This Beverly Crest beauty is steeped in design history

Southern California architect Wallace Neff has been widely credited with creating what became known as the California style. Drawing inspiration from Mediterranean and Spanish designs, his mansions were homes to the rich and famous in a variety of Los Angeles communities.

His influence is evident in the work of his protégé and onetime school chum Georgius Y. Cannon.

This hip-roof single-story in the Beverly Crest portion of the Beverly Hills Post Office area was designed by Cannon and built in 1940. Following in Neff’s footsteps, Cannon favored exaggerated and drawn-out forms, as demonstrated by the home’s tall chimneys and long entrance gallery.

The stucco and red-tile roof house is a hybrid of Bermuda Colonial and English Regency styles. Often called the Hollywood Regency style, its roots came from set designers working on motion pictures beginning in the 1920s and 1930s.

A red-brick sidewalk leads up to the 2,778-square-foot home’s blue front door, which is surrounded by a Chippendale-style pediment.

Each room is a treasure trove of architectural details. Most remarkable is the circular library/den lined with bookshelves and wood walls.

The living room features a window seat, an ornate fireplace and a bay window looking out toward Century City. The dining room has wainscoting and a backlit coved ceiling.

Stainless-steel appliances bring a modern touch to the retro kitchen. A nook with walls of windows juts off the back of the house into the garden, creating an indoor-outdoor vibe. There are three en-suite bedrooms and a powder room. Two of the bathrooms have distinctive round windows.

A double-door with glass panes on the top half opens to the back terrace, an expansive brick-paved space that encircles the round library.

Brick continues on the driveway, which leads to a garage set at a slight angle to the street.

The third-acre property, at 9414 Lloydcrest Drive, Beverly Hills, 90210, is priced at $2.495 million. Bret Parsons of Compass is the listing agent.

This occasional feature celebrates Southern California’s architectural heritage through residences built before 1960. Submit candidates for Vintage SoCal to [email protected].