In 2018, actor Vanessa Hudgens bought a historic Los Angeles home previously owned by Gary Oldman for nearly $5 million. Built in 1922, the Georgian Colonial-style property had ivy-covered walls, mature trees and architectural details that reflected its old Hollywood history. Four years later, after renovating its kitchen and primary suite and adding her own design touches, Hudgens sold the house to journalist Ronan Farrow and his then-partner, Jon Lovett, for $6.725 million.As reported by OK! Magazine, the sale was completed on February 15, 2022. The property, located in the Los Feliz neighbourhood of Los Angeles, measured 3,168 square feet and had three bedrooms, four bathrooms and a separate guesthouse. The reported sale price was about $1.7 million more than the amount Hudgens and her then-boyfriend, actor Austin Butler, had paid for it in 2018.
A historic house that attracted Hudgens
The house, known as the Little DeMille, was reportedly built in 1922 by filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille. Before Hudgens bought it, the property belonged to actor Gary Oldman, who had acquired it in 2011 for just under $2.9 million, according to Architectural Digest. Hudgens told Architectural Digest that she had spent five years looking for a home before finding the property. Its greenery and historic character were central to its appeal.She was also drawn to the details that gave the house its character. “To me, there’s something so romantic about that, a home with character and quirks. I love the old Hollywood elements: The Art Deco air vents, the chandelier over the staircase, the yard that feels like a park,” she told Architectural Digest. Oldman had installed 18th-century French oak floors in the house, another feature that appealed to Hudgens. The property’s nearly half-acre grounds, mature gardens, terraces and citrus trees added to its appeal.
How Hudgens changed the interiors
Photo credit: OK! Magazine
Hudgens hired interior designer Jake Arnold to remodel the primary suite, a project that involved moving the bathroom and knocking down walls. She wanted the changes to suit her needs without erasing the house’s history. She handled the kitchen renovation herself during the pandemic. The work included new Carrara marble, painted cabinets, updated knobs and drawer pulls, and large oak beams that created open shelving. Extra tiles from the primary bathroom were reused as a kitchen backsplash.She also changed the breakfast nook, adding patterned wallpaper, a German pendant light from the 1950s and a leather banquette. The living room moved away from the white, monochromatic look she had initially planned. Instead, she chose a pink mohair sofa and green armchairs, along with vintage and antique pieces collected from shops she liked. Outside, Hudgens commissioned artist Carly Kuhn to paint a mural of faces around the pool. The garden had grapefruit and avocado trees, while the outdoor dining area was used for meals with friends.
The sale to Ronan Farrow
By February 2022, Hudgens had sold the house to Farrow, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of ‘Catch and Kill,’ and Lovett, a podcast host and co-founder of Crooked Media. As reported by OK! Magazine, the purchase price as $6,725,000. The property’s sale price was around 34% higher than the nearly $5 million Hudgens paid in 2018.
