Words: Jonathan Wells
Last month, Leonardo DiCaprio added to his impressive property portfolio. The Oscar-winning actor already owns homes in Malibu, Palm Springs, and Pacific Beach — as well as a high-rise apartment in New York’s Battery Park area and an entire Caribbean island called ‘Blackadore Caye’.
Now he can add to that list an elegant Spanish Colonial-style mansion in Los Feliz, a hillside neighbourhood in the greater Hollywood area of Los Angeles. Sitting at the southern point of the Santa Monica mountains, it may be quaint in comparison to his everyday home — a two-compound property on the Sunset Strip — but it still cost the actor $7.1 million.
But the house, which was previously owned by singer Gwen Stefani and fellow American actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, may not be intended for DiCaprio at all. Reports suggest that DiCaprio has bought the property as a home for his mother, Irmelin Indenbirken, who already lives in the area.
Just three years ago, the actor bought a similar property for his father, George DiCaprio; a 1926-built mansion previously owned by musician Moby, also in Los Feliz. Nevertheless, it’s a prime piece of Californian real estate — with interior design and decoration touches fit for Hollywood royalty.
The ceilings are high and bright, with romantic ‘Juliette’ balconies overlooking the formal living and dining rooms. The place is also eclectically decorated; diverging in tone and theme across its impressive 5,000 square feet.
Initially, the home was built in 1926. But, in recent years, almost every inch has been carefully and methodically updated; retaining and enhancing the period details while ensuring the home’s safety and longevity.
The vaulted wooden ceilings are particularly characterful — engraved and finished with colourful detailing to further the Spanish style. The deep walls and stone archways also add a temperate touch of cool to the property — a good thing, as summer temperatures in Los Feliz average 29°.
Elsewhere, tiled roofs and floors keep the colonial aesthetic alive. Almost every room opens onto vibrant, vividly flowered outdoor spaces, courtyards and fountains — with a turquoise-tiled mosaic pool acting as a centrepiece in the garden area.
Stained glass windows add both colour and character — even in the more darkly decorated rooms of the house. Multiple fireplaces add charm, numerous bathrooms (six of them) add practicality and the cascading staircases add sweeping film-star style.
The vast family room also has a drop-down cinema screen — making it the ideal space for DiCaprio family film night. Or, if everything gets too much in Tinseltown, there’s also a detached meditation-yoga studio set back behind the property; an emergency zen zone for stressed-out stars.
But perhaps the best feature of Leonardo DiCaprio’s newly-owned home is the view. Perched on its hillside enclave, a sea of palm trees and lush greenery is visible from almost every terracotta-tiled terrace.
And, for that final hit of Hollywood magic, there are views of the iconic Griffith Observatory on the horizon — sitting pretty mere moments away on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood.
Want more properties owned by iconic actors? We take a look around Johnny Depp’s sleepy French village estate…
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