Peek inside a rustic 1970s Topanga Canyon home

There’s a familiarity to this rustic mountain compound in Topanga Canyon, California, from dreams of dropping out of society to sun-kissed dramas about the 1970s. Part cabin and part ranch house, with a glassy double-height conservatory, the home dates from the 1970s and was built with massive timbers reclaimed from the Pier.

And though just 20 minutes from Los Angeles, the creative retreat has remote, off-grid vibes thanks to its wooded surrounds and mountain backdrop, visible from every corner of the home, evoking Big Sur wilderness. It’s currently on the market with agent John Galich of Sotheby’s International Realty – Beverly Hills Brokerage for $4.195 m.

The realtor is shtum about the ‘award-winning actors, artists and musicians’ who have visited the indoor-outdoor idyll, but a bit of digging reveals that British actress Thandiwe Newton once owned the pad; married actors Julianne Nicholson and Jonathan Cake also historically called it home. So it’s easy to imagine who might have sat here gazing out to the Santa Monica mountains.

Photography: Christopher Lee for Sotheby’s International Realty

Recent renovations by a former set designer and architectural preservation specialist have upgraded the structure, restored the wood and redesigned the interior around its monumental Jack Rice stone fireplace.

It’s blessed with built-ins, like a bar and country kitchen and antique bathroom cabinetry. A fully plumbed guest house backs onto a seasonal creek. There are four bedrooms in all, with 4+1 bathrooms over 280 sq m.

The multi-level garden staggers down the mountainside to a new, natural plunge pool, standalone Finnish sauna and outdoor shower. Outdoor seating is shaded by mature oaks and eucalyptus.

Take a peek inside the Topanga Canyon property in the gallery.