Homes & Estates Digest Homes & Estates Digest 2015 | Edition 2 | Page 6

Michael Bruno: What moved you to purchase this estate?
Lauren King: I wanted a home that had two acres in Holmby Hills above
Sunset. So, when this home came on the market, my realtor Loren Judd
called me immediately. It was the former home of Fanny Brice. It just so
happened that it was on the cover of Dream Homes magazine.
MB: What pulled you to this versus a newer home, which is all the
rage in Los Angeles right now?
LK: It’s funny that you would ask that question. I hired Oscar Shamamian
from Ferguson & Shamamian Architects and McCoy Construction.
I thought I was doing a renovation. My contractor was supposed to
carefully remove plaster when I was away. When I returned, I found a
brick wall, some wood studs, and foundation…my house was gone. I
was told at that time that the house was not structurally sound, that it
needed to be reframed and that it would be $50,000 to hold up the front
wall. I was on the board of the Los Angeles Conservancy and couldn’t
imagine knocking down such a famous and iconic California home, so
we decided to rebuild. In essence, we have a new home, but it retains
all of the charm of something built in the 1920s and 1930s, yet with all
the modern conveniences of a smart house that’s new.
MB: What was it like working with Ferguson & Shamamian
Architects?
LK: It was my landscape architect Nancy Goslee Power who
recommended them. We went to see one of their homes and started
researching their work. We found Oscar Shamamian and Andrew Oyen,
who designed our project, to be a perfect match for us. They were doing
several homes in California, so they were coming out to California one
week per month. I have to say, every meeting with them was, “This is
so fabulous. I love it, I love it, I love it.” They designed what I consider
to be the new modern: a transitional instead of traditional home. On
top of having a very skilled group of draftsmen and architects, they
have exquisite taste and great imagination. It became our magnificent
obsession. We spared no expense and used the best of everything, as
we were planning to live here forever.
MB: You said that you wanted to maintain the classicism of the
home by preserving its casual formality. How did you manage
that balancing act?
LK: My husband and I really thought about the way we live. My husband
was in the television business, so he likes to have TVs in all the rooms.
We have a chef, so a kitchen open to a family room would not have
worked for us. I have a secretary, so we needed a home office as well
as a formal office. We like to spend time in the sitting room outside of
our bedroom. My husband had three boys before we married, so we
needed to have bedrooms and guesthouses to accommodate a large
and growing family. My son played football, so we wanted a large, flat
backyard and one that would be safe for our three dogs to be able to
play outside unsupervised. It’s a rare thing to have a yard in California
that’s safe for dogs. I love gardening and wanted a substantially sized
vegetable garden. We like watching events and movies and host a lot
of fundraisers, so we needed a room that could double as a screening
room and room to hold charity events. We wanted a playroom for our
son. My husband and I both work out several days a week, and it was
important for us to have a pool house with a large gym separate from the
main house where we could have pool parties, BBQs and pizzas from
our pizza oven. We designed this house so it would function perfectly,
look great, and fulfill all of our needs. This house has been loved!

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