A who's who and history too

By: Ruth Ryon, Times Staff Writer: LA Times
Its role as home to film stars has spanned decades. Now the distinctive Los Feliz house is on the market for $3.1 million.

Christina Ricci, the current owner, bought it after Diane Keaton, and Keaton took her cue in the 1990s from matinee idol Ramon Novarro, who purchased the house shortly after it was built in 1928.

But having had three famous owners is only part of the story behind the unique-looking house.

"It is a piece of Los Angeles' architectural history," Ricci said, "and there is something incredibly magical about the feel of the house and its grounds."

Lloyd Wright designed the house, now owned by Christina Ricci, making extensive use of concrete.

The home is a city of Los Angeles historic-cultural monument known as the Samuel-Novarro House, built for Louis Samuel, Novarro's business manager, who sold it to the silent-screen star.

Lloyd Wright, son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, designed the three-level house, using a type of reinforced concrete-block construction that he developed with his father. Hand-hammered copper friezes and panels featuring the arrowhead as a design element cover the home. The house also has concrete floors, built-in shelving and a pool.

Typical of Lloyd Wright's style, many of the indoor spaces have adjoining outdoor living spaces. There is a deck off the master bedroom, overlooking the pool. The dining room opens to a patio. A second master bedroom or den has tall glass doors leading to an outdoor seating area and several levels of gardens, walkways and patios. The house is in the Oaks, an exclusive neighborhood in Los Feliz.

The home was preserved and updated in the '90s by Keaton.

Ricci has owned the 2,690-square-foot house with three bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms since June 2005. The 26-year-old, who played daughter Wednesday in two "Addams Family" films, made the transition from child star to adult actress in "The Ice Storm" (1997). She started filming in January on the movie "Penelope," which stars Reese Witherspoon.