Frank Sinatra’s Famous Byrdview Estate Is Back on the Market Asking $21.5 Million

A mid-century home with a storied history and deep Hollywood connections is now up for grabs.

Georgie Mihaila
8 Min Read

Recently listed for a whopping $21.5 million, this mid-century Los Angeles compound is by no means your ordinary luxury home.

Judy Garland held her wedding here. Marilyn Monroe once lived in the guest house. Frank Sinatra himself called it home for over a decade, throwing roaring parties for all of his Rat Pack friends, with names like Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin or Ava Gardner in attendance.

In recent years, the estate — which goes by the name Byrdview — served as filming set for popular productions like Mad Men, Dreamgirls, and Californication, adding a few extra notches on its popularity belt.

Now, the 8,000+ square-foot compound, along with the massive lot it stands on (close to 14 acres), are looking for new owners to capitalize on both the bragging rights and the rare opportunity to own such a large stretch of land in the Los Angeles area. The property is listed with Craig Knizek of The Agency and Barrie Livingstone of Sotheby’s.

Frank Sinatra's former home is perched on a private hilltop promontory high above the 1,325-acre Chatsworth Preserve.
Frank Sinatra’s former home is perched on a private hilltop promontory high above the 1,325-acre Chatsworth Preserve. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency

The house was designed by legendary architect William Pereira

Built in 1949, Byrdview is one of only a handful of homes ever to be designed by the great American architect William Pereira, co-founder of famed architectural firm Pereira & Luckman.

Known for designing the Los Angeles International Airport Theme Building, Pereira and Luckman parted ways roughly 10 years after Byrdview was built, and went on to create timeless structures like the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco (Pereira) and Madison Square Garden in New York City (Luckman).

Byrdview is one of only a few homes designed by the great American architect William Pereira.
Byrdview is one of only a few homes designed by the great American architect William Pereira. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency
Byrdview is one of only a few homes designed by the great American architect William Pereira.
Byrdview is one of only a few homes designed by the great American architect William Pereira. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency

Frank Sinatra called it home in the 1950s

The house was commissioned by Dora Hutchinson, heiress to the Chase Manhattan bank fortune, who then rented the property to Frank Sinatra.

Old Blue Eyes lived in the sprawling home in the 1950s and ’60s and often hosted his famous friends here. In fact, Marilyn Monroe is said to have lived in the guest house for some time, and actress Judy Garland married Vincente Minnelli on the property.

This is one of six homes Sinatra lived in throughout his life (he died age 82), and one that bears a striking resemblance to his first house, Twin Palms — a mid-century home in Palm Springs which the crooner had built for himself and his first wife, Nancy.

Marilyn Monroe famously stayed in the guest house, which comes with its own small dipping pool. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency

For those of us who can’t afford a multi-million dollar estate but still want to walk a mile in the crooner’s shoes, Twin Palms, Frank Sinatra’s initial mid-century home in Palm Springs is offered as a vacation rental on Airbnb.

A light-filled home surrounded by walls of glass

You’ll find the lovely home in Chatsworth, a suburban neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley. 

To make the most of its unique location (atop a private promontory) and 360-degree views, the house has full-length glass walls which overlook the Chatsworth Reservoir nature preserve. The glass walls also flood the house with natural light which, paired with its crisp white walls, bright interior design and 16-foot ceilings, make quite an impression.

The house has full-length glass walls which overlook the Chatsworth Reservoir nature preserve. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency
It has crisp white interiors and 16-foot ceilings. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency
The glass walls flood the house with natural light. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency

8,000+ sq ft of pure mid-century design, plus enough land to build an additional 11 homes

The living space amounts to 8,161 square feet spread across the property’s existing three structures, with a total of 7 bedrooms, 7 full baths and 2 half baths.

Each and every space in the house pays homage to the time when it was built, characterized by uncluttered and sleek lines with gentle organic curves, liberal use of traditional material, such as wood, and non-traditional materials such as glass, plywood or Plexiglass.

The living areas, kitchen, and bedrooms all exemplify mid-century design and stand as testament to the timeless quality of the style.

Sinatra’s former home is mid-century modern at its best. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency
The primary suite has a generous sitting area that overlooks the property’s expansive grounds. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency
The beautiful kitchen is dressed in its finest white clothes. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency
Each and every space in the house pays homage to the time when it was built. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency
Warm wood elements are present throughout the house. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency
There’s plenty of space to entertain guests. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency

There’s also a gym, massage/steam room/sauna, as well as a 50-foot pool and a more than generous pergola lounge area.

Believe it or not, that’s not even the biggest draw. The property is being offered for sale along with adjoining parcels that total close to 14 acres, a massive stretch of land the likes of which we don’t see very often in the Los Angeles area.

In fact, the final tract map is approved for development of 11 individual home sites with separate entrance, situated below and not in view of the main residence.

Outside, there’s a 50-foot pool and a gorgeous 2,000-square-foot pergola lounge area. Image credit: Scott Everts/Fox/The Agency

Byrdview (or Farralone, as the iconic home has often been called) sits at the end of a near mile-long driveway atop a private promontory that overlooks the vast 1,325-acre Chatsworth Reservoir nature preserve.

It has previously been offered for sale, but the past listing did not include the massive adjoining parcels. This opens up a lot of possibilities for discerned buyers to further expand this iconic property. So not only does Byrdview have an illustrious past, but we’re looking forward to see what its future has in store.

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With a decade-long career as a digital content creator, Georgie started out as a real estate journalist for Multi-Housing News & CPExecutive. She later transitioned into digital marketing, working with leading real estate websites like PropertyShark, RENTCafé and Point2Homes. After a brief but impactful stint in the start-up world, where she led the marketing divisions of fintech company NestReady and media publisher Goalcast, Georgie returned to her first passion, real estate, and founded FancyPantsHomes.com