L.A.'s famous 'Hobbit Houses' have a new owner. He calls himself the 'King of Storybook'

The Hobbit Houses, a whimsical complex on the edge of L.A. and Culver City, sold for the first time ever for $1.88 million to real estate agent Michael Libow.

Libow, who also owns the Witch’s House in Beverly Hills, calls himself the “King of Storybook” and intends to preserve the distinctive architectural style.

Built from 1946 to 1970 by Disney artist Lawrence Joseph, the property is heavily protected by conservancy easements restricting renovations, from the structure to the original furniture inside.

In the architectural age of minimalism and millennial gray, a wild and whimsical antidote made of old clinker bricks and jumbled shingles sits on a quiet street at the edge of L.A. and Culver City.

Formally, the spellbinding property is named the Lawrence and Martha Joseph Residence an