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After more than half a century, Frank Sinatra’s famed Los Angeles party haven, Villa Dorada, has officially hit the real estate market.
Constructed in 1929, this Spanish Revival masterpiece features six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. It was once the residence of Bela Lugosi, the legendary actor known for his portrayal of Dracula.
Later, the opulent estate became the home of Jimmy Van Heusen, a four-time Oscar-winning composer renowned for his collaboration with Sinatra on numerous classic tunes.
Van Heusen, along with lyricist Sammy Cahn, crafted some of Sinatra’s most iconic songs, including “Come Fly with Me,” “All the Way,” “(Love Is) The Tender Trap,” “Love and Marriage,” “High Hopes,” “My Kind of Town,” “Only the Lonely,” and “Call Me Irresponsible.”
Beyond their professional partnership, Van Heusen was also a close friend to Sinatra, famously aiding him during a personal crisis involving his tumultuous marriage to Ava Gardner.
Van Heusen let Sinatra stay in and throw parties at the Villa Dorada, which was recently put on sale for $7.5 million, according to its staging studio Vesta Home.
Frank Sinatra’s Los Angeles party house, the glamorous Villa Dorada, has arrived on the real estate market for the first time in 53 years
The six-bedroom seven-bathroom spread was built in the Spanish Revival style in 1929 and was at one point owned by Hollywood’s original Dracula, Bela Lugosi
Jimmy Van Heusen is pictured with Sinatra (right) and his wife Ava Gardner (middle); their split prompted the singer to slash one of his wrists, forcing Van Heusen to rush him to the hospital
He was also friends with Bing Crosby, for whom he wrote co-wrote songs like Swinging on a Star, and whom he also allowed to give fetes at the Villa Dorada.
The house is still awash in retro touches including the deep pink tiling in one of the bathrooms, which also still features a vintage shower.
Much of the decor still offers a glimpse into the home’s past, such as the colonial ceiling motif surrounding the massive ornate upstairs chandelier.
‘From the moment you walk through the front door, you feel the historic beauty in every detail,’ said the property’s staging designer Ryan Worthington.
‘The tiled floors, the chandeliers, the grand windows—every room has a spark of interest. It was important that our design complemented rather than competed with the architecture. I leaned into the home’s rich colors and layered in antiques and textures that speak to its past,’ he added.
Meanwhile listing agent John Zaffarano gushed: ‘Villa Dorada has every hallmark of old Hollywood — the dramatic architecture, the preserved details, the incredible views of LA from every angle.’
He added that ‘when you remember that Frank Sinatra actually lived here, you can almost picture the parties and the energy that once filled these rooms.’
The various balconies and windows offer panoramic views of Los Angeles, with visible landmarks ranging from the Griffith Observatory to the Hollywood sign.Â
Eventually the luxurious property fell into the hands of four-time Oscar-winning composer Jimmy Van Heusen, who co-wrote a string of beloved Sinatra songs
Van Heusen let Sinatra stay in and throw parties at the Villa Dorada, which was recently put on sale for $7.5 million, according to its staging studio Vesta Home
was also friends with Bing Crosby, for whom he wrote co-wrote songs like Swinging on a Star, and whom he also allowed to give fetes at the Villa Dorada
The house is still awash in retro touches including the deep pink tiling in one of the bathrooms, which also still features a vintage shower
Much of the decor still offers a glimpse into the home’s past, such as the colonial ceiling motif surrounding the massive ornate upstairs chandelierÂ
‘From the moment you walk through the front door, you feel the historic beauty in every detail,’ said the property’s staging designer Ryan Worthington
‘The tiled floors, the chandeliers, the grand windows – every room has a spark of interest,’ said Worthington of the upscale spread
The home’s high elevation affords ravishing views to the owners and guests
‘I leaned into the home’s rich colors and layered in antiques and textures that speak to its past,’ said Worthington of the way he put the house together for staging
Meanwhile the estate’s listing agent John Zaffarano gushed that ‘Villa Dorada has every hallmark of old Hollywood’
Zaffarano showered praise on the home’s ‘dramatic architecture, the preserved details, the incredible views of LA from every angle’
He added that ‘when you remember that Frank Sinatra actually lived here, you can almost picture the parties and the energy that once filled these rooms’
The various balconies and windows offer panoramic views of Los Angeles, with visible landmarks ranging from the Griffith Observatory to the Hollywood sign
Party guests had the option of spilling outdoors onto a covered patio that opened onto the backyard, which offered its own breathtaking vistas of the cityscape
The drawing room’s Torri chairs ‘strike a balance between modernism and the rounded retro silhouettes that echo throughout the house,’ according to Worthington
Among the home’s festive touches is a parlor beside the main foyer that contains its own bar, situated by the window so guests can enjoy the views with their cocktails
One of the rooms has been repurposed into a home gym, adding a dose of current Hollywood’s fitness enthusiasm into the midst of the throwback party house
Meanwhile the master suite – the boudoir of legendary ladies’ man Van Heusen – still has has its original marble detailing and fireplace tile
The parlor bar has its own sensational views for the bartender to enjoy
One of the seven bathrooms has green and black tiling instantly redolent of the Art Deco era
The balcony is equipped with an elegant fountain made to resemble a pond
The home’s outdoor lighting enhances its old-fashioned glamour by night
Party guests had the option of spilling outdoors onto a covered patio that opened onto the backyard, which offered its own breathtaking vistas of the cityscape.
The throwback chic drawing room has been refurnished with Torri dining chairs to ‘strike a balance between modernism and the rounded retro silhouettes that echo throughout the house,’ according to Worthington.
Among the home’s festive touches is a parlor beside the main foyer that contains its own bar, situated by the window so guests can enjoy the views with their cocktails.Â
One of the rooms has been repurposed into a home gym, adding a dose of current Hollywood’s fitness enthusiasm into the midst of the throwback party house.
Meanwhile the master suite – the boudoir of legendary ladies’ man Van Heusen – still has has its original marble detailing and fireplace tile.
As Sinatra’s best friend, Van Heusen became an expert at dealing with the singer’s explosive temper, calling him ‘your eminence’ in his presence and ‘the monster’ in his absence, according to biographer Kitty Kelley.
Once, while at Van Heusen’s Palm Desert house at 4am after a spat with Desi Arnaz, Sinatra flew into such a drunken fury that he took a knife to a Norman Rockwell painting of Van Heusen that had been made especially for him.
‘Why do you put up with his craziness?’ Van Heusen’s incredulous date asked, to which he replied: ‘Because he sings my songs, that’s why. I’m a w**** for my music.’Â