Silver-screen legend Kirk Douglas’ former hideaway in historic Old Las Palmas is now on the market for $3.45 million.
Located at 515 West Via Lola, the midcentury-modern abode—which belonged to the Douglas family for over 42 years—sits on a lush three-quarter-acre parcel that backs into Leonardo DiCaprio’s rentable compound at 432 Hermosa Place.
(The estate is one of a few celebrity houses presently for sale in the area: Others include Steve McQueen's old Hugh Kapurt-designed retreat, now asking $4.595 million, and Cary Grant's erstwhile hacienda, Las Palomas, priced at $3.495 million.)
Designed by noted architect Donald Wexler, the glass-wrapped dwelling was originally constructed for Bob Howard—the son of Charles Howard, owner of the championship thoroughbred racehorse Seabiscuit—and his actress wife, Andrea Leeds. Douglas purchased the property alongside his wife, Anne, in the late 1950s before selling it in 1999 for $1.3 million.
Offering 4,000 square feet of living space, the home—which opens to a spacious foyer lined with warm flagstone and pecky cypress—encompasses a kitchen with a breakfast bar adjacent to a formal dining room, a lounge, and a wet bar, plus eight baths and five bedrooms including a guest room with a private patio; a “boys’ bunk” with a walled-garden atrium; and dual master suites.
Clad in denim blue, “Kirk’s Suite” features three closets and pocket doors that close off the full bath, offering total privacy. Meanwhile “Anne’s Suite” showcases myriad built-ins and a wall of mirrored closets.
Both quarters open to rear patios that lead to manicured grounds containing a saltwater swimming pool, a night-lit tennis court, and a pavilion lined with vintage posters of Kirk installed by Anne, replete with a kitchenette and a three-quarter bath.
"It's such a tranquil paradise," said Jim Schwietz of Bennion Deville Homes, who currently holds the listing. "Once you're here, you won't want to leave."
The Spartacus star’s estate is close to another property he once owned: Commissioned by the actor in 1955, the freshly revamped Kirk Douglas House—a four-bedroom, three-bath haven nestled in the city's Movie Colony neighborhood—is now being offered for rent by its latest owner, with rates starting at $2,020 per week.
Known for his distinct tone and dimpled chin, Douglas was one of Hollywood’s leading men in the 1950s and ‘60s, starring in a slew of films including Champion (1949), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and Lust for Life (1957), each of which earned him an Oscar nomination.
The twice-married father of four sons—among them Academy Award-winning actor Michael Douglas—received countless high honors during his fabled career, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981; AFI Life Achievement Award in 1991; Academy Honorary Award in 1996; and SAG Life Achievement Award in 1999. Apart from being one of the most illustrious actors of all time, he's also a best-selling author, a dedicated philanthropist, and an avid blogger. And he's on track to achieve yet another amazing feat this December—turning 100.
Update: The estate sold for $3.5 million to Roots Canada owner and cofounder Michael Budman and his architect wife, Diane Bald, who designed a lake house for longtime friends Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. "Accordingly, Kirk, Anne, their children, and grandchildren will once again be enjoying the secluded estate and its pool/tennis court," said Schwietz. "It makes me very, very happy this has made a full circle of sorts."
