Community activists are calling it a victory for historic preservation. Just a few months ago, the mansion formerly owned by Los Angeles cultural icon Dorothy Chandler, which she named “Los Tiempos”, was being painted bright white — and that didn’t sit well with local community members. Now, renovation on the house is continuing with historically appropriate paint.

The Dorothy Chandler mansion in Windsor Square is undergoing renovations by its owner, Nigerian businessman Robert Oshodin. (photo by Dana Bell)

The house is a Beaux Arts-style building with a large portico, manicured lawn and sculpted topiaries. It was the home of Chandler, the wife of Los Angeles Times publisher Norman Chandler. They purchased the home in 1950 and she lived there until her death in 1997. Chandler was also an avid supporter of the arts. She contributed to the reopening of the Hollywood Bowl during a financial crisis and did a bulk of the fundraising for the Los Angeles Music Center, which includes the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion.

The mansion was purchased last June by Nigerian businessman Robert Oshodin for $9.5 million. He began renovations on the house, including an application of a fresh coat of white paint.

For resident Randy Esada, a member of the Windsor Square Concerned Citizens League, the white paint was inappropriate for a Beaux Arts house. The renovation project became the focus of a website and petition to protect the historic character of the house.

For Esada, the house has important meaning to members of the community.

“Windsor Square is defined by its architecture and the architecturally most important building is the Dorothy Chandler House,” Esada said.

Esada started a website and collected signatures on a petition demanding the city take action to force the owner to reverse changes that were not defining characteristics of Beaux Arts architecture. Esada said that he collected approximately 100 signatures on the petition.

Meanwhile, the city was working with the owner to change the color of the paint.

“Our staff and the cultural heritage commission has been following up regardless, but the concern from the citizens was known by the owners representatives,” said Ken Bernstein, manager of the office of historic resources.

“Our office has been in contact with the owner’s consultant and their design team regarding the painting colors and overall rehabilitation project,” Bernstein said.

Part of the confusion comes from the classification of the house. While it is designated as a historic-cultural monument, that does not necessarily protect against painting, which is more easily reversed than demolition, according to Bernstein.

In this case, cooperation from the owner would be required for an action like painting. According to Bernstein, Oshodin’s design team has been preparing a new color scheme for the office to evaluate.

The cooperation is great news for Esada and the members of the Windsor Square Concerned Citizens League.

“Eventually it worked because now over the weekend, and, really beautifully, on Memorial Day, we looked up and they started painting it the right color,” said Esada.

“I’m going to send them flowers today,” he said.