Community Corner

'House of Rock' Lists for $22 Million [PHOTOS]

Renovated by top designers, the party house on La Mesa Drive in Santa Monica was once home to Hollywood actress Kathryn Grayson.

Santa Monica's "House of Rock" has hit the market for $22 million, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The two-story, 11,000-square-foot English Cottage-Tudor Revival was built in 1926. It's on La Mesa Drive, a quiet street lined by Morton Bay Fig trees on a bluff overlooking Santa Monica Canyon and the Riviera Country Club.

Designed by local architect Elmer Gray, the estate is listed on Santa Monica's registry of historic landmark properties. Until recently, it was known as The Grayson Estate after its longtime owner Kathryn Grayson. The Hollywood entertainer lived there from 1945 until her death in 2010.

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Under the current ownership of a partnership led by designer and developer Elaine Culotti—who purchased it two years ago for a reported $7.7 million—the estate has been dubbed the "House of Rock."

According to the WSJ:

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Culotti, who owns design firm Porta Bella, completely renovated the six-bedroom, eight-bathroom home, retaining its oak paneling, rounded archways, high-pitched beams, and hand-crafted leaded windows.

She also worked with several top designers, including Ralph Pucci and Sami Hayek, to add modern touches such as chain and crystal chandeliers. Additionally, the great room has a Lucite Schimmel piano. The property... also features a two-bedroom guest house and a home theater.

Culotti has used the home as a venue for swanky charity fundraisers featuring artists such Christina Aguilera, and is routinely visited by performers using a new in-house studio.

In response to complaints from neighbors, the City Council adopted a law this month that effectively shuts down parties. The council members said they believed the events were a marketing ploy to sell the estate.

See also: Party House Seeks Property Tax Breaks

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