{"id":24464,"date":"2026-09-15T07:41:02","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=24464"},"modified":"2026-09-15T07:41:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T07:41:02","slug":"in-1928-bel-air-founder-alphonzo-bell-built-this-los-angeles-mansion-bought-for-5-5-million-in-2010-it-underwent-a-five-year-restoration-and-is-now-asking-32-5-million","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=24464","title":{"rendered":"In 1928, Bel-Air founder Alphonzo Bell built this Los Angeles mansion; bought for $5.5 million in 2010, it underwent a five-year restoration and is now asking $32.5 million"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134245280,imgsize-214248,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a-yearslong-restoration.jpg\" alt=\"In 1928, Bel-Air founder Alphonzo Bell built this Los Angeles mansion; bought for $5.5 million in 2010, it underwent a five-year restoration and is now asking $32.5 million\" title=\"The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael Wexler for $5.5 million in 2010 and has since undergone a yearslong restoration.\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael Wexler for $5.5 million in 2010 and has since undergone a yearslong restoration.\">The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael Wexler for $5.5 million in 2010 and has since undergone a yearslong restoration.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>A nearly 100-year-old mansion in Los Angeles, built in 1928 for Alphonzo Bell, the oil businessman who helped create Bel-Air, is now on the market for $32.5 million. The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael Wexler for $5.5 million in 2010 and has since undergone a yearslong restoration.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>According to Mansion Global, Bell commissioned the house after moving from the oil business into real estate development. He helped create the Bel-Air neighbourhood and Bel-Air Country Club. Architect and planner Mark Daniels, who worked on the master plan for Bel-Air, designed the mansion.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/>The property later became home to other notable residents, including Queen Noor of Jordan and film producer Steven Reuther. <!-- -->Reuther, who executive produced films including \u201cDirty Dancing\u201d and \u201cFace\/Off\u201d, added a theatre and editing suite to the property.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"9\"\/>Wexler, the founder and CEO of Maple Leaf Capital, bought the home in July 2010 while relocating to Los Angeles. He said he was attracted to its history and the character of the property. \u201cAt almost 100 years old, there\u2019s a lot of palpable history as you walk through the home, mature landscaping that was also probably put in 100 years ago, and it has that old-world Hollywood Regency feel, which is really special,\u201d he said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"12\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>A restoration focused on the original style<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>Wexler lived in the house for about 10 years before starting the renovation. He hired an architect in October 2019 and began the permitting process in early 2020. Work finally started in September 2021, and the renovation was completed in August 2026.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"16\"\/>The aim was to restore the property to a building standard associated with the 1920s. Wexler brought in local artisans to work on features including the flooring, cabinetry, tiles and marble. <!-- -->The fireplace in the formal living room, for example, was carved from a single slab of marble.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"20\"\/>\u201cPeople say, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s not done that way anymore.\u2019 Well, there are some people who can do it that way, but they are hard to find and rare to find,\u201d Wexler said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"22\"\/>Interior designers Kendra Sosothikul and Paula Press of Studio Berosso followed the same approach. They worked to retain the character of the original house while adding modern comforts.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"25\"\/>\u201cWe wanted to do the same steps that someone would take when the house was built originally, partnering with the artisans so all the quality and detailing would be what you would\u2019ve found then,\u201d Sosothikul said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/>The original foyer, including its lighting fixtures, was kept intact. It also became a reference point for the designers as they worked on the rest of the interiors. Details such as pillowed edges on the stone were used to reflect design features associated with the period.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The formal living room fireplace was carved from a marble slab.\" msid=\"134245296\" imgsize=\"106718\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"The formal living room fireplace was carved from a marble slab.\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-106718,msid-134245296\/the-formal-living-room-fireplace-was-carved-from-a-marble-slab.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The formal living room fireplace was carved from a marble slab.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"32\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Seven bedrooms and a new top floor<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/>The renovation did not only restore the existing parts of the mansion. The top floor was expanded by 500 square feet to create two additional bedrooms. The house now measures 10,600 square feet and has seven bedrooms.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"36\"\/>The property sits on 0.8 acres on a hillside. Its features include a primary suite with dressing quarters designed to resemble a boutique, a gym that occupies the site of the original indoor pool, a wine cellar with hand-laid mosaic flooring and several terraces and patios.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"39\"\/>There is also an outdoor swimming pool. The theatre added by Reuther remains part of the home, along with the editing suite. Its powder room has Gucci wallpaper, while Missoni carpet adds another modern detail to the theatre.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"41\"\/>The renovation also included changes to some rooms. A fireplace was removed from the dining room to make space for a wall of windows.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"43\"\/>Chris Soffer, who is sharing the listing with Trenton Armitage, Rayni Williams and Branden Williams, said the restoration was intended to preserve the home&#8217;s original character rather than turn it into a completely modern property.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"46\"\/>\u201cA lot times when people renovate houses, in turns into making it as modern and functional as it could possibly be, but this feels more like a continuation of a feeling and a style that was just coming into fruition when L.A. was becoming its own,\u201d Soffer said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"49\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>26 redwood sequoias planted on the grounds<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"51\"\/>Wexler also had 26 redwood sequoias planted at the base of the 0.8-acre grounds. The trees are not expected to become mature enough to have a major landscaping impact for several decades. <!-- -->Wexler said the landscaper warned him that he might not be alive to see them reach that stage.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"55\"\/>\u201cThey will take 40 to 50 years before they\u2019re mature enough to be relevant for landscaping,\u201d Wexler said. \u201cThe landscaper said, \u2018You\u2019re not going to be alive when those come up,\u2019\u2026but somebody in 50 or 100 years is going to have the shade of those trees and appreciate that somebody, once upon a time, had a vision for the future.\u201d<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/real-estate\/news\/in-1928-bel-air-founder-alphonzo-bell-built-this-los-angeles-mansion-bought-for-5-5-million-in-2010-it-underwent-a-five-year-restoration-and-is-now-asking-32-5-million\/articleshow\/134245005.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael Wexler for $5.5 million in 2010 and has since undergone a yearslong restoration. A nearly 100-year-old mansion in Los Angeles, built in 1928 for Alphonzo Bell, the oil businessman who helped create Bel-Air, is now on the market for $32.5 million. The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24465,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a-150x150.avif","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a-300x169.avif","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael Wexler for $5.5 million in 2010 and has since undergone a yearslong restoration. A nearly 100-year-old mansion in Los Angeles, built in 1928 for Alphonzo Bell, the oil businessman who helped create Bel-Air, is now on the market for $32.5 million. The Spanish-style home was bought by Michael [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":5,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a.avif",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a-300x169.avif",300,169,true],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/the-spanish-style-home-was-bought-by-michael-wexler-for-55-million-in-2010-and-has-since-undergone-a-150x150.avif",150,150,true]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24464\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}