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Turkish-born designer Kalef Alaton died in 1989, soon after his West Hollywood home was featured in Architectural Digest. SOURCE: Interior Design
The celebrity pedigree of past inhabitants of this Los Angeles condo gets an A+ on the Hollywood list, given that Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe both lived at 882 N Doheny Dr, West Hollywood, CA 90069 — though not together but in separate units in the triplex.
However, it was the 1980s makeover of this private compound by renowned designer Kalef Alaton that ensured this property is not resting on its name-dropping laurels now that it has hit the West Hollywood real estate market.
The list price for the 5,600-square-foot property is $4.75 million for a main house with 2 bedrooms, 5 fireplaces; a studio over the garage and a separate 1-bedroom unit. The three units are connected by a courtyard and patio, all tucked into an ivy-walled retreat guarded by twin sphinxes.
While the lore of Sinatra using 882 N. Doheny as his Hollywood getaway and of Monroe’s full-time tenure there during the early 1960s, Alaton deserves all the attention when it comes to allure of this property, especially the 4,000-square-foot main house that showcases Alaton’s genius. Here’s the skinny on the designer-gone-too-soon by the blog Bungalux:
Kalef Alaton was a Turkish-born interior designer who studied painting and sculpture in Paris before moving to Los Angeles and setting his eyes on interior design. By the time he died of AIDS in 1989 at age 49, Kalef was one of the most renowned designers in the world. In addition to designing for private clients throughout the world, Kalef designed interiors for the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, the Crescent Court Hotel in Dallas and the Park Royal Hotel in Melbourne, Australia.
Kalef, who spoke five languages and loved to travel, infused eclecticism into every project. It was common for one room to feature a combination of European antiques, custom pieces, and materials indigenous to a project’s site. As Kalef said himself on that very topic, ‘I might combine an old piece with something very modern, but I won’t know how it will look until the pieces are placed together. The concept of combining styles is similar to acquiring friends. It’s nice to have young friends and old friends, each unique.’”
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