Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt listed his ranch-style in the Franklin Hills neighborhood this month. He priced the home at $3.85 million. The larger lot and the secluded courtyard layout make it a unique and charming home.
And then there’s the Smithsonian installation feel of the place. Gordon-Levitt apparently has a taste for time-capsules; when he took ownership four years ago, the home was essentially untouched by any remotely recent revisions, and still appears to be relatively period-intact…right down to a Fiestaware-toned console sink and matching tile in one bath, and what looks to be an original luxe electric range in the kitchen.
Walnut cabinetry and paneling, jigsaw-turned walnut accents, a brick fireplace, and casement windows run throughout the home, as do original narrow-plank oak and terra-cotta tile floors. Lantern sconces in various styles and a prominent bay window chime in. All contribute to enhancing the trapped-in-time feel of the place. It’s kind of wonderful.
The 3,771 square-footer is a four-and-four; the master suite receives a little sitting area anchored by a period fireplace, an extensive series of oversize French casements, and built-ins. The jewel of the property is the courtyard, though; venerable trees, grass oases, and a pavilion-like patio and pool sunlounge in tile suggest laid-back parties past, present and future.
Post-‘Snowden,’ Gordon-Levitt seemed to relax a bit. He appears in the upcoming thriller ‘7500’ and will appear in the future feature ‘The Trial of the Chicago Seven’; the latter film was written—and will be directed by—Aaron Sorkin, who wrote ‘A Few Good Men,’ and took home an Oscar for penning ‘The Social Network.’