A nearly century-old Los Angeles home turned into a profitable real estate deal for actor Emma Stone after she bought the property for $2.3 million, renovated it and added a separate guesthouse.
According to Realtor.com’s February 2024 report, the Spanish-style home sold for $4.3 million, fetching $305,000 more than its asking price of $3.995 million.
The sale came just weeks after the property was listed, following a renovation that blended its original architectural features with updated interiors.Stone purchased the two-storey property in 2019 in the Comstock Hills area of Westwood, Los Angeles.
Built in 1926, the house spans approximately 3,276 square feet and has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The gated residence was listed for sale in January 2024, with the listing handled by Eric Lavey of Sotheby’s International Realty. Architectural Digest reported on January 24 that the home had found a buyer in less than 10 days, although the contract price had not been disclosed at the time.
Realtor.com subsequently reported the final $4.3 million sale price.
The transaction represented a $2 million increase over the original purchase price. However, that difference is the gap between the reported purchase and sale prices, not a confirmed profit: the available reports do not establish the total renovation expenditure, transaction costs, taxes or other expenses associated with the property.
Renovation preserved the home’s Spanish-style character
Stone’s renovation focused on expanding and updating the home while retaining features that reflected its 1920s origins.
According to Architectural Digest and Inman, the actor expanded the kitchen and added a detached guesthouse to the property. The changes created additional living space while preserving some of the original architectural details.The home’s design combines Spanish Colonial influences with colourful, contemporary touches. Its exterior features a cream-coloured facade, pale green gate and matching shutters, with a terracotta-toned walkway leading towards the entrance.
The property also has a landscaped front yard and a spacious backyard, giving the residence a cottage-like appearance despite its location in Los Angeles.Inside, the house has a curved staircase, hardwood floors, arched doorways and exposed wooden beams. The living room includes a fireplace, built-in shelving and a distinctive ceiling with colourful detailing. These features help retain the character of an older home while allowing for a more contemporary interior.The kitchen became one of the property’s standout spaces after the renovation. It features white cabinetry, a farmhouse-style sink, a colourful turquoise range and double-height vaulted ceilings that allow natural light into the room. A separate sitting nook provides additional space beside the kitchen, connecting the cooking and living areas.Other details include a tiled courtyard, a balcony overlooking the outdoor area and a bathroom fitted with a claw-foot bathtub.
The interiors also incorporate patterned wallpaper, colourful furnishings and decorative artwork, giving the house a more individual style than a conventional neutral-toned luxury listing.
Detached guesthouse adds another dimension
Beyond the main residence, the property includes a detached guesthouse that was added as part of the renovation. According to the listing details reported by Realtor.com, the additional structure has its own living room and kitchen, a separate bedroom suite and laundry facilities.
It can accommodate visiting family and friends or potentially serve as an independent workspace.The guesthouse effectively gives the property two distinct living spaces. Rather than simply adding another bedroom to the main house, the separate structure offers greater privacy for occupants and flexibility in how the property can be used. Together with the main home and outdoor areas, it helped position the residence as a small compound rather than a standalone cottage.The home’s location was another feature highlighted in property reports. Situated in the Comstock Hills area of Westwood, it is near the Los Angeles Country Club and a short drive from the University of California, Los Angeles. The gated setting, outdoor space and proximity to established Los Angeles neighbourhoods were among the features described in the listing coverage.
A quick sale at a premium
The speed of the transaction was notable. Stone’s property was listed for $3.995 million in January 2024, and Architectural Digest reported that it had secured a buyer in under 10 days.
At that stage, the contract price had not been made public. The final sale was subsequently reported at $4.3 million in February, confirming that the property had sold above its original asking price.The final price was approximately 7.6% above the asking price. It was also nearly 87% higher than the $2.3 million Stone had paid in 2019, based on the two reported transaction prices. These comparisons describe the increase in the home’s market price, rather than Stone’s net return after expenses.The sale was part of a wider history of property transactions involving the actor. Architectural Digest reported in 2019 that Stone had acquired two Los Angeles-area homes that year: the Westwood property for $2.3 million and a separate midcentury house in Malibu for approximately $3.25 million. The Malibu property was later sold in 2022 for about $4.425 million, according to House Beautiful’s account of her real estate portfolio.The Westwood sale illustrates how renovations can change the appeal of an older property by combining period architecture with additional living space and updated amenities. In Stone’s case, the 1926 house retained its arched doorways, exposed beams and tiled courtyard, while the expanded kitchen and detached guesthouse added functionality. Its $4.3 million sale in 2024 closed the chapter on a property that had spent nearly five years in her real estate portfolio.