Celebrity Style
July 29, 2020
The Golden Girls House Is On The Market For The First Time Ever!
Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia — if you recognized these monikers, then you were a fan of the ’80s sitcom, The Golden Girls. The iconic show revolved around the lives of four very different Miami retirees who tackled difficult topics over coffee klatches and cocktails on the lanai. Now, 35 years after the show premiered in 1985, the real-life house — that was used for the exterior of the show — is on the market for the first time ever for $3 million. Scroll down to see inside this mood-boosting property!
The house’s familiar exterior (owned by southern belle Blanche Devereaux, the character played by Rue McClanahan) was shown throughout the show’s first season, until a replica was built at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the rest of the series. No scenes were shot inside the home, which is actually in Brentwood, California.
Those who tuned in might recall the set’s conventional ’80s tropical decor (think: dusty pink, lots of rattan and palm print wallpaper). But the actual The Golden Girls home is a 3,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bathroom house designed by Hawaiian architects Allen Johnson and Thomas Perkins with mid-century Hawaiian- and Japanese-inspired design.
The TV show’s living room was an eclectic mix of ’70s boho, mid-century and Hollywood Regency furnishings, but in contrast, the Brentwood home — built in 1955 — has huge open rooms and tall vaulted ceilings, unlike the small, fussy rooms on the sitcom. Original features include oak floors, floor-to-ceiling glass windows and sliding Japanese Shoji screens (below) that eliminate the need for drapes.
Shoji-style screens add to the Japanese/Hawaiian influences and slide closed to give the dining room a sense of privacy from the main living space.
Large windows afford gorgeous views of the backyard, filled with rare tropical greenery. Floor-to-ceiling windows are a nod to the Case Study homes, famous examples of mid-century architecture.
Flat-face cabinetry in punchy pistachio and turquoise, Eames-style moulded chairs and terrazzo floors conjures up a vintage vibe in the kitchen.
On the TV show, many problems were solved over cheesecake in the kitchen, but this real-life home is much more spacious, with more storage than the dowdy hangout lined with copper cake pans and faux plants. (The set’s kitchen decor was left over from another sitcom called It Takes Two.)
Blanche’s bedroom was wrapped in Martinique-style palm wallpaper with a pink scalloped chair (a forward-thinking combo that still looks hot today), but this bedroom is much more minimalist. Reeded glass allows light into the principal ensuite yet still creates a sense of privacy.
A walk-in shower is a generous addition: typically mid-century homes had compact shower enclosures. Sleek and simple cabinets suit the modern aesthetic.
Terrazzo, a classic mid-century staple, is an authentic touch for the ensuite’s bathroom floor and counter.
Juicy chartreuse chairs perk up this bedroom. This on-trend summer hue is an easy way to liven up a neutral palette and proves a little dash of color can go a long way.
Thoughtful built-in storage is another hallmark of mid-century design, and helps provide a clean envelope for a few well-chosen accessories.
The Shoji screen details are echoed in the headboard and wood furnishings in this bedroom.
Contrasting panel doors pick up the warmth of the hardwood flooring. This style of home was designed to be functional, but still cozy.
The Golden Girls introduced a new word to non-Floridian viewers: lanai. A lanai is a porch or veranda with a cement floor and an awning, sometimes enclosed by screens. The site of many umbrella drinks, the lanai on the TV show had a pergola, terracotta hexagon tile flooring, and was set with curlicued iron loungers painted a sage green. In this real-life version, Hawaiian elements bring the outdoors in with a vanishing threshold, stone patio, and covered porch to keep out the rain, punctuated by a skylight.
Brandon Valente, Brandon V Photography