Mishkin, who changed the name of the house from its original “Carolwood” to “Owlwood,” in honor of the owls that had for years lived on its grounds.
The property changed hands throughout the years, and eventually, the homes of Esther Williams and Jayne Mansfield’s “Pink Palace” (now demolished), were added to make Owlwood a massive ten acres. In 2016, its residents sold it to Sturmer Pippin Investments LLC for $90,000,000. This was the third-highest residential sale in Los Angeles’ history. The estate returned to the Los Angeles Real Estate Market in 2017 with a $115,000,000 price tag. It sold on January 4, 2021, for $88,000,000 to Calch Urban Investments.
Features of Owlwood
Owlwood has 2 stories, 9 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a tennis court, a swimming pool, a theatre, and an elevator. It is 12,600 square feet in total.
The First Floor
This elegant hallway is still representative of how it looked when Farquhar built the house in 1936. Its beautiful millwork finish and deep brown color provide a retro feel to the space. Dining room walls are equipped with secret panels which can be opened. These compartments are used as silverware cabinets. This room also contains a hand-carved wooden fireplace accented with marble.
The reception room has direct access to the rear gardens. Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore, and many other Hollywood stars have visited here. The “Great Parlour” is used for formal entertainment. Again, blessed with beautiful millwork from the 1930s, and like the dining room, it contains a hand-carved and intricately detailed mantlepiece.
The entertainment room allows residents to play billiards and other games. Originally a screening room for the Hollywood luminaries that graced the property, the room has 4 slots for movie projectors. Finally, the first floor of the Owlwood mansion contains a tunnel, which was specifically built for Marilyn Monroe to discreetly utilize. It leads from the entertainment room, all the way to the rear garden.
The Second Floor
The master suite is reminiscent of France during the days of Marie Antoinette. A lighter room in contrast to the ground floor’s deep browns, it has a cream/white finish—beautiful millwork on the plaster, and a beautiful marble fireplace. The master bathroom contains Florida ceiling marble, an antique sink, and an original retro-style bathtub.
The Grounds
Lined with oak trees, many of which are hundreds of years old, the vast acreage of the grounds of Owlwood leads to the pool/guest house, as well as to the tennis court.
