Billionaire Ron Burkle seems to have changed his mind about his ambitious plans for Bob Hope’s estate in Toluca Lake.
When the investor/architecture buff bought the property back in 2018, he was looking to restore it and build four to six other homes on the sprawling 5-acre property, Mansion Global reported at the time. And restore he did.
The exterior of Bob Hope’s house in Toluca Lake. Bob and Delores Hope bought the property back in 1939 and moved to Toluca Lake, then a popular rustic suburb that attracted names like Greta Garbo, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby.
Throughout the years, they kept buying the neighboring lots until the grounds of their estate spanned more than 5 acres. At the center of it all stood an English traditional-style home designed by architect Richard Finkelhor.
But given Hope’s penchant for architecture, he commissioned John Elgin Woolf — known as the father of the Hollywood Regency style — to redesign the structure. Many of the architectural elements added by Woolf are still present today.
The open living area includes a stone-clad fireplace (one of six fireplaces in the home) leading to a large dining area that offers ample space for dinner parties. Inside, warm wood and stone accents abound, bathed in light by the walls of glass that are present throughout the house’s common living areas.
The kitchen has been heavily modernized and comes with a cozy breakfast nook. The lucky future owners will also get to enjoy Hope’s original oak library — which has been meticulously preserved over the years.
But there are plenty of other rooms where you can walk in the footsteps of the house’s famous former owner. Living areas and entertainment rooms abound throughout the property, hinting at the star-studded parties and events that took place here back in the day.
Naturally, the grounds of the property abound with outdoor amenities. To name just a few: a saltwater pool, lounge areas to relax with guests, a one-hole golf course designed by Hope himself with two tee positions, a tennis court, and a large barbecue kitchen.
more home & garden: natureofhome.com