Hollywood homes of the rich and famous
Inside the former homes of entertainment icons

Liberace’s secret West Hollywood townhouse

American pianist, singer and actor, Liberace, was known and loved for his flamboyant costumes and trademark candelabras, which he would place on top of his piano before a performance. The one-of-a-kind showman even had a movie made about his life, Behind the Candelabra, which starred Michael Douglas, Matt Damon and Rob Lowe, proving that his musical legacy is still enduring. Let's take a look at the musician's secret West Hollywood townhouse...
Liberace’s secret West Hollywood townhouse

Amazingly, the property was built by MGM Studios in 1937 and is part of The Shoreham, a private cluster of 15 apartments and townhouses that were designed to house the film company's prized stars. The Regency-inspired estate is set behind iron gates and is surrounded by tranquil gardens and koi ponds, just above Sunset Boulevard.
Liberace’s secret West Hollywood townhouse

According to Dirt, everyone from Janet Leigh to Veronica Lake and Katherine Hepburn lived on the West Hollywood estate. This pad, considered one of the largest townhouses on the street, became the secret hideout of Liberace in the 1970s. Before the pianist moved it, the place belonged to Barbara Marx, the fourth wife of Frank Sinatra.
Liberace’s secret West Hollywood townhouse

The secluded spread spans 1,937 square feet and, despite the fact it was once owned by Liberace, the interior is surprisingly demure. Every single room is overflowing with gorgeous original features that have been lovingly preserved or restored over the years. These include its elegant walnut floors, high ceilings with decorative crown mouldings, stately Italian marble fireplaces and wrought-iron balustrades.
Liberace’s secret West Hollywood townhouse

Across the home's four floors you'll find a light-filled entrance hall with elegant columns, a formal living room, a chef's kitchen with a breakfast nook and adjoining dining room, three bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Liberace’s secret West Hollywood townhouse

Throughout the property there are various sets of French doors that open to the home's numerous exterior decks and balconies – including one on the ground floor that overlooks a koi pond. There are two master suites and one comes complete with a bathroom that showcases a tub encased in mirrors and wood, as well as a tasselled Tiffany chandelier that was commissioned by Liberace himself.
Liberace’s secret West Hollywood townhouse

The townhouse is topped by a 2,000-square-foot roof terrace, equipped with a built-in barbecue, a bar, a shaded dining zone and a projector screen for alfresco movie nights. Plus, just look at that view! In April 2022, the spread landed on the market with a surprisingly low asking price of $2.9 million (£2.4m). The price was later chopped to just shy of $2.7 million (£2.2m), after failing to find a buyer. If you're keen, it's still up for grabs via Westside Estate Agency.
Cary Grant's hillside hideaway

During the height of this career, which saw him star in classics like North by Northwest and Holiday, Cary Grant resided in this stunning hillside mansion. The palatial pad can be found right next door to the iconic Playboy Mansion, but it's also just 10 minutes away from the world-famous Sunset Strip, making it perfectly located for a Hollywood legend.
Cary Grant's hillside hideaway

The single-storey house was built in 1934 and spans an impressive 7,371 square feet. Yet despite its age, the house likely looks a lot different than it did when Grant owned the place, thanks to a recent internal renovation. Bright, beautiful and filled with natural light, the property has an easy interior flow and boasts both open rooms and cosy spaces for unwinding.
Cary Grant's hillside hideaway

Blending contemporary design with historic touches, there are still plenty of characterful details that reveal the home's history. From natural timber floors to full-height porcelain fireplaces, steel-framed Crittall-style doors, original built-ins, panelled ceilings and porthole windows, there's much to like about this period property.
Cary Grant's hillside hideaway

There are eight bedrooms and 10 bathrooms across the estate, as well as a modern kitchen, media room, gym and office. This luxurious celebrity bedroom comes with his-and-hers bathrooms and dual closets.
Cary Grant's hillside hideaway

There's also a stunning family room with a vaulted wood ceiling and a chic bar. Perhaps Grant hosted lavish parties in this space, with the likes of Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and James Stewart in attendance? Elsewhere, you'll find private guest quarters with a bedroom and kitchenette – perfect for VIP visitors.
Cary Grant's hillside hideaway

Most of the rooms are arranged around the back yard, allowing for direct access to the enclosed half-acre lot. The ultimate party house, outside you'll find a tranquil oasis with plenty of entertaining areas. There's a swimming pool, porch swing and an expansive rooftop deck that provides enchanting views across the lights of Los Angeles.
Cary Grant's hillside hideaway

In August 2021, the Hollywood classic landed on the market with Rodeo Realty for almost $8 million (£6.7m). The house was being sold by singer-songwriter, Betty Moon, who famously rented her Malibu beach house out to Friends star Matthew Perry, for $35,000 (£29k) a month, but after several price changes the listing was eventually removed. It remains unsold to this day.
Yvette Mimieux's Bel Air estate

Described as "one of Bel Air’s prettiest homes", this dreamy estate belonged to Silver Screen star Yvette Mimieux and her husband, Howard Ruby, for more than 40 years. The power couple bought the house in 1979 and have maintained its exquisite Mediterranean design, likening the property to a bejewelled Fabergé egg – and once you step inside you might just understand why.
Yvette Mimieux's Bel Air estate

Known as 'Il Sogno' (which translates to 'The Dream'), the property has been described as one of the great "true" Bel Air estates. Dating back to 1928, the interior was inspired by the glistening villas found on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Grand and opulent, the 12,000-square-foot home is kitted out with hand-painted beamed ceilings, carved stone fireplaces, green marble and large arched windows.
Yvette Mimieux's Bel Air estate

There are six bedrooms and eight bathrooms, as well as a ballroom-sized party room and a formal dining room. One of the bedrooms has been finished with a dramatic domed ceiling, decorated with frescoes, while the orangery is almost too grand to be true. The interiors were designed by Kalef Alaton, who was responsible for the rooms found at the iconic Hotel Bel-Air. Every space is filled with antique rugs, classic paintings and refined upholstery.
Yvette Mimieux's Bel Air estate

The library is perhaps the home's most enticing room, though. Hand-lacquered, it boasts a central skylight and dramatic chandelier. We're sure Mimieux spent a lot of time in here, reading through scripts or rehearsing the lines for some of her most celebrated roles. There's no denying that 'Il Sogno' is one of the world's most luxurious homes.
Yvette Mimieux's Bel Air estate

The chef’s kitchen is likely the most modern addition. Designed for daily use and event catering, it comes complete with commercial-grade appliances and plenty of counter space. Many of the rooms open up to the garden, allowing for a seamless indoor-outdoor flow and rooms flooded with natural light.
Yvette Mimieux's Bel Air estate

Elsewhere on the one-acre estate, you'll find a four-car garage and a characterful wine cellar where intimate tastings can be enjoyed. Step outside and you'll find spectacular grounds that appear plucked from a European estate. There's a tiled swimming pool, elegant fountains, dreamy lawns, formal gardens and specimen trees designed by David Jones, the personal florist of Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor, Compass claims.
Yvette Mimieux's Bel Air estate

Mimieux and Ruby decided to part ways with their longtime home in April 2021, placing a $45 million (£37.4m) price tag on the estate. We don't know about you, but we think this stunning abode is worth every single penny...
James Dean's Spanish hacienda

James Dean's Spanish hacienda

James Dean's Spanish hacienda

At one of Wallis’ many exclusive get-togethers, frequented by acting royalty, Dean was quickly discovered by an executive who cast him in the seminal role of troublemaker Jim Stark in Rebel Without A Cause.
James Dean's Spanish hacienda

James Dean's Spanish hacienda

The guest suite can be accessed via a staircase which opens out into lavish living quarters, or through a private entrance in the garden which leads into Dean’s old bedroom. Pretty handy for sneaking back from late-night parties beneath the Hollywood lights!
James Dean's Spanish hacienda

James Dean's Spanish hacienda

Dean's dwelling also had its own spacious living area, complete with a roaring fireplace – not too shabby for a live-in handyman. Unsurprisingly, the home last sold in 2018 for $3.8 million (£3.2m).
Ginger Rogers and Lew Ayres' Hollywood Hills hideaway

Ginger Rogers and Lew Ayres' Hollywood Hills hideaway

Ginger Rogers and Lew Ayres' Hollywood Hills hideaway

Rogers and Ayres lived here on 8782 Appian Way. Its gates open to a stunning private courtyard, bursting with lush foliage and fragrant olive trees – the perfect spot to relax and soak up the views.
Ginger Rogers and Lew Ayres' Hollywood Hills hideaway

The most fantastic feature of the home is the alfresco seating area which opens up completely at the front aspect to allow the warm Californian breeze to blow in.
Ginger Rogers and Lew Ayres' Hollywood Hills hideaway

The interior of Rogers’ old home, where she lived in the late 1930s, has been given a modern upgrade while retaining many of its original features including wide, arched doorways and open truss ceilings with thick mahogany beams.
Ginger Rogers and Lew Ayres' Hollywood Hills hideaway

Ginger Rogers and Lew Ayres' Hollywood Hills hideaway

Try not to get too attached though. This Hollywood Hills gem on Appian Way was sold by PLG Estates for just a touch under $4 million (£3.3m) in 2015.
Marlon Brando's architectural abode

Throughout his impressive career, Marlon Brando was definitely the king of Hollywood, and his home, known as the Laurel View Residence, is certainly a fortress home – of the celebrity kind or otherwise.
Marlon Brando's architectural abode

Marlon Brando's architectural abode

Marlon Brando's architectural abode

After Brando won the Oscar for On the Waterfront in 1954, he was photographed with his first statuette in this very living room. The décor is as unique as the building itself, boasting stately stone hearths and Tuscan-style tiled flooring.
Marlon Brando's architectural abode

Each of the home's five bedrooms boasts its own architectural wonders. Here, a clever vaulted ceiling creates volume and space, while a Juliette balcony draws the LA skyline inside. We can only imagine the picture-perfect sunsets you can glimpse from this room.
Marlon Brando's architectural abode

The home has plenty of bright, airy rooms, fit for gatherings of Brando’s star-studded circle, which included Jack Nicholson, Johnny Depp and the influential writer, James Baldwin.
Marlon Brando's architectural abode

This incredible 4,363-square-foot estate, complete with towers, octagonal rooms, and neo-Gothic detailing, was sold for a casual $4.2 million (£3.5m) in March 2021.
Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer's colonial estate

Audrey Hepburn once lived in this elegant Colonial Revival home at 100 Delfern Drive with her first husband, actor Mel Ferrer. When it comes to kerb appeal, this property has bags of it thanks to double wrought iron gates, double-height columns and an intricate stone entrance way.
Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer's colonial estate

Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer's colonial estate

Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer's colonial estate

Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer's colonial estate

Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer's colonial estate

The Holmby Hills home was designed by architect-to-the-stars Paul R Williams who ensured that the timeless dwelling would impress for years to come, utilising the expansive interiors space to create a wow-factor home.
Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer's colonial estate

Rather unsurprisingly then, when the Old Hollywood estate, steeped in silver screen history, went on the market in 2019, it sold for an eye-watering $11 million (£9.1m).
Frank Sinatra's mid-century modern mansion

With vast swathes of glass and sleek lines, this modernist marvel is known as Byrdview, one of Hollywood's most famous celebrity estates. Located on Farralone Avenue, the property is nestled amongst the star-studded LA enclaves of Hidden Hills, Sierra Canyon, and Viewpoint, and once belonged to the ultimate crooner, Frank Sinatra.
Frank Sinatra's mid-century modern mansion

Some of the most famous people of the 20th and 21st centuries have called Byrdview home. Sinatra lived here in the 1950s and 60s, inviting the Rat Pack and the rest of his exclusive cohort to join him for swinging house parties.
Frank Sinatra's mid-century modern mansion

Frank Sinatra's mid-century modern mansion

Naturally, the time capsule celebrity home offers ample room for entertaining. In fact, this kitchen is one of two in the house and comes equipped with a bar, ready to greet guests with refreshments upon arrival. If you were wondering just how much room the celebrity tenants had to entertain in, the property spans a whopping 8,161 square feet, including space for 100 cars out front – more than enough space for one hell of a party!
Frank Sinatra's mid-century modern mansion

It’s not a Hollywood home if there’s not an incredible view over the Californian valleys. As a plus, the agricultural zoning of this estate allows for the next tenants to cultivate their own vineyard should they wish.
Frank Sinatra's mid-century modern mansion

As one of LA’s most glamorous retreats, it welcomed the vow renewal of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, and Marilyn Monroe is rumoured to have stayed in the guest house. In more recent years, it's been the filming location for smash hits like Dreamgirls, Transformers and Mad Men. International superstars Rihanna, Usher and Mariah Carey have also filmed music videos at Byrdview.
Frank Sinatra's mid-century modern mansion

With views like these, it's no wonder it's somewhat of a celebrity hotspot. At the end of 2018, the home was listed for $12.5 million (£10.4m) but was mysteriously removed from the market in 2019.
Judy Garland's Hollywood Hills mansion

This spectacular home perched high in the Hollywood Hills was once home to musical legend Judy Garland. The Wizard of Oz star lived in the glamorous home, which is just above the famed Sunset Strip, in the mid-1940s with her husband, director Vincente Minnelli and daughter, Liza.
Judy Garland's Hollywood Hills mansion

The home was built in 1941, just before Garland and her family moved in, but as you would expect from such a desirable house it has undergone some beautiful modern renovations. The main living space boasts dark hardwood floors, high ceilings and French doors that lead out to the private balcony.
Judy Garland's Hollywood Hills mansion

The magnificent home at 8850 Evanview Drive sold in 2020 for $4.7 million (£3.9m). It's spread over three floors, making it the ideal home for an A-lister. This pedigree mansion was designed by star architect John Elgin Woolf – whose other clients included Cary Grant and Bob Hope – and was also owned by a member of the Rat Pack, Sammy Davis Jr.
Judy Garland's Hollywood Hills mansion

Judy Garland's Hollywood Hills mansion

Judy's career and private life were notoriously unstable in the mid-1940s, and we can assume that this would have been a sanctuary for the star. The main bedroom boasts a glamorous ensuite bathroom, a private balcony and a modern four-poster bed. The perfect suite for a celebrity, it's a modern private oasis!
Judy Garland's Hollywood Hills mansion

Spread over 5,000 square feet, the property has every amenity a star would ever need including five bedrooms and seven-and-a-half bathrooms. Kitted out for when a star needs to make a quick getaway, there is a screening room with a hidden bookshelf door that leads through to the original Garland suite.
Judy Garland's Hollywood Hills mansion

In addition to the Art Deco-style main home and the pool house, there's also a swimming pool framed by an outdoor fireplace and stylish grey decking. The grounds are also home to an orchard and extensive gardens. Who wouldn't want to while away the hours in this incredible Hollywood retreat?
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's Mediterranean villa

These days we're used to a plethora of celeb homes hitting the market each month, but nestled in the picturesque Hollywood Hills, the famed honeymoon home of Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio truly is an iconic slice of old screen history.
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's Mediterranean villa

Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's Mediterranean villa

Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's Mediterranean villa

Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's Mediterranean villa

The rustic aesthetic continues throughout the house and is especially prevalent in one of the property's five gorgeous bathrooms. Sold in 2019 for $2.7 million (£2.2m), we can easily imagine relaxing and unwinding in this luxurious spa-like space!
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's Mediterranean villa

A Hollywood home is incomplete without a sun-soaked terrace for hosting your celebrity circle. This one is found behind huge double doors and looks out over a dazzling canyon.
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's Mediterranean villa

Tucked away at the bottom of the garden and shrouded with trees, a grotto-like pool completes the exotic majesty of this enchanting home. As magical now as it was when the world's most famous blonde lived here, we think this is one house that will always have star quality.
James Stewart's longtime mega-mansion

Despite the fact that his last movie hit our screens in 1991, James Stewart, or Jimmy as he is also known, remains one of history's most iconic actors. The It's a Wonderful Life star enjoyed a film career that spanned almost 60 years, so it's unsurprising that he had plenty of cash for snapping up real estate across Los Angeles – and it was here that the enduring actor lived for five decades.
James Stewart's longtime mega-mansion

The palatial property can be found on the coveted North Roxbury Drive, in the heart of Beverly Hills, just north of Sunset Boulevard. The Italian-style villa spans more than 15,000 square feet and sits on a spectacular 1.3-acre plot. In fact, Stewart’s former address is one of the largest in the area and encompasses two lots. The Academy Award-winning actor reportedly purchased the land in order to expand his beloved garden, Mansion Global suggests.
James Stewart's longtime mega-mansion

Though James, lived at this address for nearly 50 years, the house has changed dramatically since then. In fact, after he passed away in 1997, at the age of 89, the estate's new owner built a brand new Mediterranean-inspired villa that still offers plenty of Old Hollywood charm. Make your way through the home's park-like grounds and you'll find yourself in a lavish entrance foyer. Glistening and grand, the space showcases the home's many high-end fixtures, including inlaid marble, beautiful millwork crown mouldings and coffered ceilings.
James Stewart's longtime mega-mansion

The property is truly stunning and appears as if Jimmy Stewart never left. There are nine bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, as well as plenty of spaces for entertaining and relaxing. The wood panelled library is perhaps the finest space and oozes classical refinement. Other key amenities include a screening room, a 1,000 bottle wine cellar, a tasting room, a gym and a sauna, all of which add to the home's pedigree. How's that for billionaire bling?
James Stewart's longtime mega-mansion

There's a spectacular luxury kitchen with a centre island and floor-to-ceiling cabinets. It features double ovens, a glistening tiled floor and an adjacent sun room for informal dining. We're sure Jimmy hosted many a dinner party during his time at the address, perhaps inviting Alfred Hitchcock, with whom the actor worked with for four iconic movies, Vertigo, Rear Window, Rope and The Man Who Knew Too Much.
James Stewart's longtime mega-mansion

Every single room boasts ample windows, high ceilings and elegant fixtures. You'll find walnut floors, silk carpets and antique wood-burning fireplaces, proving that no expense was spared in the making of this classic Beverly Hills mansion.
James Stewart's longtime mega-mansion

The master bathroom is seriously vintage and we love that the space hasn't been modernised. With a central soaking tub, antique dressing tables and a walk-in wardrobe, it's well suited to a Hollywood icon. With such splendour, it's no wonder that the house sold in 2021 for a cool $35.2 million (£29.3m) after previously being listed for $47.9 million (£39.8m) in 2018.
Loved this? Like and follow us on Facebook for more star homes...
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature