When luminous leading lady Virginia Bruce and screenwriter/director J. Walter Ruben built their newlywed home in Pacific Palisades, they looked to noted LA starchitect Herbert G. Riesenberg for inspiration. Over eight decades later, his graceful blend of classic East Coast and sleek Contemporary style still effortlessly transcends time.
One of the original Goldwyn Girls, Bruce introduced Cole Porter’s haunting I’ve Got You Under My Skin in the film Born to Dance with Jimmy Stewart and costarred in MGM’s The Great Ziegfeld with William Powell. Today, her gated estate at 1141 Maroney Lane has been fully and sensitively remodeled to honor its Old Hollywood roots and celebrate its modern pedigree.
Down a long, gated drive on over one and a half acres of mature, impeccably manicured formal grounds, the seven-bedroom, eight-bath residence exudes quality and glamour in every detail.
The heart of the sleek, lavish interior is an ultra-spacious gourmet kitchen with exquisite Calacatta gold marble counter tops and island, state of the art appliances, coffered ceiling, breakfast banquette, and French door to a garden deck.
Also on this level are formal living and dining rooms, a glass-enclosed brick patio wrapped in garden views, and a paneled billiards room with a huge bay window.
A secret stairway leads to a vintage pub room with diamond paned windows.
On the upper level, the sumptuous primary retreat is a world apart, with two designer dressing rooms, two lavish baths, and a freestanding soaking tub by the fireplace.
A private balcony overlooks a spectacular koi pond.
The grounds and gardens define the home, both through interior views and outdoor vistas. An orchard and a meandering stream with waterfall highlight its many leafy nooks.
The rear of the home is accented by five dormer windows and a long upper level deck surveying the landscape. Below, a long dining terrace overlooks the pool and ultra-private grounds. On one side of the home, a secluded long deck with lap pool and large fire pit awaits. A detached guest house completes the setting.
This incomparable modern manor with a glamorous past is listed by Cindy Ambuehl at $17,900,000.