During the glitz and glamour of the legendary Hollywood parties in the 1930s, one house was proclaimed by the tabloids as the most beautiful home in Hollywood. This is the Canfield-Moreno Estate that is now known as Paramour Estate and is currently on the market priced at $39.995 million.
The 4.3-acre Paramour Estate has a main mansion overlooking Silver Lake that is measured at 22,000 square feet. It has 15 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms and features include ceiling beams painted to match the colors in the home’s fabrics, a bar front covered in zebra skin, a grand ballroom with a 25-foot-high ceiling, gilded mirrors, bold colors, crystal chandeliers, a myriad of places to dine, marble-hand-tiled pool, sunroom, and lower-level staff quarters. The house also boasts of four guest cottages, two guest suites, lush landscaping with rose gardens, and parking for 50 cars.
The listing agent for the Paramour estate is Sally Forster Jones of Compass, Los Angeles.
This is the spacious and airy living room with a fireplace, a stylish sofa set, tall beige walls with a tall arched window, and a tall beamed ceiling. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. 
This is the formal dining room with a large dark wood dining set with intricate carvings topped with a chandelier and adorned with a large stuffed polar bear. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. 
This is the informal dining area surrounded by glass walls that bring in natural lighting for the dark wood dining set topped with a crystal chandelier. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. 
This is the primary bedroom that has a traditional bed with sheets that match the carpeted flooring. On the opposite side is the fireplace topped with wall artwork. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. 
This other bedroom has pink walls, a crystal chandelier, and a patterned area rug under the bed across from the fireplace topped with a mirror. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. 
This is the primary bathroom that has earthy orange walls, white subway tiles, and a freestanding bathtub. These are then complemented by the gold accents and intricate designs from the vanity, mirror, and ceiling. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. This is a close look at the far corner of the primary bathroom fitted with a sitting area, an elegant couch, and a wooden coffee table beside the vanity. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. This is the den with velvet armchairs, sofas, and large wall-mounted artworks that stand out against the red walls and beamed ceiling that hangs a large chandelier in the middle of the room. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. The home office has arched windows lining the walls that bring in natural lighting for the concrete walls, gray sofas, and glass-top coffee table topped with a crystal chandelier. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. 
This is a close look at the bar that has a zebra front for the wooden bar paired with wooden cabinetry and shelves on the walls for glasses and liquor storage. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. 
This is a close look at the large terrace with brick flooring, concrete walls, tall trees that bring shade, and multiple sets of outdoor wrought-iron chairs and tables. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. 
This is the other smaller terrace with wrought-iron railings on the side to match the intricate wrought-iron chairs and table on the brick flooring. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. This is the back of the house with a large swimming pool surrounded by red brick walkways and shrubs that bring color to the earthy exterior walls. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. This is a close look at the far edge of the swimming pool area with a concrete statue, cushioned wrought-iron chairs, and lounge chairs with shrubs on the side. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. This is the side of the house with tall arched windows, brick walls, potted plants, grass lawn, and tall trees that bring shade to the garden. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. This is a close look at the grass lawn on the side of the house surrounded by tall trees, shrubs, and potted plants with a view of the mountains in the distance. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com. This is an aerial view of the estate with red tile roofs, wide driveways, and thick trees that surround the home. Image courtesy of Toptenrealestatedeals.com.
All photos are used with permission from TopTenRealEstateDeals.com
In the early 1900s, Southern California became the glamour capital of the world, where some of the world’s most famous movie stars, directors, and producers tried to outdo each other with their ritzy mansions. There was the Louis B. Mayer Estate in Bel Air; a number of mansions designed by Wallace Neff for the biggest celebrities including Charlie Chaplain, Fredric March, and Harpo Marx; and the most famous home of all: Pickfair for Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. But according to the tabloids of the era, the most beautiful home of them all was the Canfield-Moreno Estate, now known as Paramour Estate. It is now on the open market for the first time, priced at $39.995 million.
Heiress-and-socialite Daisy Canfield, with the Pan American Petroleum fortune in her back pocket, could have almost anything she wanted. And what she wanted most was the grandest home in Los Angeles. Daisy hired the most famous architect of the time to design and build a monument-mansion where she could overlook Hollywood from the highest ridge in the Los Angeles basin. It was the most opulent mansion of the era and like many of the old L.A. mansions, was full of celebrity connections and intrigue.
Daisy’s first marriage was to Jay M. Danziger, who was connected to the Mexican Petrol Oil Company. After their divorce, she married silent film star Antonio Moreno in 1923. Together they built their mansion overlooking Silver Lake; the home went by various names throughout the years from Crestmount, to the Danziger Mansion, to the Canfield-Moreno Mansion, and finally the Paramour Estate.
In addition to their home, Daisy also used the property as a boarding school and academy that educated young-orphaned girls. But in 1933, only days after her abrupt separation from Moreno, Daisy’s life came to a tragic end, returning home from a party, when she drove off a 300-foot cliff along Mulholland Drive.
The home continued to operate as a boarding school, while Moreno stayed in the home until 1948. In 1953, the home was deeded to the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception Order, who also used it as a school. In 1998, designer Dana Hollister purchased the home, renamed it Paramour, and funded a restoration from onsite film shoots, weddings, and social events.
Perched on over 4.3 acres, the four-story, walled, 22,000-square-foot home with 15 bedrooms and 15 baths is not anyone’s regular ho-hum mansion. Created by Robert D. Farquhar, the architect to the stars who also did the Owlwood Estate – once owned by both Tony Curtis and Cher, Paramour played host to lavish celebrity parties and was ultimately dubbed by the tabloids as “The Most Beautiful Home in Hollywood.”
Features include ceiling beams painted to match the colors in the home’s fabrics, a bar front covered in zebra skin, a grand ballroom with a 25-foot-high ceiling, gilded mirrors, bold colors, crystal chandeliers, a myriad of places to dine, marble-hand-tiled pool, sunroom, lower-level staff quarters, and 360-degree views that stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the San Gabriel Mountains.
There are four guest cottages, two guest suites, lush landscaping with rose gardens, and parking for 50 cars. According to the seller, “Antique and vintage lighting, furniture, and décor are not included in the sale, but may be available at an additional cost.”
The Silver Lake neighborhood is on L.A.’s east side near Sunset Boulevard, also home to celebrities Rachel McAdams, James Franco, Christina Ricci, Chris Pine and Pauly Shore.
The listing agent for the Paramour estate is Sally Forster Jones of Compass, Los Angeles.
Photo credits: Simon Berlyn and Neue Focus
Source: www.compass.com
