This house is ready for its close-up. A Tudor-style dwelling in Pasadena, California, just hit the market for $8.495 million, and it comes with quite the cinematic history. In the Academy Award–winning 2016 musical La La Land, this house serves as the backdrop for the garden engagement party of Laura and Harry (the characters played by Rosemarie DeWitt and Damon Gumpton).
Before La La Land, this was the home of the character Hillary Whitney Essex (played by Barbara Hershey) in the 1988 film Beaches. Television shows that filmed on the premises include Columbo, Mad Men, and Parks and Recreation.
The front entryway.
The landing of the grand front staircase.
It’s pretty easy to see why the residence made the cut as a filming location. Built in 1920 by architects Sylvanus Boardman Marson and Garrett Van Pelt, the property consists of eight bedrooms and four bathrooms spread between a 7,500-square-foot main home and a separate garage and guest house. The exterior features the stucco, wood, and brick typical of Tudor homes, plus square-paned windows and greenery creeping up the sides of the home.
The dining room.
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In 2017, this house served as the Pasadena Showcase House of Design, and some of the designs from that still remain. Inside the front door, there’s a grand entryway with detailed vaulted ceilings and a unique mural that wraps around all of the walls and even extends up the staircase. Throughout the house, wainscoting, stained glass, and other details contribute to the traditional, almost castle-like feeling of the place. There are also some slightly more modern touches, like a gold chandelier in one of the bedrooms, and a living room with large picture windows for plenty of light. The nearly two-acre grounds include plenty of outdoor seating areas, numerous gardens, and a rock-ledge pool surrounded by greenery.
