Judy Garland’s House Gets a Makeover

 It’s for Sale!)

Judy Garland in the backyard of her Stone Canyon home in 1940. SOURCE: Judy Garland Database

The home on Stone Canyon Road in timeless Bel-Air might have been Judy Garland’s house — which is its greatest claim to fame — but Los Angeles Times heiress Stephanie Booth Murray has put a new stamp on the five-bedroom home she bought one year ago for $5.2 million and has just re-listed for $7.1 million.
Set on a lovely 2.5-acre lot, the brick exterior has been painted a gleaming white that only begins to tell the story of the classy renovation that transformed the interior (see photos below).

“The house was purchased by Stephanie Booth Murray, who lives in another house on Stone Canyon,” said listing agent Hugh H. Evans III of Partners Trust.
“We could not find a reasonable lease for her to live in while she remodeled her house, so she purchased 1231 (Canyon Rd.) to remodel and live in during construction on her primary residence. The construction on (Murray’s) main house will be completed and ready to move back into in a few months and so she is now selling 1231. She has incredible taste as the buying public will see this week when we will begin showings.”

While Evans agreed that buyers of these fabled Los Angeles properties enjoy the pedigree and history, the Canyon Rd. property has undergone a dramatic renovation over the past year that he believes breathes new life into the place.

Murray is the great-great granddaughter of General Harrison Gray Otis, the first editor of the Los Angeles Times and founder of the Times Mirror Co. in 1884. And while her Los Angeles pedigree is fascinating, her imprint on the home only embellishes it’s Hollywood lure.
Designed by architect Wallace Neff, the Stone Canyon Road residence was built in 1938, which is the same year when Garland was cast as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz.”  She lived there with her mother and sister. Later, the 5,513-square-foot home was rented by Quincy Jones and the late Marvin Gaye.