James Franco has a property up for sale in the Silver Lake neighborhood, an eccentrically-cool apartment which the actor/writer has priced at $949K. The home seems to have fulfilled its purpose for Mr. Franco, who apparently used it mainly as a guest house and production office during his ownership. Franco purchased the residence about five years ago, paying $775K for the two-and-two duplex.
The place fits right into Silver Lake. As much a tonic for blandly upscale L.A.-area genera as its neighborhood, the unit’s series of period details and nifty surprises suggest a pleasant insouciance: a thoroughly easygoing atmosphere results from the layout, and the vintage sconces, tile-accented thresholds, narrow-plank flooring, brick, painted and terra-cotta tile, and raw timber that are visible throughout. The unit is supplemented by a second one bedroom apartment, but both are offered together at the asking price.
The building dates to 1923, and is designed in the Spanish Eclectic style, and currently iterated in classic whitewash, with warm off-white overtones. Bedrooms culminate in a truly charming master; compact, but cozy, not claustrophobic. A wood-burning fireplace which may or may not be in working condition presents at least the potentiality of fundamental warmth on cooler winter nights. Other pleasing spaces include the sunroom, the rooftop deck, and the artfully landscaped meditation garden in the rear of the property.
Franco’s dozen-or-so film projects to see theaters this year include five he directed; ‘Bukowski’ promises to be an interesting entry, plotting the beginning of the poet’s trajectory of creativity and addiction. The film represents another in a series of ambitious literary adaptations from Franco, a former English major and wildly prolific filmmaker.