Inside Designer Ross Cassidy’s Masterclass in Historic Restoration: The Hollywood Hills Spanish Revival Lists for $8 Million
Main Facts
In the upper echelons of the Los Angeles real estate market, properties that seamlessly blend century-old provenance with contemporary luxury are exceedingly rare. Rising to meet this demand is the meticulously restored 1927 Spanish Colonial Revival situated in the prestigious Hollywood Hills, now officially listed for $8 million. The nearly 5,100-square-foot architectural gem is owned by celebrated interior designer Ross Cassidy and his partner, real estate agent Jed Weisman.
Weisman, operating through Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California, holds the high-profile listing for the sprawling estate. The property represents the culmination of a multi-year labor of love. After purchasing the home in 2020 for $3.3 million—following years of searching for the ideal architectural canvas—Cassidy and Weisman embarked on an intensive, two-and-a-half-year renovation journey. Their mission was clear: update the layout and infrastructure for modern living without sacrificing a single ounce of the soul, craftsmanship, and historic character that define Old Hollywood architecture.
The resulting estate spans approximately 5,100 square feet and features an array of sophisticated living spaces. Inside, the home offers multiple bedroom suites, including a primary retreat on the second level outfitted with a yellow upholstered bed, mirrored panels, and panoramic views of the surrounding treetops. The main level hosts an additional bedroom suite, while a separate detached bungalow positioned above the garage adds a private bedroom and full bathroom for guests or staff.
The grounds are equally captivating. Set amongst clipped hedges, mature native trees, and lush citrus plants, the property boasts a partially recessed swimming pool trimmed in rusticated stone. Adjacent to the pool area is an expansive outdoor living space sheltered by a custom ramada, complete with a raised-hearth stone fireplace designed for cool Los Angeles evenings.
Chronology
To understand the magnitude of the transformation, one must look at the timeline of the property, from its origins nearly a century ago to its present-day market debut.
- 1927: The Spanish Colonial Revival residence is constructed in the Hollywood Hills, catching the architectural zeitgeist of an era defined by romantic, Mediterranean-inspired design, intricate hand-painted details, and fine masonry.
- Decades Following: The home passes through various owners, accumulating minor updates, wear, and architectural modifications that gradually obscure some of its original 1920s grandeur and interrupt its spatial flow.
- 2020: After years of scouring the Los Angeles market for a property with genuine historical significance and architectural bones, interior designer Ross Cassidy and real estate professional Jed Weisman acquire the estate for $3.3 million, according to public records.
- 2020 – 2022: The couple initiates a comprehensive, two-and-a-half-year restoration and remodeling project. Rather than treating the home as a blank slate, Cassidy approaches it as an exercise in architectural archaeology and refinement. The layout is radically re-engineered: a formerly isolated guest room accessible only from the exterior is integrated into the home as a formal dining room, and a dramatic double-height library is divided into two distinct levels to create a warm family room directly beneath the primary suite.
- 2026: Following the completion of the meticulous updates—which introduce modern amenities, high-end chef’s kitchen finishes, and luxurious bathrooms while preserving historic ironwork and hand-carved ceilings—the couple decides to part ways with the property, listing it publicly for $8 million through Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California.
Supporting Data & Architectural Specifications
The value proposition of the Sunset Plaza Drive estate lies in the marriage of uncompromising historic preservation and high-end interior design. Below is a breakdown of the property’s key metrics and architectural features:
- Location: Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California
- Original Acquisition Year & Price: 2020 for $3.3 million
- Current Listing Price: $8 million
- Total Living Area: Approximately 5,100 square feet
- Bedrooms & Bathrooms: Multiple bedroom suites (including a main-level suite, a primary upper-level suite, and a detached guest bungalow over the garage)
- Architectural Style: 1927 Spanish Colonial Revival
- Flooring Materials: A curated blend of authentic terrazzo, terracotta, and narrow-plank white oak
- Historic Elements Retained: Leaded glass windows, custom wrought-iron railings, marble-framed interior doorways, intricately carved wooden ceilings, and hand-painted ceiling beams
- Kitchen Finishes: Sage green custom cabinetry, lustrous wood accents, veined marble countertops, and a continuous row of windows flooding the space with natural light
- Outdoor Amenities: Rusticated stone-trimmed swimming pool, mature citrus trees, manicured hedges, and an outdoor fireside ramada with a raised stone hearth
- Listing Brokerage: Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California (Represented by Jed Weisman)
- Photography Credit: Will Myers
Official Responses & Designer Insights
For interior designer Ross Cassidy, the project was much more than a routine flip or personal real estate investment; it was an opportunity to practice preservation at the highest level.
“My passion is restoring important historical houses and making them work in the modern world,” Cassidy shared in an interview with Robb Report. He characterizes the residence as a "100-year-old treasure" that successfully bridges the gap between the evocative, romantic character of old Hollywood and the functional demands of contemporary luxury, such as expansive walk-in closets and generous, spa-like bathrooms.
Reflecting on the unique challenges of undertaking a project on a century-old property, Cassidy emphasizes the irreplaceable nature of Los Angeles’s architectural heritage. “They aren’t making more century-old houses in LA,” he notes. “So it’s my goal to honor, preserve, and rehabilitate the ones we have.”
Cassidy also points out the distinct creative freedom that comes with designing one’s own living space rather than working strictly for a client. According to the designer, a professional’s personal residence often stands as their magnum opus because it allows for an obsessive focus on minutiae and micro-details that larger commercial projects or rushed renovations rarely accommodate.
Jed Weisman, who managed both the personal investment aspect of the property and its eventual commercial listing, positioned the home through Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California to target high-net-worth buyers who appreciate both architectural provenance and turn-key modern convenience.
Implications for the Los Angeles Luxury Real Estate Market
The public listing of Cassidy and Weisman’s Hollywood Hills estate carries several notable implications for the broader Southern California luxury housing market:
1. The Premium on Authentic Historic Provenance
While modern glass boxes in the Bird Streets or ultra-minimalist concrete structures in Bel-Air often dominate headlines, properties with true historical pedigree continue to command immense respect—and top-tier pricing. The jump from a $3.3 million acquisition price in 2020 to an $8 million asking price in 2026 highlights the substantial financial upside available to designers and developers who possess the vision to properly restore—rather than gut or demolish—historic Spanish Colonial Revival and mid-century architecture.
2. The Evolution of Buyer Expectations
Luxury buyers in Los Angeles are increasingly rejecting sterile, mass-produced luxury in favor of homes with narrative, soul, and unique architectural detailing. However, modern high-net-worth buyers are unwilling to compromise on modern comforts. Cassidy’s successful reconfiguration of the Sunset Plaza Drive floor plan—transforming awkward 1920s layouts into fluid, light-filled spaces with generous primary baths and chef’s kitchens—serves as a blueprint for how older homes can be adapted for modern luxury standards without erasing their historical identity.
3. A Continuing Trend of Designer-Owned Showpieces
Homes designed and lived in by top-tier interior designers frequently act as cultural touchstones in the design world, influencing trends in color palettes (such as the property’s tasteful integration of sage and olive greens), material pairing (terrazzo alongside warm woods and veined marble), and indoor-outdoor living. As this property heads toward its next chapter, it leaves an indelible mark on the Hollywood Hills architectural landscape, proving that the best way to honor the past is to carefully curate it for the future.
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