Kristen Wiig recently passed on stewardship responsibilities of Case Study House #10 to its new owner, Lily Collins, who shelled out $3.9 million for it. But Wiig has also acquired a new property in the past year, according to Dirt, paying $4.9 million for the keys, and it’s a remarkable home in its own right.
The residence sits on a private and very green lot in Pasadena. It hails from the 1930s, and it’s as eccentric and varied as an artist. Evidence of renovations carried out through the decades can be spotted in most rooms, a collection of design bric-a-brac which forms a mightily charming aggregate. Pattern, approach, whimsy, formality, this house’s playful smoke-and-mirrors narrative is indeed a personality.
The home’s exterior seems to represent a contradiction, with symmetrical Georgian red brick formality defining its façade; but for a lime green door to contrast with the intense warmth of all the brick, it looks like a fairly staid neighborhood presence. In back, however, the home positively blossoms into a relaxed complexity, with verandas overlooking a lawn-covered backyard with a pool, a blend of red brick and dark gray-blue painted clapboard, and a series of French doors, sash windows, and steel-framed units.
Inside the home, the surprises continue with a series of adventurously tiled fireplaces, hipped ceilings, window seats, and brightly colored wall covering; despite the stylistic variance, the result is more engaging than fatiguing. The living area is essentially open-concept, a bright and airy atmosphere prevailing which allows a black treatment in the kitchen to work effectively.
Wiig will likely make a few changes to the home, leaving evidence of her own tastes to the tapestry that has developed here.
Wiig stars in the upcoming Apple TV+ period comedy Mrs. American Pie, with Laura Dern and Ricky Martin.