A Hollywood Hills hideaway

The only thing left of the original 1959 post-and-beam house at 2739 Nichols Canyon Road is one wall. What stands there today is a sleek, contemporary-style home with dramatic open spaces, quiet meditative alcoves and canyon and city views south of Mulholland.

Designed by Chicago architect John Maienza, the home was renovated from the foundation up for owners Ben Trust and Jose Cofino, who have lived in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood for 10 years.

“We wanted to bring nature in, while maintaining the clean lines of modernism,” says Trust, president of Megatrax, a production music library. “We made an effort to incorporate the warmth of wood everywhere. The house’s unique position on the street gives you privacy, with no awareness of the houses on either side.”

The main level has an open layout, with the kitchen and living room leading to a master suite. The kitchen features an oval-shaped cooking station with sit-up bar, Miele appliances and custom Douglas fir cabinetry.

A circular fireplace with granite hearth separates the dining room and living room, and there are motorized shades on all the floor-to-ceiling windows. Bamboo flooring leads to a master bathroom with heated floors, shower with multiple heads and Venetian glass tile with river rock accents.

One of the most artistic features of the house is a glass floating stair tower that leads from the main floor to a lower-level office, media room, gym area and second master suite.

Outside, a heated pool and three-tiered, terraced backyard frame an entertainment space that features a deck, outdoor speakers and a firepit.

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BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX

Open spaces, quiet places

Location: 2739 Nichols Canyon Road, Los Angeles 90046

Asking price: $3,495,000

Lot previously sold for: $408,000 in December 1998

Size: There are four bed-rooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms in 3,814 square feet.

Additional features: The two master bedrooms include large walk-in closets, pendant reading lights and bedside alarm control. Surround-sound speakers are in every room. The two-car garage, with a custom Solex sand-blasted glass door, is wired for HDTV. There are three wood-burning fireplaces and one gas fireplace. The meditation garden has a fountain.

Around the neighborhood: In 2008, 217 existing single-family homes sold in the 90046 ZIP Code at a median price of $995,000, according to MDA DataQuick. That was an 11.6% drop from the 2007 median sale price. Listing prices of properties currently for sale range from $700,000 to $3.6 million.

Listing agent: Frank Bruno, Keller Williams-Hollywood Hills, (310) 623-1425