LISTING OF THE DAY
Location:Pacific Palisades, California Price:$18.25 million (sold for $15.5 million)
This week we’re looking back on the Listings of the Day that garnered the most attention from our readers in 2017: An amenity-filled waterfront mansion in Florida, a British castle set on 32 acres, a Dubai villa with a nightclub, a 1940s home perched above Los Angeles and a grand Victorian estate on the shores of Rhode Island. Some have sold and some are still available.
Up today: A private 1940s retreat in Los Angeles.
This 1946 gem was designed by renowned modern architect Welton Becket, who designed such iconic Los Angeles buildings as the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the Capitol Records Building and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Los Angeles Music Center. It was second in our top five most popular Listings of the Day of 2017.
Though its listing price was $18.25 million, it sold in mid-July with a final price of $15.5 million, to a buyer through an LLC.
It’s an unusually large and private lot for the ultra-exclusive upper Riviera neighborhood, and it drew lots of interest from would-be buyers.
More:Sprawling Hidden Hills, California, Home Will Appeal to Movie Buffs
"We had a ton of activity with high-profile celebrities from entertainment to tech requesting private showings," said listing agent Jordan Eamer, whose grandfather, Richard Eamer, lived in the house for 46 years. "The buyer was awealthy entrepreneur from Chicagowho bought the home for his personal residence."
The well-proportioned home has split-level dual master suites and two ground level wings. The main living areas, which include the great room, living room, dining area and den, open to a covered terrace overlooking the pool, spa, pool cabana, and lighted tennis court. A media room with a vaulted ceiling opens to a back patio and more grounds.
Alas, this charming old house has a future as a teardown, Mr. Eamer said. The new owners "plan on building their dream home on the lot in the future."
"Because the buyer is tearing down the home for the lot, I broke a new record for land value in the Palisades Riviera, Mr. Eamer said.
More:Will My Property Taxes Double If I’m Tearing Down a House and Building a Bigger One?
Stats
The one-story,6,321-square-foot house has five bedrooms and six bathrooms. It sits on a flat1.06-acrelot.
Design pedigree
Welton Becket and his partner, Walter Wurdeman, did everything for their clients, creating the notion of "total design." Along with architectural design, they did the master planning, engineering, interiors, furniture, fixtures, landscaping and signage. For their restaurant clients, they even designed menus, matchbooks, silverware and napkins.
Becket’s long list of credits includes the UCLA Medical Center, Pan-Pacific Auditorium, General Petroleum Building,Santa Monica Auditorium, the Theme Building at the L.A. airport,and the Pauley Pavilion at UCLA.
This was the largest single-family residence he was ever commissioned to do, Mr. Eamer said.
Along with his iconic public buildings, Becket also designed modern private homes, including ones for stars like James Cagney and Robert Montgomery.
Amenities
The property has a large, deep pool with flagstone decking, sauna, gazebo, a billiards room with a fireplace and an attached garage. The very private grounds feature thick hedges, tall trees, flowering gardens and spacious lawns.
Meryl Streep Buys Mid-Century Spread in California https://t.co/KV8VTRsgFl pic.twitter.com/a7weZCaWQk
— Mansion Global (@MansionGlobal) December 17, 2017
Celebrity cachet
"It’s littered with celebrities up here," Mr. Eamer said of the Pacific Palisades location. "Goldie Hawn is four doors down, Ben Affleck is here, Adam Sandler, Blake Griffin, Steven Spielberg."
Agent: Jordan Eamer, Compass
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