Celebrity Saturday – The Bette Davis House

Here is another fun way to celebrate old houses – NOT under $50k and NOT for sale, but homes owned by celebrities – Celebrity Saturday. Here is the Bette Davis House.

 

Located at 1991 Ocean Way, Laguna Beach, California, the mega star’s house was up for sale last year and sold for $15.25 M in 2022.

 

 

The former residence of screen legend Bette Davis, is perched atop a captivating oceanfront cliff and draws in all who visit. This 5,472 +/- s.f., 6 bed, 8 bath French Normandy estate in Laguna Beach has earned a place on the registry of historic places.

Built in 1929 as a summer home for Charles H. Prisk, a wealthy newspaper publisher and owner of the Pasadena Star-News and Long Beach Press-Telegram, the statuesque mansion was designed by Laguna Beach artist and architect Aubrey St. Clair. Clair designed numerous grand waterfront homes for Hollywood A-listers. Although Davis purchased the home sometime in the 1940s and vacated it in 1950, locals still refer to it as The Bette Davis House.  Subsequent owners of the three-story, white stucco home made sure to preserve many of the original elements from Bette’s time there.

 

 

EXTERIOR

A private courtyard entry leads to the home’s main entrance, guest house entrance, and dining terrace with stairs leading to a sunny lounge area with direct stair access to the beach below. The main house, anchored by an exquisite great room leads guests to the Lookout Room and adjoining family room and dining room, all with stunning views of crashing waves and sea. With solid oak floors and updated styling throughout, the home encircles a central spiral staircase topped with a conical roof and spire.

INTERIOR

The updated kitchen with eating nook offers stainless steel top-end appliances. Upstairs is a master suite with an interior Juliet balcony over the great room, a large ocean view terrace, & updated ensuite w/Carrara marble & heated floors. Two additional ensuite bedrooms and extra storage rooms complete the upper level. The lower level offers a large bar area & adjoining media room, wine cellar, gym & ocean view bedroom. The separate guest house has two ensuite guest rooms, one within its own self-contained apartment. This exclusive and private retreat, surrounded by lush greenery, sand, and breathtaking overlooks, is a stone’s-throw distance from shops, restaurants, and the art galleries of Laguna Beach.

• 6 beds
• 8 baths
• 5,472 sqft
• 0.17acres
• Year Built 1929
• Google Map

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

*

 

*

*

*

*

 

*