Tina Trahan’s husband had one question when she spent $3.2 million on the “Brady Bunch” house: “Have you lost your mind?”
After a two-year campaign she spearheaded, the modest Studio City home used for the exterior shots of the beloved 1970s sitcom has officially been granted Historic-Cultural Monument status by the Los Angeles City Council.
But it was an expensive journey to get the house ready for the limelight.
For Trahan, the effort began shortly after she bought the property in 2023 for $3.2 million.
She had spotted the listing while browsing Zillow and immediately recognized the iconic split-level ranch home from the show’s opening credits — the triangular roofline, stacked stone facade and large picture window instantly transporting her back to childhood afternoons watching reruns.
“It feels like you walked into your childhood home when you were 10-years-old,” Trahan said. “No one can get this feeling anywhere else.”
Trahan, who grew up in the Chicago suburbs, said she watched “The Brady Bunch” constantly as a kid — even though it wasn’t technically her favorite sitcom. She says that honor is reserved for “Three’s Company.”
Still, the emotional pull of the house was undeniable, “I have to have it,” she said.
Not everyone agreed.
Her husband, former HBO chief Chris Albrecht — who oversaw shows like “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City” — initially thought the idea was absurd.
“He said, ‘Have you lost your mind?’” Trahan recalled in an interview with LAist. “He thought I wanted to move into it.”
Living there, she said, was never the plan.
“What if someone drops a meatball on the sofa or something?” she said. “I would have a nervous breakdown.”
Instead, Trahan turned the house into a carefully preserved pop-culture time capsule.
Over the past two years she has added roughly 400 props and Easter eggs referencing moments from the show — including the flashlight Greg once used to fake a UFO sighting and a stuffed giraffe like the one that appeared in the girls’ bedroom. She even had three different giraffes custom made before settling on the right size.
The interior itself already closely resembled the show’s set after HGTV renovated the property for its 2019 series “A Very Brady Renovation,” re-creating the famous floating staircase and other recognizable rooms.
But Trahan worried about the house’s future.
“What if I get hit by a bus tomorrow?” she said. “Is there anything I can do to preserve this?”
That question led her to pursue landmark status — a process she said took two years and several rounds of city approvals.
Architectural historian Heather Goers helped prepare the nomination and shepherd it through the Cultural Heritage Commission, the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee and finally the full council vote.
The designation is notable because the house is the first property in Los Angeles to receive landmark protection specifically for its significance as a filming location outside of a studio lot.
Though the home was built in 1959 and only its exterior appeared in the sitcom, officials ultimately extended the landmark designation to the interior as well.
Trahan said she was stunned when that happened.
“I’m sure there are people who are like, ‘But wait — that’s not historical,’” she said.
The decision reflects the enduring impact of the show, which debuted in 1969 and has been in near-constant syndication since its original run ended in 1974.
Today the house draws a steady stream of visitors to its quiet San Fernando Valley street, with fans pulling up daily to snap photos.
Trahan has also opened the property for charity tours and events called “The Brady Experience,” often featuring cast members such as Christopher Knight and Maureen McCormick.
Becoming the owner of an official Los Angeles landmark hasn’t changed much for Trahan — except for one unexpected headache.
Her insurance company dropped coverage after the designation became public.
Historic homes can be more complicated and expensive to insure, she said.
Still, Trahan calls it a small price to pay.
