OK. OK. I am very late to the party, I know. News came out early last week about Lena Dunham’s new house – and I know every other blogger has already written about it. I try to get my stories out fast, in a timely manner (before my competition!) but I always seem to get bogged down in the details and the research. And wow – so many details and so much research went into this once tiny tale. Even if you already read about Lena’s new house – give this a read. I’ve added a lot of information that I hope will hold your interest. Grab a cup of coffee first though – it’s long and involved!
It was announced last week that Lena Dunham – love her or hate her, she’s the creator of the smash HBO show “Girls” – had bought a charming cottage in L.A. - despite being the consummate New Yorker.
“Charming” is putting it mildly. It’s hard to imagine that Lena would even look twice at this small, two bedroom house located in the darling Hollywood neighborhood, Spaulding Square, where many of the 1920s built bungalows still sit behind white picket fences. Lena Dunham and white picket fences? Seems too bizarre to be true. I would think the native New Yorker would choose a modern loft or a highrise.
Even the fact that Lena is buying property in Los Angeles is a surprise. Since Girls Executive Producer Judd Apatow lives in Los Angeles, Lena visits the west coast a few weeks each fall. In her recent Vogue cover story, she said of Tinsel Town:
“I like Los Angeles, but more than two weeks and I start to get a very sad feeling. You eat well there, and you take hikes, and my dog loves it, but ultimately it’s not the right place for me. I went early on to a party at a really famous person’s house. They had a private chef there making pizza, and I remember the dog was wearing a bow tie. Every time I looked around, it would be like, Is that someone I know from camp? No, that’s Ashton Kutcher. It was such a weird scene. I remember thinking, I don’t feel at home here, and no matter how long this is my job, I will never feel at home here. And if I do start to feel at home here someone should really worry about me.”
Well, just a few months later she ate her own words when she paid almost $3 million for the 2,500 sq. ft. cottage in Los Angeles. So should we really worry about her? Nah. Hitting the rewind button - with Girls such a huge success, Lena has been busy buying real estate with her new found riches:
A month before her smash HBO series Girls even debuted – Lena bought an 800 sq. ft co-op in this beautiful pre-war building, with a dignified doorman, for a very reasonable $500k. It was located on a “charming tree-lined street” in Brooklyn Heights – close to where she grew up. Perhaps its her attraction to tree lined streets which drew Lena to her new Los Angeles leafy Spaulding Square neighborhood? Still, look at that courtyard, with the vase topped columns at the front gate, in the photo above.
There were never any photoshoots of Lena’s first foray into grown up real estate. But, after moving out when she moved on up this year – she subleased her coop to her boyfriend’s sister – the fashion designer Rachel Antonoff . Since Rachel is such a hip trendmaker, the New York Times, of all people, did a pictorial story of the apartment. It is so darling for a young fashionista – and it has some great design ideas for the younger set:
Here is the foyer/dining room in Lena’s first Brooklyn Heights apartment, now leased to her soon to be sister in law – Rachel Antonoff, pictured here. This is so darling and so perfect for the artsy Rachel. I love the velvet tufted ottoman (which she wants to recover soon) and the gold Mylar wallpaper that Lena installed herself. Rachel replaced the chandelier that Lena used with this more contemporary fixture. Notice the ballerina prints on the wall. Rachel says the building is so welcoming and dreamy, it reminds her of a Hugh Grant movie. The kitchen is at the right – where an neon signs burns purple.
Lena did post a few pictures of her first apartment on her Instagram – here is Rachel’s brother in the kitchen – you can see the trendy Smeg refrigerator at the right! The ceiling above the Mylar wallpaper is hot pink – and instead of the more modern light fixture Rachel has now – Lena’s was a Mardi Gras crystal version.
This is a photo from an identical apartment in the same building – it shows the sunken living room – and the gated dining room, with the nearby kitchen. At 800 sq. ft. – it is large for a one bedroom in New York. I like the railing painted black like Lena’s much better.
The living room has a white tufted sectional – and a pink Princess telephone. The walls are painted Farrow and Ball Teresa’s Green – Rachel’s favorite color. The painting above – is an original by a young Rachel, seen below:
So cute! She must have submitted the art work for a contest. Wonder if she won an award?
The pink Princess phone was an Amazon find – it works, sort of. How many of you had a phone just like that? But this one has a fake rotary dial – you can see it’s really push buttons.
Lena’s mother designed and made the ballet rug for the living room. Lena’s father is a famous painter, mostly of contemporary nudes.
Lena installed the sticker “wallpaper” from Flat Vernacular. The photograph is of artist Daniel Silbert’s grandmother. Hmmm.
The neon sign with her name on it came from a restaurant she visited – her parents, Lena, and her brother all bought it for a house warming gift. But me? All I can see is that fabulous Smeg refrigerator. I wish it were pink, but it looks silver!!! Notice the vintage apron hanging like art work.btw – nothing is cuter for a young girl’s kitchen than a pink Smeg.
But, if you can’t splurge on the big appliance – try the pink coffee maker, mixer or the toaster for a little vintage retro appeal. HERE.
Late last year after her first apartment was turned over to Rachel, Lena moved a few streets over to 30 Henry Street, also in Brooklyn Heights. The move reflects how much her life has changed from three years ago when Girls first came out. She paid almost $5 million for this apartment and the gossip sites were buzzing about her moving on up. Every apartment she even looked at was reported on – great PR for the ones not chosen, of course. The building she did choose is brand new with just five apartments on five floors – each has its own elevator.
Artist’s rendering of the new faux renovated factory type building.
And how it looks finished – do you think it looks like a renovated warehouse/factory?
Here’s a computerized version of the open concept penthouse. Love the balcony railings. Very nice and open. Lena is on a neighborhood committee Save The View Now that is trying to save their views of Brooklyn Bridge that are being threatened by a highrise.
The view from the other direction.
Love the white marble.
The bathroom – it should be nice for the price. The new apartment is quite a step up from the small one bedroom Lena bought just a few years before, but that’s what a hit show on HBO and a best selling autobiography will do for your bank account. Which brings us now to Lena’s new Los Angeles house, located in the charming Spaulding Square. A few months after closing on her new $5 million Brooklyn Heights apartment, the gossip blogs starting writing about Lena buying a house in Los Angles. Coming so soon after her blistering attack against ever living in L.A. – the news was a surprise. Many actors who live in NYC, just rent bungalows at the Hollywood hotel Chateau Marmont when they come into town for business. Maybe Lena wanted more privacy than the paparazzi free zone hotel. Her choice of neighborhoods for her new L.A. house was also surprising. Her newest purchase is located in Spaulding Square, a historically preserved zone as decreed by the city of L.A. The Square’s eight blocks are just south of the uber trendy Chateau Marmont and Sunset Boulevard.
The red A marks Spaulding Square – where Lena’s new house is located. Just south of Sunset Boulevard and east of Beverly Hills.
The neighborhood, developed by an architect in 1916 – covers just 8 blocks.
In 1901, the neighborhood was farmland.
When first built in 1916, Spaulding Square looked like this – with its newly planted eucalyptus trees and the Hollywood Hills in the background.
Today, the houses are barely visible through the foliage. Many of the original two eucalyptus trees located in each front easement still stand today.
An original Spaulding Square cottage sits behind picket fences. I don’t know what the homeowner rules are about remodeling and rebuilding. I would expect the clauses are quite restrictive, as you can see by how well preserved the original houses all are.
A drive through Spaulding Square shows the charming original bungalows. Young and up-and-coming industry employees, including Lucille Ball, were early residents – choosing to live here before they could afford nearby, pricier Beverly Hills.
Hidden behind tall hedges, this house has a fountain in the front yard.
Another original house built before 1920, still standing in perfect condition.
So Californian. Love the front gate. You rarely see that charming detail today.
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