That Iconic ‘Golden Girls’ House Was Actually in LA—and It Can Be Yours for $3 Million
For the first time in 65 years, the Los Angeles home made famous by the American sitcom The Golden Girls has officially hit the market, as was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The property is currently asking a little under $3 million, a lot of money for a not-even-3,000 square-foot structure. But as Blanche (Rue McClanahan) might say in her signature Southern drawl, that’s just the price of being a devastatingly beautiful house.
Fans of the show will recognize the home as the one owned by Blanche, who, after the death of her husband, invited a few friends to come live with her and keep her company. Although scenes that happened inside of the house were shot on a set, exterior shots of the home that have become synonymous with the hit series were of a real, private residence. (A perfect replica of the home formerly resided at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but was demolished for space in 2003.)
Located in LA’s upscale neighborhood of Brentwood, the home boasts four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms within about 2,900 square feet. The structure’s unique architecture is best described as a tasteful blend of Japanese and Hawaiian plantation styles, and it was constructed in 1955 by SoCal Edison attorney David Noble Barry III and his wife Margaret Carr Barry, after they were inspired by the midcentury modern home that David’s father owned in Hawaii. The couple lived in the LA digs for over 60 years, until their respective deaths in 2017 and 2019; the property is now being sold through a trust.
Brandon Valente/Brandon V Photography
In addition to being architecture and design enthusiasts, the home’s former owners also apparently dabbled in collecting exotic plants. The property’s grounds are dotted with an unusual species of palm trees, and the lush landscaping includes several eye-catching tropical specimens. Surrounding the perimeter of the house is a Japanese engawa, a wraparound porch, that connects to the home’s veranda in the back, which offers up the perfect place to lounge in the hot summer months. Golden Girls location scouts were initially drawn to the home’s flourishing flora since it gave off more of a Miami vibe than most LA-area properties. The Barrys agreed to have their house featured on the show for a small fee and loved having their famous home be seen on a national platform, though they were reportedly not sitcom fans and didn’t watch the show.
The cottage’s interiors were never shown on The Golden Girls and strike a sharp contrast to the wicker-filled, pink-hued aesthetic featured on the series. Inside, there are signature midcentury-style walls of glass, generously large clerestory windows and high-beamed ceilings, which all contribute to the home’s quintessentially SoCal indoor/outdoor living atmosphere. Eclectic sliding shoji screens are used throughout the house as room dividers giving the interiors a tranquil, Zen feel. Although most of the home’s floors used to be covered with carpeting, they were recently removed to reveal original hardwood flooring underneath.
Perhaps the most unique area of the home is the kitchen; with its cabinets painted in shades of avocado green, robin’s egg blue, buttercup yellow and topped with turquoise formica counters, the room harkens back to a simpler, technicolor time. Although the space is much more vibrantly colored than the one on The Golden Girls set, it’s still not hard to imagine Dorothy, Sophia, Rose and Blanche sharing some cake—and the latest juicy gossip—at the table after a long day.
Check out more photos of the home below:
Brandon Valente/Brandon V Photography
Brandon Valente/Brandon V Photography
Brandon Valente/Brandon V Photography
Brandon Valente/Brandon V Photography
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