When your house has griffen sconces and a secret stairway hidden behind a bookcase leading to a ballroom primed for Prohibition-era parties, there’s only one way to describe it: “Victorian gentleman serial killer is kind of our aesthetic,” Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick told Zillow.
He and his wife, Lydia Hearst, bought the 8,240-square-foot, eight-bedroom house in 2015 for $11 million, according to Variety. Designed by architect Paul Williams, banker Victor Rossetti had it built in 1928. It’s listed as of the City of Los Angeles’ Historic-Cultural Monuments.
The restored three-story home has gone through some changes since they bought it. It was sold with stainless steel appliances, a glass-door fridge, and a built-in coffee maker. There was also a gym, wine cellar, and a media room, as well as a swimming pool, spa, and fireplace outside. While doing renovations, the couple discovered the ballroom had hand-painted beams hidden behind a drywall ceiling. One of the quirkier design details include a bell jar with two mice playing with a Ouija board. Add in the griffin sconces, stuffed animal heads, tusks, and pirate ship light fixtures, everything definitely screams, “You’re not getting out of this house alive.”
Recently, AMC announced it was creating a Talking Dead spinoff, Talking with Chris Hardwick. The hourlong show will air Sundays, even when there isn’t a new episode of The Walking Dead. Meanwhile, you may recognize his wife Lydia’s last name from her famous family: Her great-grandfather is William Randolph Hearst, and her mother is Patty Hearst. In case you can’t tell by her house, the heiress is a fan of creepy things, too: She and Hardwick had a Walking Dead-inspired wedding.
