Chimney Sweep

$5 Million Houses in California

The first owner of this Los Feliz home was John Anson Ford, a longtime member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and namesake of the John Anson Ford Theater, a music and performing arts venue in the Hollywood Hills.

The house is a few blocks north of Franklin Avenue, one of the area’s main thoroughfares. A cozy French bistro and diner known for its pies is located at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Vermont Avenue less than 1 mile away. Driving to Burbank or downtown Los Angeles takes about 20 minutes.

Size: 4,538 square feet

Price per square meter: $1,003

Inside: Flowering vines wrap around the privacy gate of this home. The front door is beyond, at the back of a brick courtyard.

It opens into a foyer with a painted tiled ceiling, a staircase with wrought iron banisters and access to a powder room. To the right is a double height living room with exposed beams, a fireplace and a large stained glass window. An open balcony at one end of the room overlooking the room has a built in platform seating area.

A sunny dining room is to one side of the living room. On the other side is an updated kitchen with Spanish tile floors, light gray cabinets, stone counters, tiled walls, and a wood-topped center island. The Spanish tile floors continue into an adjoining breakfast room with a built-in window seat and an arched door overlooking a family room.

The primary suite is on the second level, off a hallway that extends from the balcony overlooking the living area. The bedroom offers ample space for a king-size bed and a separate sitting area; The bathroom is tiled lime green with black accents and includes a bath/shower combination and a console-style sink with chrome legs and a pink sink. Two more bedrooms are on this level; They share a bathroom with yellow and black tiles.

The other two bedrooms are on the lowest level of the house; both are en suite. Also on this level is a powder room and screening room with cobalt blue walls and an original copper bar.

Outside: The front courtyard is paved with stone, surrounded by brick walls and landscaped with greenery. It includes a covered walkway near the entrance and an open space in the center with space for a table and chairs. The rear patio has a paved area for al fresco dining, a small lawn and seating area with a built in wooden bench surrounded by mature trees. The garage holds one car; there is space to park another in the carport.

Steer: $56,880 (estimated)

Contact: Carl Gambino and John Bercsi, compass, 646-465-1766; kompass.com

This home is located in a quiet part of Palo Alto, about three miles from downtown and Stanford University’s main campus. It’s a five-minute walk from Rinconada Cultural Park, which has a public pool and athletic fields, and the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo, which has interactive, conservation-focused exhibits for kids. Well-rated public elementary and middle schools are also nearby.

Palo Alto is centrally located in Silicon Valley: Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and Menlo Park are all less than 20 minutes’ drive away. The drive to San Jose takes half an hour. San Francisco is about 45 minutes away.

Size: 2,185 square meters

Price per square meter: $2,105

Inside: A stone path leads from the sidewalk to the covered porch, which is adorned with white-painted pillars and railings.

The windowed front door opens into a sunny living area with hardwood floors, a stone fireplace flanked by built-in bookshelves and a bay with street-facing windows. Just behind this room, sliding doors open to a dining room with a modern chandelier and a tall window.

The kitchen at the back of the house has white cabinets, stone counters, stainless steel appliances and windows overlooking the backyard. The adjoining family room has glass doors that open to a patio and patio beyond.

Three bedrooms are on the second floor which was added by a previous owner and is accessed by a staircase from the living area. The master bedroom features carpet floors, a set of windows overlooking the trees, a walk-in closet with built-in storage and an ensuite bathroom. The other two bedrooms on this level share a bathroom with bath and shower.

The fourth bedroom is on the main level, off a hallway next to the stairs. It has use of a full bathroom next door.

Outside: The back yard is planted with mature trees, with grass in the center and landscaping along the perimeter along the wooden fence. A stone walkway leads from the house to the detached two-car garage, which is accessed from the alley – a rarity in this part of Palo Alto.

Steer: $57,492 (estimated)

Contact: Morgan Lashley, Morgan Lashley Distinctive Properties, 650-387-5224; 1424harker.com

Located in a gated community above the Pacific Coast Highway, this home offers stunning ocean views from the living room and deck. It’s just minutes from Thousand Steps Beach, a public beach with steep stairs leading to an expansive sandy beach. Salt Creek Beach, popular with surfers and swimmers, is a five-minute drive, as is a shopping mall with a Gelson grocery store.

Other beaches and downtown Laguna Beach are less than 5 miles away. The drive to Irvine takes approximately 35 minutes.

Size: 1,922 square feet

Price per square meter: $2,391

Inside: The carriage house style doors of this home’s two car garage are located at the end of a short, sweeping driveway. The entrance to the house is behind, down a brick staircase and from a brick patio.

The front door opens into an anteroom off the living room which has distressed oak floors imported from France, white paneling and Kolbe glass doors opening to the aft deck with the ocean in the distance.

The kitchen on the left was updated during a 2015 renovation and features black and white checkerboard floors, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and a rustic white china sink beneath three casement windows. A pantry with additional storage and a laundry room with a stacked washer and dryer are across the hall.

A hallway leads from the living room to the master suite with sea views and a bathroom with walk-in shower and custom cabinetry. Across the hall is a guest bedroom that can be used by a nearby bathroom. A half bathroom is also off the hallway.

The family room off the main entrance could function as a third bedroom. It has French doors opening onto the courtyard and another door opening onto the side courtyard.

Outside: The covered terrace in front of the living room offers space for a long dining table and chairs. The central courtyard functions as an outdoor living space. A second, more private patio is lined with manicured hedges and a wooden fence. Condominium amenities include a clubhouse, tennis courts and regular events.

Steer: $57,432 (estimated) and a $285 monthly homeowners association fee

Contact: Richard Trey Dewey, Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty, 949-355-3223; sothebysrealty.com

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