Spadena House (The Witch’s House), Los Angeles

The Spadena House, also referred to as The Witch's House, stands as a distinctive storybook-style residence located in Beverly Hills. Its notable feature is its deliberately whimsical and aged design, making it a prominent landmark featured on local tours. Originally, the Spadena family, who were the initial occupants of this 3,500-square-foot (330 square meters) home, gave it their name.

The house's design can be attributed to Hollywood art director Harry Oliver, who had a prolific career spanning over 30 films from 1919 to 1938, serving as an art director and set decorator. He later played a significant role in the development of Storybook architecture. Initially constructed in 1921, the house served as offices and dressing rooms for Irvin Willat's film studio in Culver City. It was later relocated to its present site in 1926. This converted private residence boasts a distinctive look, featuring a sharply pitched, asymmetric roof, small windows, and stucco with a deliberately distressed paint finish, all surrounded by a meticulously overgrown English-style garden and a pond resembling a moat.

Architect Charles Willard Moore once described this building as the quintessential Hansel and Gretel house, evoking a fairytale charm. Additionally, the house has made appearances in several films, including the 1995 movie "Clueless."