Inside a Beverly Hills Landmark

March 4, 2025

Designed in 1926 by architect Roy Seldon Price, the Chimorro House is a chic residence replete with Spanish Revival aesthetic elements enveloped by terra-cotta-tiled patios, tranquil courtyards, lush lawn, flourishing gardens, and a glamorous swimming pool.

American architect Roy Seldon Price’s name and oeuvre are intricately woven into the historic fabric of Beverly Hills. Price established a reputation for refined Spanish Revival designs—including several city landmarks, icon Charlie Chaplin’s studio offices, and private residences for Hollywood luminaries, among them Chaplin’s first wife and director Thomas Ince. This 1926 home—named for the woman who commissioned it from Price, a friend of Chaplin known today simply by her surname, Chimorro—continues the theme of design significance, reportedly having served as a Prohibition-era speakeasy linked with the Beverly Hills Hotel, just a block away, via an underground tunnel. Stylistically, the 6,497-square-foot oasis stands as a testament to Price’s prestige with its blend of classical details and modern refinement.

Beverly Hills, California | Eric Lavey, Sotheby’s International Realty – Beverly Hills Brokerage

The home’s provenance remains an important part of its aesthetic, with graceful arches, handcrafted period ironwork, ceiling beams, and colorful hand-painted ceramic California tiles—all thoughtfully retained during an impeccable 21st-century restoration by Tichenor & Thorp. Generous in scale, the spaces are ideal for both grand festivities and the display of art. A chic living area with a fireplace is ideal for gatherings large or small, the light-filled dining room opens to the gardens, the cook’s kitchen exudes a welcoming warmth, the theater affords a comfortable space for private cinematic screenings, the game room was designed for more relaxed moments, and a wine room encourages at-home tastings. Sophisticated and serene, the owner’s suite includes a sitting room, an impressive walk-in closet, and a luxurious bath with a soaking tub. French doors to a balcony transform many of the guest suites into tranquil, breezy retreats.

Occupying a roughly half-acre midblock lot in the Flats, the grandly, securely gated estate also includes a freestanding guesthouse, the original gatehouse—which has since served as a tearoom, an office, and a lounge—an oversized two-car garage, and a paver-lined motor court accommodating up to 10 vehicles. The home is surrounded by terra-cotta-tiled patios, quiet courtyards, lush lawn, and a glamourous oval swimming pool and terrace set beneath swaying palms and secluded by mature privacy hedges. Much like the residence itself, with its significant place in the architectural history of Beverly Hills, the pool has been enshrined in Southern California’s aesthetic memory in a photograph by noted midcentury photographer Slim Aarons. Flourishing manicured gardens solidify the undeniable ambience of California’s Golden Age.