A Beverly Hills mansion once owned by Warner Bros. co-founder Harry Warner has sold for $27.25 million, nearly a decade after it first hit the market for $39.99 million.
asserted
it → own → million
The historic property, restored by former owner Daphna Ziman to retain its Old Hollywood character, had been listed on and off for years before the deal was reported by The Wall Street Journal.
asserted
deal → restore → Journal
The 1923-built estate features hand-carved oak, leaded-glass windows, a screening room with silk velvet curtains and a guesthouse associated with Marilyn Monroe.
asserted
estate → build → Monroe
Its sale price was below its original asking price of nearly $40 million and its most recent reported asking price of $31.5 million.
asserted
price → report → million
A mansion with a Hollywood legacy
Located at 1005 North Woodland Drive in Beverly Hills, California, the estate was built in 1923 for Harry Warner, one of the four brothers who established Warner Bros. Studios.
asserted
who → locate → Studios
According to Realtor.com, Warner commissioned architect Paul R. Williams to design the residence, combining French Country influences with Tudor-style elements.
uncertain
Warner → accord → elements
Williams was a pioneering architect who became the first African American member of the American Institute of Architects.
asserted
who → pioneer → Architects
His work helped shape the appearance of several prominent Los Angeles homes, and the Warner mansion reflects the period's preference for elaborate detailing, generous entertaining spaces and a mix of European architectural influences.
asserted
mansion → help → influences
The property is spread across approximately 1.1 acres, with the main residence measuring around 12,000 square feet.
asserted
residence → spread → feet
Reports have described it as a seven-bedroom mansion, although published accounts differ on the exact number of bathrooms and the total square footage.
asserted
accounts → describe → bathrooms
The estate also includes a guesthouse, a swimming pool, a tennis court and landscaped gardens.
asserted
estate → include → guesthouse
Harry Warner reportedly owned the house during the 1940s.
uncertain
Warner → own → 1940s
Its guesthouse has been associated with Marilyn Monroe, who is said to have stayed there while Warner occupied the main residence.
asserted
Warner → associate → residence
This detail has appeared in real-estate coverage, including the original 2016 listing reports.
asserted
detail → appear → reports
Preserving its Old Hollywood character
asserted
Preserving → preserve → character
The mansion's more recent history is closely tied to Ziman, a filmmaker, philanthropist and founder of the cable television network Cinémoi.
asserted
history → tie → network
She and her then-husband, real-estate investor Richard Ziman, purchased the property in 1996.
asserted
She → purchase → 1996
Rather than strip the house of its traditional character, the owners undertook an extensive renovation that sought to restore its historic atmosphere while incorporating modern amenities.
asserted
that → strip → amenities
According to a 2016 Los Angeles Times report, the renovation took more than three years to bring the house back to its former glory.
uncertain
renovation → accord → glory
The work involved removing later finishes and restoring architectural details.
asserted
work → involve → details
Ziman told the newspaper that photographs helped her recreate the house's earlier appearance.
asserted
her → tell → appearance
Hand-painted kitchen tiles were reproduced, while the renovation exposed wooden beams and other details that had been concealed by false ceilings.
asserted
that → paint → ceilings
The property also incorporates some period-inspired elements sourced from elsewhere.
asserted
property → incorporate → elements
According to the Los Angeles Times, these included leaded-glass windows acquired in Italy, wooden beams from a church in England and a 16th-century fireplace purchased at auction from the Palace of Versailles.
uncertain
these → accord → Versailles
The distinction matters: the restoration preserved and revived historic features, but not every decorative element was necessarily original to the house.
The result was a residence designed to retain its Old Hollywood atmosphere rather than resemble a newly built contemporary mansion.
asserted
result → matter → mansion
Listing agent Joyce Rey's website highlighted the hand-carved oak, leaded-glass windows, hand-painted kitchen tiles and silk velvet curtains in the screening room as defining features of the restored property.
asserted
website → highlight → property
A home built for entertaining
The estate was also used as a venue for political and philanthropic gatherings.
asserted
estate → build → gatherings
Ziman hosted fundraisers and events attended by prominent political figures, and the Los Angeles Times reported in 2016 that more than 80,000 guests had visited the property over the years.
asserted
guests → host → years
Its entertainment spaces include a screening room, a library, a game room and a lounge with an indoor-outdoor bar.
asserted
spaces → include → bar
The screening room's silk velvet curtains reportedly came from a downtown Los Angeles theatre, adding another layer of cinematic history to the house.
uncertain
curtains → come → house
The grounds feature a European-style garden, a rock-lagoon-like pool and spa, waterfalls, a tennis court and a koi pond crossed by a footbridge.
asserted
grounds → feature → footbridge
The guesthouse and extensive entertaining areas helped make the property suitable for both private gatherings and large events.
asserted
property → make → gatherings
The mansion also had a television appearance of its own.
asserted
mansion → have → own
It was used as O.J. Simpson's home in the 2016 FX series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
asserted
It → use → series
Several rooms and the garden appeared in the production, bringing renewed attention to the property when it was first listed for nearly $40 million that year.
asserted
it → appear → million
It first appeared on the market in August 2016 for $40 million, according to The Real Deal.
uncertain
It → appear → Deal
The asking price subsequently changed, and the property went on and off the market over the following years.
asserted
property → change → years
In March 2022, The Real Deal reported that the estate was under contract with a last asking price of $32.5 million.
asserted
estate → report → million
That report did not establish a completed sale, and the property later returned to the market.
asserted
property → establish → market
By the time of the final transaction reported by The Wall Street Journal, the asking price had reportedly been reduced to $31.5 million.
uncertain
price → report → million
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
