This Gordon Kaufmann-designed home on L.A.’s Westside has deep roots in local history.
One of the first properties ever built in Bel-Air, the trophy estate dates to the 1920s when contracting and engineering company owner Arthur S. Bent and his wife Eliza commissioned the architect to design their new home.
At the time, the London-born Kaufmann was making a name for himself producing Mediterranean Revival style buildings. He would go on to work on the Hoover Dam and the Los Angeles Times building, among other landmarks.
For this project he chose a stacked stone exterior on the front and added a top level of Tudor-style stucco and half-timbering on the back. These finishes remain, although today ivy covers portions of the house. Tall chimneys and dormer windows extend from the deeply steeped roof.
The grounds, then and now, encompass slightly more than an acre. Today the gardens and lawn are shaded by mature sycamore and oak trees.
Designed for entertaining on a grand scale, the interiors have been meticulously restored to maintain a timeless, classic ambiance.
The high-ceiling formal living room centers on a baronial carved stone fireplace. Wood floors continue into the adjacent library, which features an arched ceiling, wood paneling and built-in glass-enclosed shelves.
The formal dining room has its own fireplace and opens to a viewing terrace.
The center-island kitchen blends stainless appliances with white cabinetry. It is tiled from floor to ceiling in a nod to kitchens of the 1920s.
Wood stairs with colorful tile risers lead up to the next story.
The primary suite features a fireplace, a large soaking tub bath, a dressing room and expansive closets. There are five more bedrooms.
The two-story guesthouse contains a living room, a kitchen and two additional bedrooms.
A wrought-iron gate opens to the swimming pool, which is surrounded by lawn and lush landscaping. A spa sits to one side.
A vine-covered trellis shelters patio space near an outdoor fireplace.
Drew Fenton of Hilton & Hyland is the listing agent for 620 Siena Way, Los Angeles. The asking price is US $43 million.