Vintage 1955 cottage in the Hollywood Hills

Posted by
#Homes & Tours#bathtub#California#Los Angeles#real estate#retro/vintage#weird houses

My favorite vintage Los Angeles home, the Snow White tiki bungalow, has sold to someone who isn’t me. So, I needed a new property to lust after. Then I found this adorable Robert Byrd-style cottage built in 1955 and kept in incredible original condition tucked away in the Hollywood Hills (1642 Queens Rd Los Angeles, California).

I went to the open house for this beauty and was blown away. The real estate agent, inspired by my unbridled enthusiasm for the home’s charm, showed off some of the best parts of this offbeat property. There are wonderful little vintage surprises all over this amazing home. Hidden lazy Susans in an unexpected location, beyond unusual door frames, and the coolest/most dangerous bathtub I’ve ever seen.

I was greeted at the front door by this adorable mini draw bridge… and the $799,000 list price. (Though, if I’m being honest, that’s actually NOT a bad price for a home in the Hollywood Hills… I know, right!?)

Once inside, it’s vintage home happiness everywhere!

Related Post This 1955 “boathouse” has me delighted and confused

As you have probably noticed by now, I have a raging vintage home boner that keeps me searching the internet for "homes with original details"... Read more

Wood-beamed, vaulted ceilings, wood paneling, rounded brick fireplace, crisscross lattice windows, a crazy light fixture with tiny people doing acrobatics, and this cool mad-men style room divider by the front door:

And while we’re taking a peek into the dining room… see what looks like a white window frame in the dividing wall between the kitchen and dining room?

That’s the access to the super special lazy Susan! Freaking genius!

The kitchen seems to be all original from the ’50s, except for the appliances. Which is a bummer: it’d be SO cute to see original appliances built into the brick.

Now let’s check out the bedrooms. There are two beds and two baths, and they BOTH have very special elements.

The master bedroom is huge, with vaulted, beamed ceilings, and this adorable little nook perfect for a king-sized bed. It also has access to the backyard…

The back of this house is just as cute as the front!

But, the best part about this room is the vintage ensuite bathroom…

With the coolest, but very dangerous bathtub design.

Can’t you just see yourself sleepily entering your bathroom in the morning and stepping into your empty bathtub by accident? Ouch.

The real estate agent also pointed out how cool the vintage sink fixtures are. How adorable are they? OH! And I’d be remiss to not point out the double sink action.

Now, let’s take our tour upstairs to the second bedroom, with the coolest doorway EVER.

There’s a little loft space outside the second bedroom, perfect for a little office space.

But what REALLY kills me is that door frame!

The awesome ceilings continue in here, but are shown up by the amazing windows and the large built in closet — love those!

This room also has an ensuite bathroom with ADORABLE vintage wallpaper. How cute would this be for a kid’s bathroom?

In fact, how cute would this WHOLE HOUSE be for, well, THIS kid. Oh home, I want you so bad, why do you have to be so expensive?

OH! And there’s one more thing that makes this house so rad. As I was (sadly) leaving, I looked down and noticed that the small dividing half-wall in the entry way held a little surprise INSIDE:

Alright, it’s YOUR turn again! Is there a property on the market right now that you’re absolutely lusting after? I want to see it!

About the Author: Megan Finley Horowitz

@meggyfin @meggyfin

I'm a 40-year-old potty-mouthed writer with late-diagnosed ADHD and a shit-ton of anxiety. I live in my hometown of Los Angeles with a husband, a daughter I never planned on having, and a senior rescue dog. Anything else you need to know can be gleaned from my instagram and my TikTok.

Comments on Vintage 1955 cottage in the Hollywood Hills

  1. OMG, what the hell? Apparently this house is off the market now? WHA? Why would they have an open house and then a week later take it off the market? I’d like to think that this house took ITSELF off the market, because it knows no one else would love it like I could.

      • RIGHT!? That! 🙂

        BLARGE!!! This property is amazing. That staircase… ALL the windows… The entire top floor… That amazing white fireplace… And all near the water. I die.

        Man, I LOVE when you guys share your impossible dream homes.

        • This property is about five minutes from where I currently live. It’s torture. I love my condo but this house is made of dreams. The backsplash in the kitchen is MAGENTA! LOVE!

  6. Here in Alaska we have a dearth of quirky homes. The climate is too rough, plus so many older homes fell down in the 1964 earthquake so the vast majority of homes were built after that. But here’s one that comes close. I don’t know if it’s a DREAM home per se but it is certainly cute and quirky. 🙂 I love all the paneling actually.

    http://www.alaskarealestate.com/Search/Property/PropertyDetail.aspx?cid=90UohTmJo0U8KmTmgdkP/g==&li=ltSm1k1uDRRAcN+kegFT0Q==&rpp=10&esf=MkE3QQ

  7. They probably took it off because the price was so low. I’m sure they realized they could get much more (seriously, something must be wrong with it), but now it’s gotten a lot of exposure, so maybe they’ll put it back up for a higher price later.

  9. Wow that was gorgeous, thanks for sharing! Although I completely understand why they replaced the appliances, as sturdy as the old appliances were they could be quite expensive on the electricity bill – my parents’ house was built in the 50s as well and they have done numerous upgrades to get the place more energy efficient including new appliances – but do I love that aesthetic! Theirs is an open concept – I loved growing up in a house with no hallways, and now I have an apartment with no hallways, it’s neat 🙂

  15. If you guys like this house you should check out retrorenovation.com. It’s one of my fav websites and has tons of time capsule homes. I am DYING to find my own little slice of the 60’s. So many are updated and look completely soulless on the inside now. Also that site absolutely adores blue and pink bathrooms.

  16. That Hollywood Hills home is too quirky for me. And I have arthritis in my knees. If I got in that tub I’d never get back out!
    And what is the point of that lazy susan inside the picture frame since it’s not on the kitchen side of the wall? And if it is accessable from both rooms, who would want their spices & teas, etc to look like art on the wall? Really odd.

    The Norwegian house is FABULOUS!

    The 2nd Alaska house is cool but seems very small. I do really like the carved bear on a pedestal in the back yard, the built-in cabinets and that vase in the kitchen window.

    But since mine is paid for and I am about to remodel one of the bathrooms and rip up the carpet in the living room and put in hardwood flooring and then build a nice big covered porch, I plan to stay right where I am—-probably till death do us part, lol.

  17. I’ve had one house stuck in my head for several years, tbh. For one, it’s a freakin’ awesome post-and-beam. But instead of being awesome and impractical, it hits every point on my home-practicality checklist: spacious without being way too big, main floor entry & bathroom so my limited-mobility mother can visit, potential income earning suite, well priced (for Greater Vancouver, at least), close to amenities, bus stop right out front. And just LOOK at how the ceilings echo the floors:

    http://www.realestatechannel.ca/listing/2919/722-Cumberland-St/Michael-Jogia

    So it’s still my dream home.

  19. Argentina – http://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales/detail/180-l-618-4000014781/grand-estancia-in-argentina-salta-san-lorenzo-st-

    The rooms look so large & formal! The grounds, it all just goes on & on

    Or completely the oter way – Montauk NY – http://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales/detail/180-l-1202-0043600/spectacular-ocean-views-mid-century-montauk-ny-11954

    So clean & open, with crazy views. I don’t know what that red room is, but I need to have it now that I’ve seen it.

Join the Conversation