Spadena House

Located on the corner of Walden Drive and Carmelita Avenue, it is known for its fanciful, intentionally dilapidated design, and is a landmark included on tours of the area.

[1][2][3] The house was designed by Hollywood art director Harry Oliver, who went on to play a major role in Storybook architecture.

[4] It was originally built in 1921 to serve as the offices and dressing rooms for Irvin Willat's film studio in Culver City,[5] and was moved to its present location in 1926.

[5][6] The converted private home, with its pointy, lopsided roof, tiny windows and stucco with a distressed paint job were then surrounded by an intentionally overgrown English-style garden and a moat-like pond.

After tall, black fencing was initially placed around the lot, the owner received hate mail from people who thought he was going to tear it down.

The house, when it was the Irvin W. Willat Studio in Culver City c. 1921
The house under renovation in 2009