Description

The Maurice Seiderman House, 1955. Perched on a rare, nearly flat acre in the Hollywood Hills with sweeping, head-on jetliner views, this home carries both architectural pedigree and storied Hollywood provenance. Thoughtfully restored by AD100 designer Pam Shamshiri of Commune, alongside architect Barbara Bestor and Elysian Landscapes, the residence masterfully blends modern comforts with timeless mid-century design. In 1955, Maurice Seiderman, the legendary Hollywood makeup artist whom Orson Welles called "the greatest make-up man in the world," and who was responsible for Citizen Kane, A Touch of Evil, and Jane Eyre, among other films, commissioned architect Clyde Grimes to design a home for him on this exceptional site, an unusually flat promontory with unobstructed views sweeping from downtown to the ocean. Grimes was born in Los Angeles in 1924, was a member of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen during the Second World War, then earned his architectural degree at U.C. Berkeley. Upon graduation, he apprenticed under the legendary Paul Williams before opening his own practice. He capped off his career by being appointed by Governor Jerry Brown as the Official State Architect of California. Grimes' modernist tour de force on Deronda Drive remained virtually untouched until its thorough and sensitive restoration. The result is a visual triumph, seamlessly blending modern conveniences into the renewed soul of a true mid-century masterpiece. To add to its legacy, the property was fused with the adjoining historic Aldous Huxley estate, creating one of the largest flat plateaus anywhere in the Hollywood Hills, with an unheard-of approximately one-acre mostly level pad. This rare, vast land presents the opportunity to build additional outbuildings, tennis and pickleball courts, a compound, or several distinct additional homes, as the estate comprises four separate APN parcels with separate entrances on two different streets. (Buyer to verify with the city) Privacy is paramount for this property. The entry is gated, and the home is shielded from the street by an unassuming facade wall, while the flat grounds are elevated above the street, preventing line-of-sight viewing into the yard. The views overlook hillsides and the city to the ocean, rather than facing other homes and roofs at eye level.Once inside the gate, a courtyard entry opens into the home, revealing soaring ceilings and expansive rooms that flow to covered patios, a lushly landscaped yard, the stunning saltwater pool, and the breathtaking panoramic views. The sumptuous primary suite also opens to the view and features its own private patio, a luxurious boutique-like dressing room, and an elegant marble bath. Two additional en-suite bedrooms complement the home. There is also a large media room, a fireplace in the living room, a dining room open to the view, and a covered outdoor dining area with kitchen, BBQ, and refrigerator. The main kitchen features a dining island, Sub-Zero and Miele appliances, and generous storage. Other features include full Crestron and Nest automation and security systems, an infrared sauna, a secure two-car garage, additional driveway parking, and extensive space for guests. The home is infused with natural light from floor-to-ceiling Fleetwood doors and numerous skylights throughout. This home is a rare opportunity to live in a modernist work of structural art on an incredibly private and expansive parcel in the Hollywood Hills, with land to create your dream estate while being moments from the city's finest restaurants, shops, and attractions.