Frank Zappa’s longtime home with private studio fetches $5.25 million
Call it Frank Zappa’s closing act. The Hollywood Hills West estate where the late experimental rock musician and composer made his home for decades has sold for $5.25 million.
The estate, tucked away on half an acre in Laurel Canyon, was originally purchased by Zappa in the late 1960s for $74,000. It had been owned by the musician’s family since his passing in 1993.
The whimsical 1930s Tudor, with its herringbone brickwork and half timbering, includes the recording studio and rehearsal space that Zappa had built as well as “the vault” — a climate-controlled, multiroom space where he kept a secret collection of music and film recordings.
Other living spaces include a kitchen topped with cathedral ceilings, a formal dining room and a library. A refined living room has walls of windows that take in the grounds. There are seven bedrooms and six bathrooms, including a master suite with a fireplace, a glass-enclosed shower and a blue-hued soaking tub.
Outdoors, there’s a rooftop tennis court, a swimming pool and spa, various patios and an elaborate stone courtyard. Two guest cottages and an attached guest apartment also reside on the grounds.
The property came up for sale in June for $5.495 million and found a buyer within about a month, records show.
Branden and Rayni Williams of Hilton & Hyland, an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate, were the listing agents. Jeeb O’Reilly of Compass represented the buyer.
The musician-songwriter-composer infused rock ’n’ roll with elements of blues, jazz and classical music during his four-decade career. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Zappa released more than 60 albums during his lifetime, with his estate releasing another 40 or more albums posthumously.
Beach Boy ready to part with lake view
Brian Wilson is ready to get in tune with a buyer for his home on Lake Arrowhead. The legendary songwriter-performer and one of the original Beach Boys has put his waterfront estate up for sale at $3.299 million.
The multilevel home, built in 2011, has classic curb appeal, with brown-shingle siding, stone accents and plenty of white trim. Tall spires and towers pop up from the gable roofline for a pronounced look.
Within more than 4,500 square feet of interior space is a two-story entry, a formal living room with a fireplace, a dining area and a chef’s kitchen decorated in white subway tile. Sliding glass doors off the common areas open to a deck overlooking the lake.
The master suite has another fireplace for a total of five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. An elevator services each of the three floors.
Outdoors, terrace balconies extend from each level of the home. A single, solar-powered dock slip is also included in the sale.
Wilson and his wife, Melinda, bought the house four years ago for $2.1 million, records show.
Joseph Evans of Coldwell Banker Sky Ridge Realty holds the listing, according to the Multiple Listing Service.
The 74-year-old Wilson wrote such Beach Boys hits as “Good Vibrations” and was inducted with the group into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. He has released 11 solo albums, including “No Pier Pressure” last year.
A fairy-tale ending in Whitley Heights
Once upon a time … Ginnifer Goodwin made a killing on her home sale.
The television and film actress has sold her home in the Whitley Heights area of Los Angeles for $1.675 million. That’s $276,000 over the asking price and $600,000 more than what Goodwin paid for the property seven years ago.
It’s not the first time the Spanish-style residence has changed celebrity hands. Goodwin bought the property, known as the Theodore Wright Jr. House, from actress Busy Phillips, who bought the house from actress Rachel Bilson, who bought the house from Rose McGowan. You get the idea.
A gated courtyard provides entry to the two-story home, built in 1923 and well-maintained through the years. An outdoor dining area and a sunken fire pit sit on either side of the front door.
Inside, the 2,204 square feet of interiors retains its vintage good looks while incorporating a range of contemporary details. Among features of note are dark wood floors, subdued hues and a mix of modern fixtures. In certain parts of the home, including the front entry, the bathrooms and a guest bedroom, patterned wallpaper provides visual interest.
Living areas include a step-down living room with a wood-burning fireplace and French doors that open onto the grounds. A chef’s kitchen has been updated with dark wood cabinetry, Waterworks fixtures and sealed brick floors. A den and a breakfast area are located off the kitchen.
The master suite, with its custom built-in, claw-foot tub and steam shower, has French doors that open to a covered deck. Views take in treetops and the surrounding canyons.
A one-car garage sits off the entrance to the home.
Michael Nourmand and Adam Sires of Nourmand & Associates, Beverly Hills, were the listing agents. John Kostrey of Keller Williams Realty represented the buyer.
Goodwin, 38, is known for her roles on the HBO series “Big Love” and ABC fantasy show “Once Upon a Time.” This year, she voiced the character Judy Hopps in the animated film “Zootopia.”
March of the housewife
Add Kelly Dodd to the list of current and former “Real Housewives” who are on the move. Dodd, who joined the cast of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” and her husband, Michael, have put their home in Corona del Mar on the market for $6.25 million.
The contemporary-style house, which overlooks and has direct access to Corona del Mar State Beach, has been extensively upgraded since the couple bought it two years ago for $3.575 million.
Among eye-catching details of note are sparkling chandeliers and fixtures, textured tile, a glass-paneled staircase and an elevator that connects each of the home’s four levels. A lavish chef’s kitchen creates visual interest with a pair of long islands, a white and gold La Cornue range and a matching herringbone backsplash.
The white-walled floor plan also includes an open dining room that flows into a living room with a wall of white built-ins. Telescoping glass doors off the living room connect to an ocean-facing terrace.
The master suite, with clear-through ocean views, has a free-standing soaking tub, a steam shower and an oversized walk-in closet. Sliding doors off the master bathroom and closet open onto a private patio.
There’s also a three-car garage.
“Kelly took great care in making sure every feature of the house is in immaculate condition,” said listing agent Nicole Contreras. Contreras, an agent with Beverly Hills-based Nourmand & Associates, holds the listing with Tim Beans of Coldwell Banker Previews International.
Dodd, 40, joined the cast of “Real Housewives” as a regular this year. The Orange County version of the show is in its 11th season.
With the listing, Dodd is the second “housewife” to list a home this year. Meghan King Edmonds and her husband, former Angels ballplayer Jim Edmonds, put their home in the Newport Heights area on the market in July for $3.4 million.
Former cast member Alexis Bellino, who was a regular on the show from seasons 5 through 8, recently bought a home in San Juan Capistrano for $3.65 million.
Scene change for Hollywood bigwig
Panacea Entertainment founder Eric Gardner, who produced the “Elvira” films and television shows, has put his estate in Santa Rosa Valley, a Ventura County community situated between Thousand Oaks and Camarillo, on the market for $2.499 million.
The country manor-style home, built in 1989, sits behind gates on more than two manicured acres and is surrounded by a riding ring. Outdoor amenities include expansive patios with outdoor heaters, a swimming pool and spa, a playground and a gazebo that overlooks a koi pond.
The 8,161 square feet of open-plan space features a two-story foyer that opens to a great room. A chef’s kitchen with a long island and a living room with a fireplace sit off of each end of the great room. A custom wall aquarium lends an exotic note to the formal dining room.
The master suite has another fireplace, a dressing area and a walk-in closet for a total of six bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms.
Gardner bought the house nearly two decades ago for $1.122 million, records show.
Nicole Van Parys and Gary Dean Nesen of Engel & Voelkers, Westlake Village, hold the listing.
Originally started as a rock ’n’ roll tour coordination company, Panacea Entertainment coordinated tours for such bands as Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and KISS. The company, with Gardner as chief, later shifted focus to talent management, repping members of the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, the E Street Band and the Who, among others.
As a producer, Gardner has credits that include more than two decades of the “Elvira” franchise. His current projects include a “Hellraiser” series developed in partnership with Jason Blum and NBCUniversal.
Twitter: @NJLeitereg
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