Homeowner: Tony Wells

Occupation: Builder & Landlord

Home Location: venice, ca

Tony grew up in construction, building other people’s homes and dreams. Aghast at everyone else’s lack of creativity and vision he vowed to never have a boring or banal property. His home would be something people would talk about and admire. In 2001 Tony and his wife Brittany purchased the 7-plex building at 20 Westminster Ave in famed Venice Beach, California. At the time the place needed a total gut rehab. Since Tony and his wife both had the ability to demo, build, and decorate, they created what Tony had always envisioned…someplace incredibly intriguing that would capture the imagination of everyone who laid eyes on the property. On one fateful day, Tony found a journal that belonged to the original owner of the building, dating all the way back to 1906! He was shocked to learn that the building used to be a brothel! Even more surprising, Charlie Chaplin was rumored to be a frequent visitor… With “bordello” as a theme, Tony and Brittany went about filling the place with red velvet statues of women and other elements one might find in a brothel from a bygone era. There is a gothic element as well, something Tony has always been drawn to, with gargoyle, demon, and Greek God statues adorning the roof. Tony and Brittany have made their unapologetically loud and bold home a safe space for their tenants. Unsurprisingly, the eccentric owners made sure that everyone who came to live in the building were like-minded. That means that all of the units have their own unique, “bling and flair,” that expresses each person’s unique identity.

• Tony’s wife Brittany has sourced the paintings, sculptures and other elements from rummage sales, estate sales, artist commissions and online.

• The front of the building and the rooftop are what Tony calls the “crown jewels” of the Bordello. The front is the eye-catching and often-photographed highlight that borders on over-designed. Meanwhile the balcony is the shared space where Tony’s tenants and guests can bond, eat, play music, and embody Venice.

• Many of the metal sculptures were commissioned from a metal sculptor and artist in Mexico, who has worked with Tony for 20 years.

• The building is a protected historical building, and one of the few buildings from that era that still stands in Venice.