A Bel-Air Home that Blends Modern and Historic Elements Asks $31.5m
Architect Mark Rios and his husband, Dr. Guy Ringler, spent 18 months renovating the house, which was originally designed by John Elgin Woolf.
2 min
In Los Angeles, a home with a rare combination of historic and contemporary architectural pedigree is coming on the market for $31.5 million.
The circa-1949 house in Bel-Air was originally designed, and later owned, by architect John Elgin Woolf, known for his Hollywood Regency-style. More recently, it was renovated and restored by the architect and landscape guru Mark Rios and his husband, reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Guy Ringler. Rios, one of the architects behind the renovation of the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, has designed homes for entertainment heavyweights like Clive Davis and television producer Darren Star.
Rios and Ringler paid $12 million for the roughly 8,400-square-foot, five-bedroom property in 2021 and embarked on an 18-month renovation. They moved into the house in 2023.
“We wanted to make it contemporary, but still not change the spirit and iconic quality of the architecture,” Rios said. “I kept on thinking, ‘If Jack Woolf were alive today, what would he do?’ And then also, ‘What would Mark Rios do?’”
When they purchased the property, Rios said, the home had fallen into disrepair. The layout was a relic of decades past, with servants’ quarters and separate primary-bedroom suites. A prior owner had installed an elevator from the kitchen to her dressing room to facilitate mid-party wardrobe changes.
The couple revamped the layout, converting a library into a media room with bright red walls. The new centerpiece of the home is a lounge with a fireplace and bar.
Outside, the couple aimed to make the pool area a more social setting for entertaining. They turned a pool pavilion into a Moroccan-style sitting area, which they jokingly refer to it as “the drug room” because of the psychedelic colors, Rios said.
For a recent dinner party, the couple re-created the menu from a New Year’s Eve party thrown at the house in the 1960s, serving beef wellington and “some kind of seafood mousse,” Rios said. They even hired a musician to impersonate the 1960s trumpeter and pianist Herb Alpert.
They are selling because they are spending more time at their home in Montecito, Calif., Rios said. The property is listed by Linda May of Carolwood, an affiliate of Forbes Global Properties.
Bel-Air, which was largely unaffected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, has seen a handful of deals close at $30 million or more over the past year, Zillow shows. A nearby estate with an addition by architect Paul Williams sold for $39 million in November.
Write to Katherine Clarke at Katherine.Clarke@wsj.com
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Mirvac’s 45-level Trielle has topped out at Yarra’s Edge, pairing riverfront apartments with wellness facilities, private dining and resident services.
3 min
Mirvac has topped out Trielle at Melbourne’s Yarra’s Edge, with more than 70 per cent of the riverfront development sold and approximately 80 per cent of purchasers intending to make their apartment a home.
The figures, released on September 22, point to an owner-occupier audience for one of the precinct’s final residential towers. Mirvac began developing Yarra’s Edge in 2003, and its latest addition occupies one of the remaining absolute riverfront sites.
Mirvac CEO of Development Stuart Penklis said existing residents were among those moving up within the neighbourhood.
“Many purchasers already have a connection to Yarra’s Edge,” Mr Penklis said, describing buyers whose changing needs were encouraging an upgrade within the precinct.
“As one of the final residential towers within Yarra’s Edge, Trielle represents the culmination of more than two decades of creating one of Melbourne’s most established and sought-after waterfront communities,” Penklis said.
“Positioned on the Collins Street axis with absolute river frontage, Trielle offers residents a rare opportunity to enjoy sweeping views across the Yarra River, Melbourne skyline and Port Phillip Bay, while remaining seamlessly connected to the CBD. With Trielle now more than 70 per cent sold, we’re continuing to see strong demand from buyers seeking quality homes in established locations.”
The developer also flagged a penthouse and sub-penthouse collection with larger layouts, premium finishes and broad outlooks. The planned wellness centrepiece, The Oasis, encompasses a 900-square-metre elevated urban rainforest.
Mirvac General Manager Residential Development Victoria Elysa Anderson said Trielle had resonated strongly with buyers seeking a rare lifestyle offering in Melbourne.
“Opportunities to secure a new luxury residence on a riverfront site of this calibre are incredibly rare, particularly within a community like Yarra’s Edge,” Anderson said.
“What makes Trielle unique is the combination of exceptional views, world-class residential facilities and the lifestyle that already exists around it. Residents are buying into a mature waterfront community with parks, promenades, dining, wellness and strong community connections already in place.”
The 45-level tower brings a substantial new presence to that waterfront. Its residential offering spans one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments, with Signature, Prestige and Sub-Penthouse collections accommodating different household sizes. The north-facing position connects the apartments visually to the river and city beyond.
Seven storeys above the promenade, the planned Oasis combines planting and a running stream with a Scandinavian-inspired wellness club developed with spa specialist Naomi Gregory. Facilities include a 25-metre lap pool, hot magnesium pool, sauna, hydrotherapy, a gym, yoga and Pilates room, and treatment spaces.
The amenity extends beyond exercise. Residents will have access to The Biblioteca library and workspaces, ground-floor work pods, and The Salone piano lounge. A private Chef’s Table dining room offers a setting for larger gatherings, while a cinema, games room and sports lounge broaden the entertaining options. Concierge services and a dog-wash area support everyday routines.
Trielle comprises a collection of one, two, three and four-bedroom residences. Reflecting strong demand from owner occupiers, approximately 80 per cent of purchasers to date intend to live in their homes, highlighting the project’s appeal to those seeking a long-term waterfront lifestyle.
Mirvac has recently delivered The Albertine, a premium apartment development on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD, and is nearing completion of Prince & Parade in Brunswick, further strengthening its portfolio of thoughtfully designed apartment communities in some of Melbourne’s most sought-after urban locations.
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