DJ and singer-songwriter, Moby, recently purchased the Wolf's Lair, a Hollywood Hills castle-like fortress for $3,925,000. Sold by Lionsgate Entertainment's Jay Faires and Debbie Matenopoulos, former co-host of "The View" (1997-99), the home was originally built in 1927 by Hollywoodland developer L. Milton Wolf. Moby, (aka Richard Melville Hall) plans to restore the walled and gated property in keeping with its period charm, which includes coffered ceilings, carved and stenciled beams, linenfold paneling, turrets and gable windows.

Famed for its views of the Hollywood sign, downtown and the ocean, the property features a main house, a John Lautner-designed guesthouse and pool house apartment all totaling eight bedrooms and 5 1/2 bathrooms in about 6,500 square feet of living space (including a hip Tiki-themed room, see next page). The structures sit on 3.3 acres above Lake Hollywood. The black-bottom swimming pool is shaped like a heart, and the pool terrace has a pergola-covered seating area.

A distant relative of Moby Dick author, Herman Melville, Moby, 44, has seen his 1999 electronica album, "Play," go multi-platinum, selling more than 10 million copies worldwide. The property came on the market two years ago priced at $7.5 million. It had been most recently listed at $4,295,000 and previously sold in 2001 for $2.9 million. Real estate agent Ernie Carswell continues to receive inquiries from around the world about the home, which looks like something out of a fairy tale. "I've never had a property in any price range that had such a life after it sold," Carswell said.



[LA Times]