One of Walt Disney’s former Los Angeles mansions has hit the rental market for a staggering $40,000-per-month.
The Los Feliz house apes the magical design of early Disney films and comes complete with a castle-like tower, draping vines, leaded glass windows and original art painted on the ceiling of the dining room.
Disney built the four-bedroom home in 1932, according to Disney historian Todd Regan. He lived there with his wife and daughters for nearly two decades before moving to an even more extravagant estate in Holmby Hills.
The 6,400-square-foot property is currently owned by Russian-Kazakh filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov, who purchased it for $3.7million in 2011, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The stunning Los Feliz estate was built by Walt Disney in 1932, and most recently sold to Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov in 2011 for $3.7million
Bekmambetov decorated the house in as-close to its original style as he could. Seen here is a large screening room, where Disney reportedly used to watch his films
The movie maker primarily lives in Israel and visits Los Feliz a few times a year. He has worked with Regan to organize tours of the property because he believes it should be shared and explored with those curious about Disney.
Now, Bekmambetov is renting out the place, because he wants people to experience staying there. Following the success of his first run of Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphony short films, Disney purchased the land that overlooks downtown LA. The home was then built in just three months, according to Regan.
‘Incredible to think that it was even possible to do that,’ he told the Journal. ‘But it was the height of the Great Depression so nobody had anything, and if you had a little bit of something, like Walt had with his Mickey Mouse money, you could build a castle on top of the Hollywood Hills.’
While living in the Los Feliz home, Disney created some of his most iconic work, including ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,’ ‘Cinderella,’ and ‘Pinocchio.’
After purchasing the house, Bekmambetov said he used old photographs to restore it to its original appearance. He decorated it with antique furniture similar to what the Disneys had originally chosen, though he updated the kitchen and its appliances.
From the driveway, the home looks similar to a castle that could be found in one of Disney’s many fairytale films. The large driveway leads to an at-least four-car garage with a massive wooden door, and the white exterior is nearly covered in ivy.
The formal dining room features an originally painted ceiling very much reminiscent of Disney’s earlier fairytale films
Bekmambetov updated the kitchen appliances when he purchased the home. The sunny and bright kitchen now features a large island with stovetop burners and plenty of storage space
A family living room overlooks the backyard and is adorned with antiques and detailed original-era Disney relics. The furniture is richly colored and inviting, and the lead-lined windows are in their original form
The gorgeous backyard includes a pool, well-manicured cypress trees, brick detailing, and a small play cottage that Disney built and gave to his daughters on Christmas in 1937. The property sits on about one acre of land, a larger-than-average plot for the area
Also in the backyard is a deck area shaded by vines, where occupants of the 6,400-square-foot home may choose to dine alfresco
The master bedroom includes a valuable view of the Los Feliz hills straight into the skyline of downtown Los Angeles
Inside, Persian rugs cover the floors, and richly colored couches, chairs, and tables – all of which look inherently usable – fill the family and dining rooms.
The bright and sunny kitchen looks modern while maintaining warmth, and includes a large kitchen island with stovetop burners and drawers to offer additional storage.
The master bedroom features a view of the Los Feliz hills that extends to the downtown LA skyline.
The backyard and gardens include a pool, in addition to well-manicured cypress trees, and an ivy-shaded area where occupants may choose to dine alfresco.
Listing agent Chase Campen with Compass said the house is something of a ‘living museum.’
The house sits on about one acre, a larger-than-average plot for the area. ‘It has extraordinary grounds,’ said Campen, adding, ‘there is a ton of parking.’
The house has also retained many of its original romantic features.
Lead-lined stained-glass windows, a large spiral staircase, original paintings on the foyer and dining-room ceilings still adorn the house, according to Regan.
There is a screening room – complete with a fireplace – where Disney would watch his films, and in the yard still sits a miniature cottage-style playhouse that Disney built and gave to his daughters for Christmas in 1937, after Snow White’s successful release.
Framed pictures of some of Disney’s characters can be seen scattered throughout the house as well.
The view of the Los Feliz hills from the house. The affluent area sits about five miles outside of downtown LA
Brightly colored paint jobs and whimsical wallpapers add old-fashioned character to the home
A wooden wine room just off the kitchen. Bekmambetov, who live primarily in Israel, is hoping that whoever rents the house will be inspired by it features, history, and former owner
Many of the home’s original romantic features remain, including a grand spiral staircase in the polished wood foyer
The turret that anchors the center of the house and acts as its front entry point. Stained-glass windows with colorful character in their centers can be seen directly above the door
The home has four bedrooms, two of which were used for Disney’s two daughters
Walt Disney pictured in the backyard of the house he had built in 1932. He and his family lives there for the better part of two decades, until they moved to a much larger Holmby Hills estate
Timur Bekmambetov says he considers himself to be the caretaker of the home, which his real estate agent described as a ‘living museum.’ The filmmaker says he is putting it on the rental market because he wants others to experience living there
Bekmambetov, who directed 2008’s ‘Wanted,’ starring Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy, as well as well as 2016’s ‘Ben Hur,’ and 2012’s ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,’ said he could not believe the home was tied to Disney when it came to market in 2011.
‘I got a notification that there was a house for sale and it had the Walt Disney name. I called my assistant and said to her, ‘Please call. I think it’s a mistake,” he recounted.
But the name affiliation was legitimate and the director decided to buy the house unseen.
He now says that he considers himself to be the home’s ‘keeper,’ and has been inspired by the property and its history to create a graphic novel and movie script about fictional Disney characters who never made it to the silver screen.
He is hoping to rent the home to a fellow creative, who will be equally inspired by the house and its history.
Los Feliz is an affluent neighborhood in the hills, situated just five miles from downtown LA. According to Redfin, the median sale price for a home in the area was $1.9million, a nearly 13 percent year-over-year increase.
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