Thursday, October 23, 2008

Mid-Century Modern in Beverly Hills

SELLER: Estate of Ray Evans
LOCATION: Angelo Road, Beverly Hills, CA
PRICE: $9,995,000
SIZE: 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms
DESCRIPTION:Designed in 1952 by architect William Beckett, the mid century modern house & separate guesthouse w/ pool on almost 4 acres. The main rooms have 12-foot ceilings & the other rooms are all in original condition. The property has panoramic views from downtown LA to the Pacific Ocean & is located less than 5 minutes from Sunset Blvd. Rambling pathways traverse acres of hillside property & lots of mature landscaping. Extremely private.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: It seems too seldom that Your Mama gets to pontificate and blather on about the home of a public figure in which we would actually want to live. Such is the case of the beyond bee-yoo-tee-us Beverly Hills property being sold by the Ray Evans estate with an asking price of $9,995,000.

Had we ten million clams, and we most certainly do not, Your Mama and the Dr. Cooter would snap this place up faster than a pill popper could crush and snort an 80mg Oxycontin tablet. We know y'all are whining and rollin' yer eyes and acting all superior about how mid century modern is so damn tired that it was tired 5 years ago, but frankly we don't care. We love it anyway. Plus, good design transcends trend.

Anyhoo, the children may not recognize Mister Evans' name, but certainly many of you will recognize some of the Oscar winning musical masterpieces he wrote such as Doris Day's Que Sera Sera, Dinah Shore's Buttons and Bows, and Nat King Cole's Mona Lisa. Mister Evans lived to the ripe old age of 92 before he went to meet the great composer in the sky in 2007.

Your Mama was first notified about this property several days ago by someone we'll call Peter Passesalonginformation, and with the help of Our Fairy Godmother in Beverly Hills we were able to locate listing information which reveals that the Angelo Drive compound was designed by little lauded mid-century modern architect William Becket. It appears the house was built in 1952 by and for Mister Evans and his wifey Wyn.

Information Your Mama located on the handy dandy interweb tells us the Evans residence sits on almost four acres of prime property and is comprised of three separate pavilions which meander down sloping landscape. The upper most structure contains the the carport, entrance and living spaces, and the middle structure the sleeping quarters. A glassed in bridge connects the two upper units. The lowest and smallest structure, adjacent to the gorgeously glam oval shaped swimming pool, was intended for guests.

Fortunately for guests, the driveway continues beyond and around the living and sleeping pavilions and curves down the hill to the guest house. While it's wonderful to provide guests a perfectly private space to do the dirty and the nasty, it's not so hospitable to ask them to clamor down a dark hillside after a boozy night of barbecue and backgammon.

Listing information indicates the residence includes 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. To be honest children, we're not sure if all those bedrooms are located in the sleeping pavilion or if those numbers include the bedroom(s) and terlit(s) in the guest quarters.

We're loathe to speak ill of the dead's day-core, so we'll not discuss the bothersome beige carpeting in the living room or the upsetting chandelier situation in the dining room. What we will say is that the Evans residence looks to be the home of a thinking person who cared about and paid attention to art, architecture and design but did not take it all too seriously.

We'd be delighted to see this property after the next owner dumps a good sized wad of cash into updating and upgrading the services and systems and hires a nice gay decorator to do William Beckett (and Ray and Wyn Evans) proud.

36 comments:

Alessandra said...

Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

And which children are complaining that mid-century modern is played out from five years ago? This hormonal new mama can offer a bitch slap or two, if necessary.

Anyway, those who follow trends are doomed to die by them. Those who appreciate good design for its inherent beauty are never disappointed.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I want.

Mike Cook said...

While not my personal favorite style of architecture, this place is incredible!

The idea of a guest pavillion is genius. Come up for drinks, come up for dinner, but get the fuck out once all that's done.

Anonymous said...

Me too!

It is a beauty!

Looks good on Google Earth too!!

Anonymous said...

simplicity and scale. fookin' gorgeous. whether it's in fashion or not, mid century modern never loses out in the style sweepstakes.

especially this joint.

the piano looks like it was antiqued green. which was the rage in the 70s if my motor neurons are shooting as they should be.

TonyV said...

Mama, Ann Brenoff states that this place is in Beverly Hills. Not Bel Air...

Your Mama said...

Yer right doll baby, it's 90210. My pre-coffee brain got it wrong.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to say, this is a tear down. You'll be paying 9 Big ones for 4 acres in this nab with something more impressive to be built.

Anonymous said...

With all due respect, the building is ugly and the windows look about as old as the architectual style. The only benefit I see is the huge driveway. I was expecting a price about half of what it is (the house alone I wouldn't give more than $1 million for, but it has a guesthouse and 4 acres in a good neighborhood, so whatever). This is what it's up against: http://hiltonhyland.com/address.php?property_ID=761 and http://hiltonhyland.com/address.php?property_ID=927. Tell me you wouldn't take these houses--modern style all--which are in better shape, better looking and just as well situated, just without the acreage.

Anonymous said...

those two you referenced are nice. but they're too glitzy for my taste. I like the relative modestly of these structures.

Anonymous said...

I'd pay asking, I love it. That landscaping, that pool, that VIEW.

lil' gay boy said...

Brooklawn Dr., bite your tongue!

;-)

I'm with Barren Karen; it's a stunning, one-owner dream come true, with plenty of space, a unique program, and located on a private bend near the upper end of Angelo Drive presents an unparalleled opportunity to update this gem into a truly unique showplace.

Anonymous said...

love the palette (greenery+turquoise of pool) and the layout of the property. a dinner cooked by Ina Garten with Astrud Gilberto playing in the background would suit me just fine.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous. Classic without the glitz and beautifully integrated with the lot.

Anonymous said...

Mama, I like your comment about this home being the residence of someone who cared about art, architecture, and design. It is also the home of someone who preferred privacy to vanity and clearly loved every moment they spent in this home. I absolutely love it.

Anonymous said...

this house makes the two hilton houses look like two hookers doin' the walk of shame.

Anonymous said...

If I (a) lived in Europe and (b) won the 100,000,000.00 euro lotto prize thats up for grabs this week, I'd buy it for you Mama! Your blog is the best in the business, in fact, the best on the net.

Starck Mad said...

Sweet Georgia Brown.......this place is virtual perfection. Though I live in Chicago, home of the future Calatrava Spire 40 Mil. penthouse...I love this place! (by the way, I love this blog...I'm hooked)

Anonymous said...

3:45 - If a rich uncle was offering the choice of the Evans House or BOTH those other houses, I'd still take the Evans House. Those other two just scream "new money" while the Evans House is pure class (and an architectural pedigree).

Anonymous said...

Gotta say I'll take the Evans house over those other two any day. That house on Sierra Mar is on a horrible bend in my opinion, and while impressive, it and the Trousdale estate are not THAT impressive. We do know which company you work for now though!

The Evans estate is just plain classy and it would be a shame if someone knocked it down. I recall a certain house on Bel Air Rd being knocked down with a Frank Lloyd Wright guest house recently for land value though, so I wouldn't put it past anyone. People are doing bulldozing karate chops on these digs and it's a shame.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately here in Honolulu gems like this are torn down on a weekly basis to make room for expensive tasteless generic crap. The design, privacy, & view look awesome & it would be a sin to demo this place. Windows & fixtures are easily updated. But the hideous green organ/piano has got to go.

Anonymous said...

don't forget he also wrote silver bells, which his family calls the annuity song!
e

Anonymous said...

Nice. Wish I had several million. But why the washed out photos?

lil' gay boy said...

"…two hookers doin' the walk of shame…"

As Elaine Boozler put it, "You could be dressed to the nines the night before, but coming home at dawn, you still look like the Whore of Babylon."

Those two properties are vulgar & shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as this classic.

Anonymous said...

Torn down on a weekly basis in Honolulu - your dreaming...

Anonymous said...

Dream home. 18 months ago it wouldn’t of made it to mls with multiple bids. Hope it doesn’t get dozed. But what is the huge paved pad adjacent to the western lot line?

Anonymous said...

For mid-century, nothing cooler than glass bridges. Ignoring the decor, this one stands on architectural merit. How classic and perfect is that main entrance -- and the pool -- and the grounds. Woah baby! And Mama, I dig how the guest house is distanced, for both the guest and the host.

so_chic_darling said...

Mid century modern is a style not a trend period.
Any banks out there want to lend me 10 million?

Anonymous said...

billy -- yeah, what IS that aircraft-carrier-sized leveled and concreted thing?

lil' gay boy said...

Billy, Anon 8:48:

I was wondering the same thing myself; looking at the aerial, I'm hoping against hope it's just a building pad, as closer inspection reveals a gate at the end of the "driveway" and what appears to be a rough floor plan either sketched in chalk into the concrete, or left behind in a tear down…

…or it's the ghostly remains of "The House On Haunted Hill…"

Anonymous said...

Hollywood Mayor, I think you meant a Frank Lloyd Wright JR. (aka Lloyd Wright) guest house. The senior Wright only built a handful of projects in So. California, all very well documented.

Anonymous said...

^^ I had a feeling I was supposed to leave off a word there (Frank). Thanks for the correction. I watched that place being torn down... would have taken a lot to save it but you like to hear the stories where someone takes the time to restore to perfection.

The Evans house deserves better though!

Anonymous said...

^^ I had a feeling I was supposed to leave off a word there (Frank). Thanks for the correction. I watched that place being torn down... would have taken a lot to save it but you like to hear the stories where someone takes the time to restore to perfection.

The Evans house deserves better though!

Anonymous said...

yea, i've driven by that crazy-looking parking lot (including about an hour ago!) and it's a major construction zone.
e
e.p.s.
you all probably already know it's right down the street from murdoch, x- ricky martin, and next to the geffen, thomas, morton spread.

Anonymous said...

who has this listing? can't find it anywhere in the MLS. Help!

Anonymous said...

never mind, found the listing. it's in BHPO not Beverly Hills.