Toluca Lake

Subterms

    Latest story

    200 Shares153 Views

    Linda Lavin Called This Vintage L.A. Bungalow Home. Now It Can Be Yours for $2.2 Million.

    by

    Well, kiss my grits! A charming Spanish Revival-style home owned by the late Linda Lavin has just popped up for sale in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Toluca Lake. Rose Ferraro Fahey of Compass holds the $2.2 million listing.

    Records show the veteran stage and screen actress—probably best known for her Golden Globe-winning role as a waitress and single mom on the long-running sitcom Alice and Tony-winning performance as 1940s Brooklyn matriarch Kate Jerome in the play Broadway Bound—and her third husband Steve Bakunas paid the exact same $2.2 million amount for the property almost three years ago, back in spring 2022.

    The fireside living room flows out to an inviting pergola-shaded terrace via arched French doors.

    Michael Wilkerson

    RELATED: Jackie Collins’s Former Beverly Hills Home Can Be Yours for $66 Million

    Built almost a century ago and updated during Lavin’s tenure, the white stucco and terracotta-roof structure features three bedrooms and two baths in a little more than 2,000 square feet of single-level living space boasting the original wood floors, Saltillo tile, and arched windows and doorways.

    Secluded behind bougainvillea-topped walls and a gated entry, the home is accessed via a brick and tile-accented walkway that meanders through a grassy lawn before emptying out at a front porch and hand-carved wood door. Once inside, highlights include a dining area that flows to a living room sporting a gas fireplace embedded within a gray accent wall and French doors spilling out to a pergola-shaded courtyard. A Talavera-tiled kitchen is outfitted with reclaimed wood cabinetry, a hammered-copper sink, Thermador appliances, and an accompanying breakfast nook.

    Another pergola-shaded terrace hosts an alfresco dining area dotted with hot pink bougainvillea.

    Jeff Elson

    RELATED: Comedian Whitney Cummings Is Seeking $13 Million for Her Suburban L.A. Estate

    Set off by themselves are the sleeping quarters, which include one en suite bedroom and two others that share a vintage-style bath dressed in mint green and black tile. Outdoors, the corner parcel spans less than a quarter of an acre and is spotlighted by a second pergola-shaded terrace holding a summer kitchen and dining area. There’s also a detached two-car garage with a bonus space that’s currently being used as a workout spot.

    The Portland, Maine, native passed away unexpectedly in late 2024, due to complications from lung cancer at age 87. The news of Lavin’s death came as a shock, according to Deadline, as she had recently been promoting her new Netflix series No Good Deed and filming the upcoming Hulu comedy Mid-Century Modern.

    Click here for more photos of the Toluca Lake bungalow.

    Jeff Elson

    Authors

    Wendy Bowman

    Wendy Bowman is a real estate writer at Robb Report. Before that, she was a freelancer for Modern Luxury and several other media outlets, where she primarily covered luxury properties for…

    Read More More

    More stories

    • 125 Shares139 Views

      in Luxury

      ‘Blippi’ Creator Stevin John Lists L.A. Home for $3.6 Million

      by

      His first YouTube appearance was an early 2014 video of Blippi, a fun yet educational children’s show he came up with to entertain his young nephew. But brand-building entrepreneur Stevin John has certainly come a long way since then. Thanks to a loyal following of children and adults alike (he has over 35 billion YouTube views to date), the program is now available on all the major streaming platforms and has related merchandise, a touring musical, and spinoff series like Blippi’s Treehouse. The creator and original host even managed to sell his brand in a lucrative $120 million licensing deal about four years ago.

      His burgeoning success also enabled him to purchase a $2.8 million home in Los Angeles that just popped up for sale, asking a speck under $3.6 million. And though that list price is around $800,000 more than John paid for the modern farmhouse-style digs back in spring 2020, the 36-year-old Washington State native has spent much of the past four years fully customizing the place from top to bottom. The listing is held by Michael Bergin of Compass.

      A Blippi Sink or Float video filmed in the backyard racked up 82 million views on YouTube.

      Stevin John

      The property is also set in prime Toluca Lake, a celeb-studded enclave occupied by the likes of Macaulay Culkin, Melissa McCarthy, and Steve Carell. Tucked away behind walls and gates and protected by a security system, the two-tone and metal-roof structure was built in 2019 and features five en-suite bedrooms and seven baths in nearly 3,800 square feet of open-plan living space boasting white oak hardwood floors, high wood-beam ceilings, shiplap details, sliding glass doors, and Control4 technology throughout.

      The two-story dwelling is fronted by a porch and offers an attached two-car garage. Once inside, highlights include a foyer that flows to a window-lined living and dining area warmed by a decorative fireplace. A wine fridge-equipped bar area can be found on the way to the gourmet kitchen, which is outfitted with two sinks, quartz countertops, an eat-in island, top-tier Thermador appliances, and a butler’s pantry. A family room off the kitchen flaunts built-in cabinetry and shelving, plus a wall of sliding glass doors spilling out to the backyard.

      Stevin John, his fiancée Alyssa Ingham, and their son Lochlan.

      Stevin John

      Elsewhere is a dual-desk office nook and a laundry room, as well as a spacious primary suite that rests beneath a vaulted pitched ceiling and comes complete with a fireplace, an expansive balcony, a walk-in closet, and a luxe bath spotlighted by a roomy oval soaking tub and a glass-encased shower. Outdoors, the private grounds span less than a quarter-acre and host a pool and spa flanked by an open-air cabana equipped with a handy exterior shower, a barbecue and bar setup, and a partially covered patio ideal for al fresco lounging.

      In August 2021, John became engaged to his longtime girlfriend Alyssa Ingham. The couple, who share a son, reportedly maintain a primary residence in the Pacific Northwest.

      Click here for more photos of Stevin John’s Toluca Lake house.

      Adrian Van Anz More

    • 100 Shares149 Views

      in Luxury

      Nigel Lythgoe Is Buying and Selling L.A. Houses

      by

      Nigel Lythoe is swapping homesteads in Los Angeles, having traded in a nearly new Toluca Lake mansion for more seasoned digs in Hollywood Hills that were previously owned through the years by actress Katey Sagal and music director Ricky Minor. 

      After barely a year of ownership, the 74-year-old British TV producer has listed his former abode and subsequently doled out $4.7 million in an off-market deal for the new place, originally offered at $4.9 million.

      The dual real estate transaction sale comes on the heels of Lythgoe’s decision to step down as a judge of the So You Think You Can Dance reality series he co-created in 2005, amid allegations of sexual assault. Through the years, he also has served as an executive producer of the British talent show Pop Idol, as well as American Idol.

      The TV producer’s newly acquired Hollywood Hills home was previously occupied by actress Katey Sagal.

      Google Images

      Built way back in the late 1930s, but since upgraded, Lythgoe’s newly acquired residence is tucked away behind walls and gates amid a secluded cul-de-sac nestled on an almost third-acre parcel, and offers jetliner views of the Hollywood Sign and Santa Monica mountains. Described as a “traditional country home” in the listing, the Tudor-style structure features four bedrooms and six baths spread across 5,700 square feet of living space boasting high wood-beam ceilings throughout.

      An entryway opens into a spacious courtyard bolstered by a bubbling fountain, with interior highlights including a duo of family rooms, as well as a “country-style” kitchen outfitted with a fireplace and an accompanying breakfast nook leading to an al fresco dining space.

      Elsewhere is an office, plus a master retreat with a fireside sitting area; and outdoors, the backyard is carved into a hillside, and hosts a sport court and meandering pathways, plus an infinity-edge pool and spa wrapped by a brick terrace. There’s also an attached two-car garage and additional parking for up to six vehicles, as well as a separate two-story guesthouse that has two bedrooms, two baths and its own kitchen.

      The listing was held by by Rita Benelian of Keller Williams Hollywood Hills, with Lythgoe represented by Kevin Krakower of Douglas Elliman.

      Lythgoe’s Toluca Lake house was completed in 2022.

      Google Images

      As for his other L.A. spot that’s currently on the market for a smidge under $5 million, Lythgoe purchased the modern farmhouse for $4.7 million in January 2023, shortly after it was newly designed and built by Arzuman Brothers.

      Sited in the unincorporated community of Toluca Lake, the gated grounds span less than a quarter-acre and boast a fountain-clad pool and spa, fireside patio, built-in barbecue and an outdoor shower, along with a two-car garage sporting an EV charger.

      Inside, five bedrooms and seven baths can be found in 5,300 square feet of open-concept living space on three levels spotlighted by multiple entertaining areas, including a fully finished basement that comes complete with a movie theater, lounge, gym and guest bedroom.

      The listing is held by Kevin Dees and Sebastian Spader of Carolwood Estates. More