Bel-Air’s Bekins House Moves Onto the Market for $42.5M

If we were prone to groaners, we’d say it will be a moving experience when Bel-Air‘s lavish Bekins house sells.

Originally built in 1934 for Floyd R. Bekins—an heir to the Bekins Van and Storage Co. fortune—the mansion has changed hands a number of times over the decades. It’s now on the market for a hefty $42.5 million.

The estate was originally designed by Oakland architect Claude B. Barton, who blended Georgian and Colonial Revival styles with the tall roofs of the French Norman style. The result is eclectic yet classic, and marked by elegant simplicity on the exterior.

The mansion has been updated throughout the years. Many of its intriguing period features remain, including ornate plaster moldings, wrought-iron doors, parquet floors, and wood paneling.

However, it’s also been renovated for 21st century life, with features like whole-house automation and a designer kitchen. The modern family wing, designed by architect Richard Manion, opens to an outdoor kitchen, a dining terrace, and a large saltwater pool.

The home had been on and off the market for a decade beginning in 2006, with the price hovering around $18 million. It was sold in 2016 for $16,162,500.

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Today the 1-acre property includes rolling lawns and mature sycamore trees. The 11,920-square-foot mansion has seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. Moving into a mansion this size would likely be a lucrative project for the Bekins of today.

Among the home’s other extraordinary features are a formal office, third-story lounge, lower-level home theater, gym, and guest suite.

The home sits behind high hedges, thick walls, and ornate gates in one of the ritziest enclaves in Los Angeles, accessed by Bel-Air’s landmark East Gate.

Everyone who’s ever driven past that elegant part of Sunset Boulevard has gazed on those gates in awe. The Bekins house is an appealing alternative to the giant modern mansions going up in the area, absolutely move-in ready for anyone who wants a fully restored property with a bit of history.

• For more photos and details, check out the full listing.
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