The Lewis Estate from “American Woman”

The internet has been going crazy as of late over images of Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood filming on location in L.A.  The period piece, which stars Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Luke Perry (OMG!) and chronicles the murder of Sharon Tate, is set in 1960s Tinseltown.  As Tarantino said at CinemaCon in April, “Street by street, block by block, we’ll transform Los Angeles into the Hollywood of 1969.”  And transform it, he has.  The director has brought countless lost city landmarks back to life in their original locations.  I so wish I was there to witness it all!  Another recent production that has also been resurrecting retro L.A. is American Woman, which debuted on the Paramount Network in early June.  Set in 1975, the series is loosely based upon the life of Kathleen Richards, mom of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards, who serves as co-executive producer.  Though I find the show to be a bit blah, the costumes and music are downright intriguing and the locations have me practically foaming at the mouth, especially the mid-century modern pad that serves as the home of lead character Bonnie Nolan (Alicia Silverstone) and her two daughters, Becca (Makenna James) and Jessica (Lia McHugh).  So I, of course, set out to pinpoint it.

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Said to be in Bel Air on the series, one look at the retro-fabulous property told me it was more likely located in Encino.

Thanks to the unique configuration of the residence, which consists of two adjacent rotundas, it was a snap to find.  I simply inputted “mid-century modern,” “house,” “Encino,” and “circular” into Google and the first response kicked back was a 2011 article about a pad for sale at 17862 Via Vallarta in Lake Encino complete with listing photos showing the very same spot I was searching for!  I ran out to stalk it shortly thereafter.

Known as the Lewis Estate in real life, the 1972 residence was commissioned by Joby and Helen Lewis, proprietors of Lake Tahoe’s Cal-Vada Lodge, as well as several Los Angeles nightclubs.

The unique property, designed by Benton/Park/Candreva Architects, is formed by two dodecagons (aka 12-sided structures) connected via a glass pavilion.

The sprawling 4-bedroom, 4-bath, 5,377-square-foot estate boasts a 3-car garage, a sunken living room, Rosewood detailing, brass sunburst front doors, maid’s quarters, a fireplace, a fire pit, a pool, a spa, and 1.33 acres of land.  Amazingly, very little of the home has been altered since it was built 45-plus years ago.

After Joby passed away in 1998, Helen continued to live at the residence.  Upon her death in July 2011, the property was put on the market for $2,900,000.  It eventually sold that November for $1,887,500 to husband-and-wife art auctioneers/architecture buffs Peter and Shannon Loughrey who have resolved to keep much of the place’s original detailing intact.  Peter is definitely a man after my own heart.  As a Ventura Boulevard article about the house states, “When Peter Loughrey first moved to California he was so enamored by the modernist homes he’d pass while driving through Brentwood and Bel Air that he’d often stop, ring the doorbell and ask the owner for a tour.  ‘A little old lady would answer and I’d say “Is this a Neutra house?”’ recalls Peter, referring to pioneering Austrian-American architect Richard Neutra.  ‘She’d say “Yes! How did you know?” Then she’d let me in, make me a sandwich and show me around.’”  Oh Peter, you and I could so hang!

The Lewis Estate’s original detailing is no doubt what led to its use on American Woman.  The residence is featured regularly on the series in establishing shots of the Nolan family home, as well as in some on-location scenes.

The residence’s actual interior, which you can see photos of here and here, appeared in the show’s first two episodes, “Liberation” (pictured below) and “Changes and the New Normal.”

Beginning with episode 4, titled “The Cost of Living,” the production began utilizing a set for interiors of the Nolan home.  That set is pictured below.

The property’s real-life pool and backyard area have been featured several times on the series, as well.

Fellow stalker Lisa informed me that the Lewis Estate also appears extensively as the home of Ken (Brían F. O’Byrne) and Grace Karn (Michaela McManus) during the first season of the television series Aquarius, which aired in 2015.

The Lewis Estate briefly pops up in the pilot episode of Snowfall, which aired in 2017, as the residence of Robert Volpe (Taylor Kowalski).

And the house party at the end of 2019’s Booksmart takes place there, as well.

Eagle-eyed fellow stalkers likely noticed the blue and white filming notification attached to the residence’s front lamp in my photos.

That notification was for Elle King’s “Shame” music video, which you can watch here.

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Until next time, Happy Stalking! 

Stalk It: The American Woman house is located at 17862 Via Vallarta in the Lake Encino neighborhood of Encino.