Inside Chris Meloni’s 5,283-Square-Foot Home Which Was Ozzie & Harriet Nelson’s Residency
Before putting it up for sale, Chris Meloni owned a 5,283-square-foot luxury home sitting in the high-end area of Hollywood Hills. However, the house was once the famed TV mansion of classic stars Ozzie and Harriet Nelson.
Chris Meloni's Hollywood Hills home was up on listings as of May 2020. He lived in the colonial-style property for a little over five years before putting it up for sale.
However, before Meloni became the Hollywood Hills homeowner, it belonged to Hollywood stars Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and also been called "haunted." The power couple was known for popularizing the home through their stint on TV.
Actor Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler in an episode of "Law & Order: SVU" in 2010 [left]. Actors and real life family The Nelsons (Top L-R: Ozzie Nelson and Ricky Nelson bottom L-R: Ricky Nelson and Harriet Nelson) pose outside their house circa 1955 in Los Angeles, California [right] | Photo: Getty Images
WHO ARE HARRIET AND OZZIE NELSON?
In the 1950s, Ozzie and Harriet blurred the lines between reality TV and sitcoms. The couple showed their daily lives on TV, right from the comfort of their real home.
The famous show, "Ozzie and Harriet: The Adventures Of America's Favorite Family," also featured the Hollywood Hill home, the couple's kids, David and Ricky, who were wrapped up in their teenage concerns and how to finesse their dad of his car keys.
Postcard of the home of Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Nelson in circa 1950 in Los Angeles, California | Photo: Getty Images
The senior Nelsons started the show in 1944, and it aired on the radio. Ozzie and Harriet appeared on the radio show as their authentic selves until 1949, when they transitioned to the small screen.
Although it was still pretty much about the Nelsons, there was a tweak to the storyline. The sitcom lasted a while, airing from 1952 to 1966 with 435 episodes.
Actors and real life family The Nelsons pose outside their house circa 1955 in Los Angeles, California | Photo: Getty Images
Ozzie would later be diagnosed with cancer, and some years after their famous show ended, he passed on at the age of 69. Harriet lived until 1994 and died of emphysema and heart failure at 84.
Years after the 50s show ended, Emmy-winning biographer Mr. Jones shared that the Nelsons were engulfed in their fiction show, and at a point, they could not tell apart their reality from their fiction show.
Actors and real life family The Nelsons relax in their pool at home circa 1955 in Los Angeles, California | Photo: Getty Images
Jones added that the Nelsons chose to remain silent about their identity struggles despite the unsettling feelings. The Nelsons imitated real life on TV but kept their private feelings concealed.
The Nelsons displayed a typical American family with middle-class values onTV. Still, in real life, Ozzie was a thorough businessman who dissuaded his sons from going to college so they could keep working on TV.
American actress Harriet Nelson receives hugs and kisses from her sons, David Nelson and Ricky Nelson in their home circa 1946 | Photo: Getty Images
CHRIS MELONI BUYS THE HOME
In 2014, Chris Meloni was in the news when he and his interior decorator wife Sherman Williams bought the historical spotlight home for $5.25 million. However, Meloni and his wife were not the direct buyers of the house from the Nelsons.
Before the couple, music icon Ron Fair and producer Bo Zenga owned the premium property and its spread. The TV-certified residence housed five bedrooms and five bathrooms at the time of purchase.
The listings outlined the home as an "East coast traditional" abode with rustic settings. It also contained formal living rooms, dining rooms, and a family area.
The family room extended to a kitchen equipped enough to get the approval of a pro chef. The kitchen was also designed as an eat-in area with wide islands and marble counters.
The sprawling property built in a cul-de-sac is on the same block as the homes of other big wigs in the entertainment industry. One of the houses on the block was a neoclassic-style home owned by Samuel Godwyn.
Music star Beck owned another of the spectacular houses on the block. Before buying the Nelsons' home, Meloni and his spouse had a 3,000-square-foot home in Manhattan, and they put it up for sale for a while.
THE NELSONS' FORMER HOME IS SAID TO BE HAUNTED
Since Ozzie and Harriet's real-life sitcom home became part of the real estate assets, many have claimed it is haunted. Beverly Hills-based estate agent Billy Rose has sold the spread three times; it has been tagged haunted each time.
The former occupants have shared different occurrences like doors slamming on their own, shot doors getting opened, bed covers flowing off, and distinct fragrances floating in from nowhere.
Performers Ozzie and Harriet Nelson are photographed at home with their sons Ricky and David on June 15, 1944, in Los Angeles, California | Photo: Getty Images
One other particular complaint was about Ozzie's long-time train set design that graced the ceiling in the pub area. The miniature train has been said to suddenly move of its volition several times and in the middle of the night.
A child once saw children playing in the courtyard and asked to join. But when the adults were there, they saw no children. Rose has revealed that before presenting the Hollywood home to prospective customers, he would often tell them about the haunted stories to avoid complaints of dissatisfaction.
Ricky Nelson, Ozzie Nelson, David Nelson and Harriet Nelson gather round the piano as Ricky plays in circa 1946 in Los Angeles, California | Photo: Getty Images
Because of the spooky activities in the house, a buyer once had a ghost and paranormal activity investigator check it out and see if the spirits living there would allow him to move in. The answer at the time was affirmative.
Although there have been no explanations for all the supernatural happenings people have experienced in the house, it was confirmed that Ozzie died in the master bedroom when he owned it.
Actors Ozzie Nelson (center) with sons David (left) and Ricky (right) are photographed at home on June 15, 1944, in Los Angeles, California | Photo: Getty Image
MELONI PUT IT UP FOR SALE IN 2020
Last year in May, the classic home which gained small screen fame was again up on the listings. Meloni and his wife put it up for sale at an estimated $6.5 million.
Although most of the home's features remained original from when it was first built, The "The Handmaid's Tale" actor and William refurbished some parts to their taste.
The expanse of the home includes five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and a detached guest house close to the pool. The historical home beautifully preserved its 1916, 50s, and 60s structures.
Meloni and his wife gave the interior some facelifts with new paintings, re-stained hard floors, and some luxury knick-knacks to add a modern undertone. Most notably is a giant golden Buddha statue sitting in the foyer.
The extended parts of the property away from the home is a gated area with off-street parking spaces with a driveway around the house that leads to the three-car garage.