Rare Vintage Photos of Lucille Ball's Life at Her Many Homes
Peek inside the actress's longtime Beverly Hills house, beloved San Fernando Valley ranch, and luxe Manhattan apartment.
As the star of I Love Lucy, American actress Lucille Ball is still undoubtedly one of Hollywood's biggest names. Born in Jamestown, New York, she moved frequently throughout her young childhood, as a result of her father's job as a Bell Telephone linesman. After deciding to pursue a career in show business, Ball moved to New York City, then eventually across the country to Los Angeles. It was in California that her career really took off—and so did her experience as a homeowner. Though Ball wasn't one to snatch up real estate like some celebrities today, she did own a few homes throughout her life. Take a peek inside three of them in these vintage photos.
Ball spent the early years of her showbiz career in New York City, before moving to California. After marrying in 1940, Ball and her first husband, Desi Arnaz, bought a ranch in Chatsworth, located in the San Fernando Valley outside of Los Angeles.
The five-acre ranch was well-suited to the animal-loving couple, who had a pack of dogs, cats, chickens, a pig, and a cow named the Duchess of Devonshire.
Ball and Arnaz were particularly fond of cocker spaniels. They had at least two, named Pinto and Taffy.
Ball and Arnaz named the ranch "Desilu," a portmanteau of their names that would later also serve as the name of their studio. They considered it their dream home.
The house, built by acclaimed architect Paul R. Williams, was only partially finished when Ball and Arnaz purchased it. They paid $16,500 for it in 1941.
Ball would decorate the house in her signature style, which she once described as "early Victorian" meets "bastard American." She brought her love for frilly decor into her later homes, too.
The couple sometimes referred to Desilu as a "dollhouse." Ball poses like a doll in this photo—perhaps a byproduct of her modeling days in New York.
Ball and Arnaz developed the ranch to be a retreat for their Hollywood friends, adding a pool, a guest house, and even a large barbecue pit. Arnaz would reportedly stay in the guest house during the couples' legendary fights.
Despite the couple's arguments, Arnaz was known for his grand romantic gestures. For Ball's 30th birthday, he filled their pool with gardenias and serenaded her with 40 friends.
Given Arnaz's background as a bandleader, the house was frequently filled with music. Ball also had musical talents—she started her acting career as a chorus girl on Broadway.
In this photo, Ball is pictured playing the piano with her mother at Desilu. The couple enjoyed entertaining family and friends, hosting large parties.
Ball took up several additional hobbies at home, including painting. She also enjoyed gardening.
In the earlier days of her California career, Ball landed leading roles in B-films and supporting roles in A-films before moving into television with Arnaz. The two would commute to Hollywood or Culver City for work from Desilu.
I Love Lucy debuted in 1951, while the couple was still living at Desilu. It would go on to become the most-watched TV show in America for four of its six seasons.
In 1951, Ball became pregnant with her daughter, Lucie Arnaz. In fact, the pilot of I Love Lucy was filmed while Ball was showing, but it made no mention of the pregnancy.
Ball and Arnaz had three miscarriages before Lucie was born on July 17, 1951.
Lucie would go on to star with her mother in the show Here's Lucy, which ran from 1968 to 1974. Her younger brother, Desi Jr., would also star on the show.
Despite their growing fame, Ball and Arnaz were able to live a relatively low-key life at Desilu through the first few years of I Love Lucy. That is, when they weren't hosting their lavish parties.
I Love Lucy's sponsor, Philip Morris, wanted the family to move to New York, which was where most TV shows were broadcast at the time. Not to mention that's where the show was set.
But the couple refused, choosing instead to take a pay cut to accommodate the extra costs associated with filming in L.A. yet airing nationwide. Their one stipulation: They'd get to keep the rights to the episodes, which ultimately made them millions of dollars.
Stefanie Waldek is a Brooklyn-based writer covering architecture, design, and travel. She's worked on staff at Architectural Digest, ARTnews, and Oyster.com, a TripAdvisor company, and has contributed to Condé Nast Traveler, The Washington Post, Design Milk, and Hunker, among others. When she's not dreaming about midcentury chairs, you can find her re-watching The X-Files, likely in an airport lounge or on a plane.
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