Ryan Murphy’s latest Netflix series, “Ratched,” is graphic in every way possible – from the gore to the violence to the set decorations. Even the locations are dramatically eye-catching, none more so than the colorful pad where wealthy heiress Lenore Osgood (Sharon Stone, who doesn’t appear to have aged a day since her breakout role in 1992’s “Basic Instinct”!), lives with her pet monkey, Petunia, and son, Henry (Brandon Flynn). Said to be located on an island somewhere in the tropics, in reality the chinoiserie-inspired property can be found on a winding street in Beverly Hills.
I recognized the residence on sight, having first come across it years ago via the July 2013 issue of InStyle magazine in which Salma Hayek posed regally against a rich backdrop of plush sofas, towering statues and elaborate candelabras. The publication identified the unique setting as Dawnridge, the former home of legendary designer Tony Duquette and his wife, Elizabeth.
Tony, who designed everything from sets to costumes to home interiors to jewelry during his celebrated career, ascribed to a “more is more” aesthetic. And nowhere is that more apparent than at his longtime residence. A bohemian wonderland from top to bottom, the dwelling was built in 1949 by Tony and architect Casper Ehmcke. Initially consisting of a tiny 900-square-foot box-shaped dwelling with four rooms, the Duquettes added onto the homestead over the years, even purchasing the charred remains of a neighboring property leveled by a fire and transforming the land into a sprawling garden.
When Tony passed away in 1999, the estate was acquired by his longtime business partner Hutton Wilkinson and his wife, Ruth. The two have continued to expand the place, purchasing an adjacent manse that they redesigned and combined with Dawnridge. The result is a whimsical multi-structure compound situated on a sprawling parcel comprised of a whopping five and a half contiguous lots!
Though the Wilkinsons have made some changes to the property, they have honored Duquette’s eccentric style every step of the way. So remarkable is the location, a book has even been written about it – Tony Duquette’s Dawnridge, published in 2018.
For more Dirt on Dawnridge from “Ratched,” click over to the gallery.