At 24 years old, Loretta Powell won the 1959 Miss United States pageant and went on to represent the country at the Miss World contest in London.
I also happened to be 24 when I attended her estate sale, grabbing some Gucci boots at the back of a floral carpeted closet for $15.
Loretta lived in a world of powder blue. A grand chandelier and winding staircase jumpstarted the experience, feeling like an ode to her pageant days.
Guess what? The house has been ruined. And someone tried to steal the home from Loretta! Just another day in the valley.
We’ll start with the good, get to the weird and end with the scams.
The house was steeped in Hollywood Regency style, opulent everything, accentuated with blue velvet drapes and portraits staring you down. Loretta passed in 2020. A memory on her obituary described how she, her mother, her daughter, and her daughter's friend all lived in the Encino house together for a while. It was like a much more regal Gilmore Girls. Another memory reminisces on reading Hemingway and Hawthorne by her pool.
The dress she wore to Miss World’s crowning ceremony was for sale. Why I didn’t buy it, I have no idea. Some reseller is probably trying to hawk it on Etsy as we speak.
A photo of her on something I would describe as a decorative soap looking throne was displayed with the dress. She’s completely in her element.
JFK paintings and giant crystal doorknobs let you know who she was.
I love that the parlor had tassel trimmed sofas. Down the hall, a wood paneled den was lined with books and heavy wall sconces, a different side of her.
Some serendipitous moments of the sale really stuck with me. A bustier, leather gloves, one metallic shoe and a photo of a woman with great hair are begging to be labeled “a vibe”.
A wooden enclosed bible, cordless phone and dependable sandals with a casual heel sit on the nightstand. Things dropped off or ignored as people search for whatever their version of a good deal is.
The home is front and center in Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart” music video. You can see a shot of the exterior at the end.
In 2014, when Loretta was in her late 80s, she met a man named David Lee Jones at the hospital, whom she ended up letting rent a room at her house. Three years later, she called the police on him, saying he was slowly destroying her home. It turns out he “allegedly” had her sign over the rights to the house in 2016 after she had a hip surgery and was on morphine??? Its such a deeply twisted scam.
I did not expect this TMZ report would pop up while I was looking for her outfit photos from various pageants.
He was an old timey criminal, using various aliases over the years. You have to be a special type of loser to target old people…He was charged with theft from an elder and vandalism of property worth more than $400.
I’m now feeling like this Substack is a bit depressing because in the end, the house was heavily renovated and now sucks. I’m sorry! Next week’s post will have a happier theme, I’ll talk about my favorite Paulie Gaultieri outfits or something.
Loretta’s dream house sold shortly after the estate sale in 2022, for $2,500,000. Someone thought they knew better and removed every ounce of character. It sits like a shell of a home. I think flippers feel thats the point…or at least that’s how they reason with the $4,000,000 price tag. Rip everything out but put in an electric car charger.
The flippers haven’t gotten to them all, just yet…A few cool old homes to shop in are below. I really went digging this week and came back with some specific ones. If you’re searching for lamps disguised as palm trees, maybe a 90 year old’s perfectly curated mid-century dining set, Chanel slingbacks and Manolo mules to stomp around in… I have lucky number 11 estate sales listed down below. My favorites from each are pictured, and my expert photo analysis might not be asked for but is given anyway.
A few things worth mentioning:
-Saturday June 20th Art Parade at LACMA
-Billings' Summer Modern Art + Design Catalogue
-Marilyn Monroe Exhibition at the Academy Museum
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