The Witch House

And you thought Beverly Hills was all swimming pools and movie stars.....

Tucked onto the corner of Carmelita Avenue and Walden Drive in "The Flats" is the famous Spadena House, also known as the Witch House. It was designed in the "storybook style," showcasing a dilapidated but whimsical patina.

This particular residence was originally imagined by Harry Oliver, a Hollywood art designer during the 1920's and 30's. But as often happens in real estate, appetites change. And when the property returned to the market in 1997, eager prospectors, hoping to re-develop the land with a modern sensibility, emerged in force.

The home's unlikely savior? A buyer named Michael Libow, a real estate agent by trade who just couldn't bear the idea of this fanciful creation being lost. It stands intact today because of Michael's loyalty to the property's quirky architectural style, blessedly so.

As the spring season emerges in earnest, look around as you wander the streets of your own neighborhood. A hidden gem like the Spadena House might be just around the corner.

"An idea is salvation by imagination." - Frank Lloyd Wright