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Beautiful in Beverly Hills

by habituallychic

03 . 22 . 11
I was going through more old magazines recently and came across another classic.  Around 1936, interior designer Elsie de Wolfe designed a beautiful home in Beverly Hills for Countess Dorothy di Frasso.  Jose Iturbi bought the house furnished from di Frasso around 1947.  It remained intact until just a few years ago when pieces were sold at auction.  Just before then, House & Garden published gorgeous photos by Simon Watson of the glamorous home that hosted many chic soirees.

Chinoiserie wallpaper and bamboo outlined mirrors clad the living room.

The home also featured many Chinese antiques.

Wallpaper detail.

Custom mirror panels line the dining room which I’m sure looked beautiful in candlelight.

A closer look at the dining room walls and 19th-century tortoiseshell and mother of pearl commode.

The sunroom features artwork commissioned by Charles Baskerville. 

Loving this backgammon table.

Beautiful California light streams through the windows.

The house has a lovely timeless quality that confirms that good design never goes out of style.

The bedroom features 20th-century hand painted Chinese wallpaper panels.

Elsie de Wolfe designed the Art Deco bedroom suite of furniture for the room.

The master bathroom below complements the colors of the bedroom and include a custom Art Deco tub chair that still looks chic today.  The pink tile not so much but I guess not every design element remains timeless.

Photos by Simon Watson

27 Comments
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  1. Joseph the Butler March 22, 2011 | 3:38 pm

    I love the airiness of these rooms, a condition that often seems lost these days.

    The Renaissance painting does jar the eye though, seems out of place. But if you own it, use it!

  2. Cassy March 22, 2011 | 3:49 pm

    oh I love the floral wallpaper. thanks for sharing!

    http://cassylately.blogspot.com/

  3. Shauna March 22, 2011 | 4:18 pm

    Stuh. Ning.

    Looks like Ruthie Summers did it today. I want to go to there.

  4. meenal bishnoi March 22, 2011 | 4:32 pm

    I love the teal chinoiserie wallpaper in the living room and bedroom…works so beautifully with the hints of red in the first and the peach bedcover in the second…thanks for sharing, heather..xx meenal

  5. mtadams1208 March 22, 2011 | 5:14 pm

    I loooooove old Hollywood. Great post. If I decorated my apartment the way I REALLY wanted to it would have lots of elements of old Hollywood glamour. My boyfriend frequently nixes things that are “too girly” though 🙂

    Apt.1208

  6. Alice Olive March 22, 2011 | 5:15 pm

    Very Hollywood glamorous. I love the muted tones.

  7. Foodie March 22, 2011 | 5:57 pm

    I am mad for the bamboo trim on top of the wallpaper….no one else has done that yet. At least as far as I recall. It’s time!

  8. The Fine Life March 22, 2011 | 6:41 pm

    The game area is lovely, and the backgammon table is beautiful. Was there a source in the magazine for it?

    http://www.livethefinelife.blogspot.com

  9. First House on the Right March 22, 2011 | 7:30 pm

    I too love the backgammon table. I’ve never seen one like that before. Nicolex

  10. Frog Hill Designs March 22, 2011 | 8:25 pm

    I LOVE the chinoiserie wallpaper. Many of the great designers of today create rooms that will be equally chic in the years to come.

    Janet Hild (froghilldesigns.blogspot.com)

  11. tdclassicist March 22, 2011 | 9:34 pm

    What a treat!

  12. Classic Style March 22, 2011 | 9:50 pm

    Oh what à treasure..look at the bathtube…and Teheran wallpapers, thans for sharing, amazing/ Marie

  13. The Decorator March 23, 2011 | 12:12 am

    These interiors are so timeless and really look like they could have been done today!
    I just adore the wallpaper and the bathroom is really wonderful!
    Lovely post!

  14. Ryland Woodard March 23, 2011 | 12:16 am

    Sigh….beautiful and timeless!

  15. Flotsam Friends March 23, 2011 | 2:45 am

    Seriously stunning. For me, it’s all about that bathroom. That’s totally insane. Pruxxx

  16. classic • casual • home March 23, 2011 | 4:51 am

    Elsie de Wolfe was a genius.

  17. Jane Kilpatrick Schott March 23, 2011 | 9:19 am

    That Elsie! Give her a healthy budget and look what she can do. Absolutely fabulous. I could move in tomorrow and not miss a beat.

  18. My Interior Life March 23, 2011 | 12:12 pm

    This one’s definitely going in my inspiration file. So much chinoiserie goodness and very chic!

  19. Ree March 23, 2011 | 1:36 pm

    The glam of old Hollywood…Loved the wallpaper and other furnishings…I can imagine the rooms at night…Filled with stars…

  20. Michael March 23, 2011 | 1:48 pm

    It has always been one of my favorites. A real classic, and so inspiring!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Michael

  21. Allison Egan March 23, 2011 | 2:19 pm

    Beautiful! I especially love the hand painted Chinese wallpaper in the Master – I adore the faded colors – do you think they were always these tones or softened over time?
    xo Allison
    http://www.spicerandbank.blogspot.com

  22. Mary Middleton Design March 23, 2011 | 5:59 pm

    I’m in love. Can I move here?

  23. LiveLikeYou March 23, 2011 | 6:30 pm

    Crush!!

  24. mike.gracie March 24, 2011 | 12:28 pm

    That might be Gracie in the BR! My dad–Gracie Chairman, Brian Gracie– says there’s “an excellent chance, especially with the Elsie D connection. We didn’t have much competition in those days, and Pop Gracie and she worked often together. And, the scenic looks vintage, but not antique.”

  25. The Simply Luxurious Life March 24, 2011 | 1:52 pm

    Thank you for sharing the entire house to us – the overstuffed sofa looks so vintage, but perfect in this home – love it. I hope you are well and having a great week. 🙂

  26. kim23 April 11, 2011 | 12:27 pm

    thanks for this post! I really like the floral wallpaper, the backgammon table and the game area is absolutely stunning! I’m in love with this house! I would like to live here!

    http://www.ryze.com/go/MichaelLibow

  27. RandiReedMusicBizAdvice(dot)com November 25, 2012 | 8:51 am

    I happened upon this post and wanted to add this for those who continue to find it: Marlene Dietrich rented this house from Countess DiFrasso in the ’30’s. There are a few pictures and much description of her time in the house in the Dietrich book,”Marlene Dietrich by Her Daughter Maria Riva”. Many publicity photos were taken of her at the house as well. Much of the furniture, including the the backgammon table (at the time there were several–Backgammon parties were popular in Hollywood then), the stepped end tables, and leather chairs are in the photos from Dietrich’s time. Judging by the high contrast in the black and white photos in the book, the wallpaper was much darker then but it seems to have faded beautifully. Since this article appeared the house has been remodeled, and I’ve heard it’s been completely stripped of all the original elements pictured here, though I can’t confirm.