This One-Time Hollywood Hills Home of Celebrity Photographer Herb Ritts Can Be Yours
A lofty Hollywood Hills villa that Herb Ritts once called home just popped up for sale high above the Sunset Strip, asking a click under $8.4 million; and it’s every bit as sublime as the late photographer’s images capturing the likes of Olivia Newton John, Madonna, Cindy Crawford and many more notable personalities—complete with museum-quality furnishings, plus sweeping views of the Griffith Observatory, city lights and ocean beyond.
“The property presents a peaceful tranquility to be experienced while living in a midcentury art-deco work of art,” says Ernie Carswell, who holds the listing with Spencer Daley, both of Douglas Elliman. “For purists, there is nothing finer.”
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Ritts acquired the 1936-built premises at the start of the 2000s—shortly before his death in 2002 at age 50—and then undertook an extensive remodel and expansion that added a cabana entertainment room with a full kitchen and bath that could easily serve as a guest suite if needed, as well as an additional bedroom and bath for staff that could be accessed via its own entrance.
Per Carswell, there have been four owners since Ritts’ tenure, all of whom meticulously maintained the residence; and the current owners even added high-tech amenities and security features, such as armored windows and “James Bond-level” surveillance, he says.
Resting atop a promontory, amid a secluded cul-de-sac parcel spanning almost a half-acre, the white stucco structure is fronted by an attached two-car garage, and offers a total of five bedrooms and six baths in a little more than 4,200 square feet of two-level living space boasting dark hardwood floors, high ceilings and steel-case French doors spilling out to a wraparound balcony. There also are plenty of original museum-quality furnishings by the likes of Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier, Serge Mouille and Pierre Jeanneret that are all available for purchase.
A walled and gated courtyard entryway centered around an organic vegetable garden leads to the main level, which features a living room/library sporting a concealed motorized screen, projector and surround sound for movie nights. Other highlights include a wet bar-equipped den, formal dining room with built-in banquette, and galley-style kitchen decked out with custom cherry wood cabinetry, and high-end Sub-Zero and Viking appliances, plus a breakfast nook on one side and lounge with a wine fridge on the other.
All of the bedrooms can be found on the lower level, including a spacious primary retreat displaying a private balcony, walk-in closets, and a tiled bath spotlighted by dual vanities, a fitted tub and glass-encased shower. As for the outdoors, the private grounds are laced with specimen trees, and host a black-bottom pool flanked by a sundeck and an al fresco dining patio; and, per the listing, the sale also comes with architectural plans for a two-story ADU/guesthouse to be built on the property, as well as permits for a Tesla Solar Roof that can provide off-grid power for the entire house.
Click here to see more photos of 8724 St. Ives Drive.
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