A fairytale cottage smack in the middle of LA was designed by Disney animators in the 1930s. It is now on the market for $2.19 million — take a look inside.

Situated near the Sunset Strip, the property at 8888 Appian Way in the Hollywood Hills includes a main residence and a detached one-bedroom guest suite, per the listing.

And it's not a coincidence that the house looks like it belongs in a Disney film — the gable-roof home was originally designed by Disney animators in the 1930s, Christopher Pickett, the listing agent from Douglas Elliman, told Insider.

"You step into this home and you think you might see Hansel and Gretel somewhere, coming out of a closet or hiding from the evil witch," Pickett said.

Even the neighbors affectionately refer to the house as "The Witches' Cottage", he added.

The owner, who declined to be named, bought the house in 1983 for $385,003, per county property records. He first put the house on the market in January for $2.195 million, per listing records. As of February 6, the house is under contract.

Houses in the Hollywood Hills West neighborhood have a median listing home price of $3.3 million and tend to sell after 81 days, per data from real-estate platform Realtor.com. 

There are currently 143 single-family homes for sale in the area, with prices ranging from $750,000 to $39.9 million. The $2.195 million storybook home is on the lower end of the price spectrum. 

In the 1970s, a European set designer and art director by the name of Ernst van de Bovenkamp bought the house and renovated it, Pickett said. 

"When you're in the home, you'll see these massive posts and beams of timber and this beautiful ironwork that connects them," Pickett said. "According to my client who purchased this home from Ernst in the 1980s, Ernst told my client that he had imported those from Scandinavia and spent about eight years building the estate by hand with several of his artisans."

Despite living here since the 1980s, the owner — a writer — has leased out the guest apartment to friends and other acquaintances over the years, Pickett said.

Indeed, one of the best parts of the property is its location, Pickett said.

"We're literally at the top of the mountain in the Hollywood Hills. You realize just how high up you are when you see news helicopters or police helicopters that are lower than you," he added. "You really feel like you're at the top of the world up here."

Due to its proximity to production houses such as Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Sony Pictures, Appian Way — the street on which the house sits — has a lot of Hollywood history, he said.

The area was filled with silent film stars back in the 1920s and 1930s, and remains popular among celebrities and others who work in the industry today, Pickett said.

Some notable former residents of Appian Way include actress Ginger Rogers, The Doors' drummer John Densmore, and musician Joni Mitchell. 

"The Sunset Strip is really sexy and glitzy and has lots of bling. But this storybook cottage is the complete opposite," Pickett said.

Most other houses in the area are flashy and modern, with a few traditional Spanish and Mediterranean-inspired bungalows, he added.

"The ideal buyer is not somebody who's going to come in, scrap the house, and build a modern box. This is not the site to do that," Pickett said.