Friday, March 28, 2014

Liongate Revisited, Again

WHAT: Liongate
WHERE: Los Angeles, CA
PRICE: $65,000,000
SIZE: 24,000 (or so) square feet, 11 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms (total)

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: The well-informed property gossips at the Wall Street Journal announced this week that Liongate,* a mildly pedigreed and recently overhauled estate in a super-prime pocket of L.A.'s swanky East Gate Bel Air area, was put up for sale with a eyebrow raising and pearls clutching $65,000,000 price tag.

The listing agent declined to identify the sellers but did tattle to the peeps at the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that they're "European" and "purchased the home for personal use." She went on to say the sellers are selling because "they haven't spent as much time in Los Angeles as they planned." Naturally, Your Mama questioned a select couple of our better connected contacts in the Platinum Triangle and within minutes of our query we were pinged by ever-vigilant real estate yenta Yolanda Yakkityyak who swears on the life of her beloved pharmacist that the seller is a Switzerland-based entrepreneur named Raoul Walter who, until 2011, owned a couple dozen upscale fitness clubs in Geneva, Zürich and Brussels. Make of that what you will.

The original residence was built in the late 1930s and designed by legendary architect Paul Revere Williams. We don't know who it was built for or if it was an important Paul Williams house but we do know the house and property were substantially altered by country music mandarin Kenny Rogers who bought the 1.63 acre estate in 1979. It was he, so the reportage goes, who added the carved stone lions that stand sentry on either side of the driveway gates and give the estate its current moniker.

According to the Platinum Triangle real estate page turner Unreal Estate, Mister Rogers soon brought in Cher's decorator, Ron Wilson, who instituted a complete makeover that required some hillside engineering derring do and included a theatrical injection of architectural folly and pizazz. One side of the hillside below the house was carved out to accommodate a tennis court and the other cut away for a semi-subterranean living space accessed by a steel and glass outdoor elevator. That's right, a steel and glass outdoor elevator. How deliciously and absolutely ludicrous a thing is that to have, children, a steel and glass outdoor elevator in the backyard?. It's pitiful and glorious all at the same time. It means nothing but says everything. If there isn't there should be a pitch perfect and probably very long German word that encompasses all of those things—pitiful and glorious, nothing and everything. Anyways....

In the late 1980s Liongate was acquired by oil and showbiz heiress Nancy Davis, a woman known in some circles—so says the ever-reliable Wikipedia—as Nicole Richie's godmother. Ironically enough, Mister Rogers sold Liongate because he'd purchased The Knoll, a much more grand, 10-acre estate in Beverly Hills that he would later sell—Tuh-Duh!—to Nancy Davis's parents, Denver-based oil mogul turned Tinseltown power broker Marvin Davis and his philanthropically engaged wife Barbara. (The current owners of The Knoll, discount tool tycoon Eric Smidt and wife Susan, recently listed their former, Tuscan village-like compound in Beverly Park on the market for $45 million. But, we digress...)

As far as this property gossip know, Miz Davis first and unsuccessfully attempted to unload Liongate in 2006 when it was reported in the L.A. Times (link not available) to be listed for nearly $30 million. Your Mama first (dissed and) discussed Liongate in April 2007 when it was back on the market for $23,950,000. By July 2009 the asking price had plummeted to $14,995,000 and, finally, in March 2010 the European buyer (and apparent flipper)—who Yolanda swears is the low profile fitness club fella from Switzerland—snagged the property for $12,200,000.

Over the next three years the entire estate, residence and grounds, was given a soup-to-nuts, spare-no-expense overhaul and expansion under the direction of L.A.-based architect Dean Larkin. The ever-so-soigne decorative treatment was conceived and installed by L.A.-based interior designer Kirk Nix of KNA Design.

(P.S. The $65 million asking price includes all the furniture selected and/or commissioned by Mister Nix. Naturally, a home automation system was installed along with Fort Knox-style security measures. Listing details declare the estate can be transferred with a fully trained staff but if not a detailed estate operation manual will be provided for newbie hires.)

Digital marketing materials show the freshly refurbished and expanded three-plus story mansion and all its attached and detached accessory spaces encompass about 24,000 square feet with six fireplaces and a total of 11 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms. The WSJ parsed those figures to "nine bedrooms and 14 bathrooms" with an additional two bedrooms and three bathrooms planned for a still-to-be-built attached guest house.

On the floor plan included with publicly accessible digital marketing materials Your Mama counted five bedrooms and six full and two half bathrooms on the upper two floors of the three-plus story mansion plus an additional two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms in the still-to-be-built attached guest house. Simple calculations on Your Mama's bejeweled abacus show that comes to seven bedrooms and eight full and three half bathrooms so that means there are an additional four bedrooms and half a dozen full and/or half bathrooms spread hither and thither throughout the remainder of the estate.

An Old School elegant grey flagstone driveway lined with carefully trimmed trees swoops gently down to a flag stone motor court. A wide, high-gloss ebony door set into a regal arched pediment opens to a marble floored foyer and gallery that balloons open to an elegantly proportioned if somewhat eccentrically shaped formal living room where there are more inlaid marble floors and no fewer than seven sets of French doors lined up along a gently bowed wall through which there's a peek-a-boo, over the tree tops city view.

Just off the foyer/gallery, in the west wing, a cozy, motor court view library has a fireplace with (probably antique) carved marble mantelpiece and is lined with custom milled book shelves. Beyond the library a double-sided fireplace divides a pair of larger adjoining rooms, one a den and the other a billiard/game room with circular bar.

On the east side of the foyer, in addition to a generous formal dining room, a bounteous butler's pantry with walk-in china and stemware closets, and a pair of back-to-back powder rooms, there's a double-island kitchen with (stunning) chevron pattern distressed (and probably antique) wood floors. The kitchen (along with the chevron pattern wood flooring) flows unimpeded into a circular breakfast nook and casual lounge area with fireplace. Floor plans indicate there's an open niche with built-in desks just off the kitchen that passes through to a dedicated security office that, in turn, has direct access to the breezeway that separates the front motor court from the rear motor court and garages.

Our gin-sotted eyes spotted three separate staircases that connect the public and semi-private rooms on main level to the private family quarters upstairs. Each of the three, spacious guest/family bedroom suites in the west wing of the upper level has a walk-in closet, large bathroom, and private terrace while a more modest, fourth guest/family bedroom in the east wing does have a private attached bathroom but does not have a walk-in closet or private outdoor space. The remainder of the mansion's east wing is devoted entirely to a 3,600 square foot master suite. A long, angled gallery links the various and far-flung areas of the master suite that include a central bedroom with fireplace and sitting area and, at opposite ends of the suite his and her bathrooms with adjoining walk-in closets.

Online marketing materials reveal the still-to-be-built attached guest wing is scheduled to be completed in September 2014 and floor plans included with listing information show the two-story addition will include a ground level lounge just off the motor court with kitchenette and half bathroom. Was this room designed to be used as a break room by the estate's domestic staff and/or as a waiting lounge for chauffeurs and personal assistants of visitors? You decide. A separate entrance opens to a foyer with stairway that curves tightly up to a large living room area and two bedrooms, each with walk-in closet and private bathroom.

There is a lower, daylight basement level of the house and that may or may not be where the mansion's state-of-the-art 12-seat home theater and wine cellar with refrigerated wine storage room are located. At least three sets of exterior stairs link the wrought iron railed stone terraces that extend off the rear of the main floor living spaces to the lower level recreation and entertainment areas. A deep and wide loggia with outdoor fireplace and kitchen over looks a dark bottom swimming pool, a separate spa, and built-in fire pit. Off to the west a patch of flat grass looks just about big enough for a couple of medium sized dog to really get their run on.

Opposite the house, on the other side of the swimming pool, a kooky glass roofed pavilion protects and proclaims entrance the aforementioned steel and glass outdoor elevator. One level down the elevator doors open directly into a well-equipped wood floored fitness room and adjoining spa area with sauna, steam, and massage room. Also on this level, there's (exterior) access to the tennis court and a fairly petite ballroom—it's more like a birthday party sized room—with more of those gorgeous chevron pattern wood floors plus a large and professionally equipped bar. Three sets of French doors in the—ahem—ballroom open to tree top level Juliet balconies. The elevator descends at least one more level where there's a secondary entrance to the estate from the street below.

Any of the better connected real estate insiders care to fill Your Mama in on the short list of buyers currently sniffing around Los Angeles in the $50 million price range who might like a peek at and poke around this opulently dressed piece of Platinum Triangle palatiality? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

*In 2007 the estate in question was referred to as Lionsgate, with an "s" in the middle. It's also repeatedly called Lionsgate—again with the "s"—in Michael Gross's Unreal Estate. However, puppies, current marketing materials drop the "s" and call it Liongate and, indeed, the plaque affixed to the front gate also identifies it as Liongate, without the "s." So there you have it. You say toe-may-toe, we say toe-maw-toe, right? Ugh.

listing photos and floor plan: Hilton & Hyland

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ron Wilson is no doubt turning flips in his grave. Vulgar on steroids. Euro trash be gone.

Anonymous said...

Regardless of what they've done to it, isn't a 500%+ price hike in 4 years stretching things a bit?

Those brass colored fish tank inspired light fixtures hanging above the kitchen islands make me nervous.

There's going to be an awful glut of this type of home no one's going to want in a decade or two. Times and tastes are a changing.

Anonymous said...

love it!!!!

Anonymous said...

That's no kitchen island... it's a space station!

Anonymous said...

The best thing I can say about it is that it's much nicer than the Spelling Manor. It's been expanded too much, but has a little architectural style both inside and out.

The WSJ article mentioned restored original details, but no sense of history comes through in any of this pics. I don't see any original fireplaces or marble flooring.

I think Sandy Gallin would have made for a better choice to reinvent this estate. Hate him or love him, his style isn't euro trash.

Anonymous said...

The inclusion of the aforementioned manual is a nice touch, as is the thought that's gone into thinking ahead and ensuring that the staff will be available for the transfer.

When we bought our home (of the far more modest variety), we were touched that the previous owners had thought to provide us with a full dossier of everything to do with the home - including, but not limited to, who installed the windows (the house was some 10 years old); where the (stunningly emerald green) grass seed was purchased; and what time we could expect daily mail to be delivered. Amazing!

West Bourne said...

It's far too large, but I don't hate the place. For what it is, a home for nouveau riche bazilionaires, it's quite tasteful.

I am sorry they removed too many of the trees on the property. There isn't any view to speak of and I think they would have done better to create a stunning view within the landscaping.

The "guest house" is not well thought out in MYHO. Who wants your guests walking smack dab into the middle of the master bedroom suite? The only thing I can think of is that it was conceived for a middle-east potentate with multiple wives.

The living room will do double duty as the real ballroom. The one reached by the elevator is a polite name for a party room used by teenagers whose friends can come and go unseen from the street below. More so as the house across from that has been abandoned for 40 years that I know of.

West Bourne said...

Oh and Anon 4:34 - you may be right. I know people who bought in the neighborhood in the early 70s and paid between 250-300k because no one wanted the big old places that had to be redone - they just moved to Trousedale,instead - and left this neighborhood to rich young rock stars.

Anonymous said...

yawn

Anonymous said...

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Chatty Charlie said...

If ever a house had Tamara Ecclestone's name written all over it, this is the one.

Rosco Mare said...

Day-core has improved since it was last listed for sale, but too much going on behind the house. I would reduce square footage and follow Paul William's interior design as much as possible. I like the driveway, but would remove the lions, which look unnecessarily dramatic for a Williams Georgian mansion. Thanks for the floor plan porn Mama Dearest.

Speaking of 1960s / 1970s musicians, the Mamas and the Papas, Sly Stone (Jeanette MacDonald house demolished), Jim Nabors (house demolished), and Mac Davis (house, you guessed it, demolished) lived in the neighborhood.

lil' gay boy said...

Williams wept.

8-(

Architectural elephantiasis; when one looks at pre-construction aerials, you can see Williams' deft hand in the original footprint -- the additions seem to burst forth like cancerous tumors. And turrets on a classic Georgian? No.

Whatever original details preserved in the house are completely subsumed by the "architect's" far too heavy hand -- too many ill-conceived ceiling treatments that shout (rather than echo) the subtle Williams ones, and incoherent interiors that intrude rather than relate to one another. But with all that said, we've all seem worse here...

The nearest I could come to Mama's German is über krasser vulgär -- but I would be far more interested in seeing a more sensitive restoration of the aforementioned fire damaged & abandoned house below on St. Pierre (also designed by Williams; the former Johnny Weissmuller home, of Tarzan fame), that was once occupied by both the Phillips & Jaggers (Mackenzie & her father moved in after Mick & Bianca vacated it); I believe the estate is still tied up after Johnny's death.

Sandpiper said...

East gate? My heart be still. It definitely has that Paul Williams charm, or more accurately had. The new work reminds me of a face lift gone wrong. Not begrudging the kitchen remodel (swoon), new paint job or fixing the slew of other 1970s decor violations (link), The rest is wretched.

Here's the old pre-additions Davis marketing video. It included an attempted replica of Coco Chanel's Paris staircase. It also had a master bedroom even Liberace would have declined. Plus (and this is precious), there was a Rubbermaid storage locker on the terrace, a DIY greenhouse, other crap scattered around the lawn. Lastly, in the creepy flower-packed living room I think there's a body lying in state just out of camera frame.

A little aside to Sweet Mama: I'm with you on we say toe-maw-toe for Lion(s)gate. Even the old listing agent pluralized "Lion" -- and he grew up there. Duh. Uh-oh. If so, why not correct it? Meow.

Sandpiper said...

... why not correct "it" ... the sign at the driveway.

Anonymous said...

what lil' gay boy said!

Petra said...

I used to think it impossible to make a Williams design seem straight-up gauche. Not anymore.

Anonymous said...

Kirk Nik @ company have nix'd any remnant of authenticity. His name says it all. Don't let him near anything of value.

Anonymous said...

Check out Nix's Six Bytes of Brilliance u-tube of the Otis Award which says it all. Pastiche like all his ripped out designs if others that he unsuccessfully attempts to cobble together. Incapable of an authentic thought or expression.

Anonymous said...

After hearing him ramble, when the question was posed to describe himself in three words, I expected him to say: Full. Of. Shit.

Anonymous said...

I think it's borderline ghastly. Kenny Rogers now believes himself to be an interior designer; one of his trademark things is to have oversized animals flanking an entrance. The lions were probably his idea.

Anonymous said...

I actually love this home. Very South of France vibe by the pool. It's big, showy, garish and gracious and in Bel Air. What's not to like?

Wise Old Slut said...

Tamara wouldn't buy this. Not enough outdoor space "for her dogs to play" and besides, the property is far too private. There's nowhere for the paparazzi to catch her for those oh-so-convenient "accidental" candid shots.

Sandpiper said...

Tamara? Is she another one of those "Housewives of Someplace or Another" who struck gold in a divorce? I'm being serious. I don't watch that stuff.

Amanda B. Rekendwith said...

Make of it what you will, but the house is shown on the KNA Design website provided by Mama as the Nimes Residence.

Anonymous said...

I don't get the charcoal pillars and I miss the old gates.
And why no subterranean garage under the tennis court?
Missed opportunity.

Anonymous said...

HEY MAMA,
I JUST REVISITED YOUR 2007 LIONGATE POST AND NOTICED THAT THE PICTURE OF THE PLAQUE ON THE PILLAR ALSO SAYS LIONGATE WITH NO 'S'
PERHAPS LIONSGATE ROLLS OFF THE TONGUE BETTER AND THAT'S WHERE THE DISCREPANCY CAME FROM?
IT APPEARS THEY'VE KEPT THE PLAQUE AND I DON'T IMAGINE MZ DAVIS HAD A NEW ONE SPECIALLY MADE WITHOUT THE 'S'
HMMM....

P Hilton said...

As this is the boyhood home of all the greasy bear Davis boys, they all probably each had their very first orgasm in that house.

Something to ponder, indeed.

Anonymous said...

Pale dull and boring. Good luck Mia honey on selling this dump.

Mr DHH said...

I am sorry,but I do not like this at all and I do not like what is happening between 400-700 blocks on the East Gate Side "of a town called
Bel Air".The obviously crammed some of the pre outside structures and made this hot mess.And it is not even "complete".Somebody tell me
that you want people who are staying in the guest house come waltzing in to the master bedroom or is it designed (and for 65 million will be completed or compensated for-thank you)for an extra escape for the hot Swedish
Nanny,hunky pool boy or all strangers in the night.It looks as well as a 2 bedroom guest house so you have to keep an eye on more than one person crashing your master bedroom affair.Before was a main house of 13000 square feet and additional structures of 3000
square feet-maybe quirky but you know what if the kids want to disco the night away,have a nice outside party they would not be bebopping in the house.And there was alot of trees and things-it was quite private from the street
and if not mistaken you could access it as well from St. Pierre.
Mr. Williams is one the the first class men that came to style.His signature staircases and foyer
are well known with absolute attention to detail.Maybe there is
problems with these additional additions due to the preservation
group.East Gate I am getting very concerned about.People are going in combining lots and building
massive structures that are not cohesive with the neighborhood-but look like office buildings and blocking other peoples views and such makes one think when they pull up to it are the valet going to park the car somewhere as you figure out where the entrance is.Sorry to vent but if these people are going to flip-flip with class and not be crass because it just might make you look like an
a**.

Anonymous said...

Mr. DHH, huh? I understood about 5% of what you just said.

Anonymous said...

Wow, this house manages to be bland and gaudy at the same time.

lil' gay boy said...

Berta Fatso -- not what I pictured; Michael Aiden -- poor grammatical syntax at best...

Buy an ad, people; Mama has lots of hungry chillruns to feed!

;-)

Bette Davis said...

What a dump!

Anonymous said...

To the first poster @ March 28, 2014 at 4:25 PM

It's pretty obvious you never saw the photos of the original house. One word..Horrid.