The Spadena House, also known as The Witch’s House, is a storybook house in Beverly Hills, California. This magnificently mystical home looks like it’s been plucked straight out of a fairytale. With no two windows or angles alike and whimsical storybook architecture, the Spadena House is undoubtedly one of the most unique homes in all of Los Angeles.
Originally built in 1921, the Spadena House was created as the offices and dressing rooms for Irvin Willat’s film studio in Culver City, Calif. Willat was an American film director of the silent film era who directed 39 films between 1917 and 1937. The house was designed by Hollywood art director Harry Oliver, known for his work as a set designer for major motion pictures from the first half of the 20th century.
In 1926, the building was moved to its present location on the corner of Walden Drive and Carmelita Avenue in Beverly Hills and converted into a private home. The unique home features tiny whimsical windows and pointy, lopsided roofs, and an intentionally dilapidated design, making it one of L.A.’s most unique homes.
The whimsical structure is now ranked as one of the city’s best sights and historical landmarks, alongside other Beverly Hills staples like Mulholland Drive, Rodeo Drive, the historic Lily Pond, or the Greystone Mansion.
The Spadena House is a perfect example of storybook architecture. Creating a bewitching effect in Los Angeles, storybook architecture offered an exaggerated medieval style with many of the buildings designed with crooked walls and swayback roofs. This form of architecture included a wave of whimsical homes featuring dramatically different structural fads.
The Spadena House has been called a precursor to Walt Disney’s concept of Imagineering, whereby stage sets become fully realized environments. The residence appears in movies including 1995’s Clueless.
Visit:
516 Walden Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210-3107