A Santa Monica house designed by Peter Choate, an architect popular with Hollywood glitterati in the mid-to late 20th century, has sold in an all cash deal for $22.5 million.
The 9,300-square-foot home located at 2121 La Mesa Drive, sold for about $2,422 per square foot and is the priciest Santa Monica trade since 2021. Delaram Rivani of Carolwood Estates represented both the seller and the buyer.
The home was initially listed for $33 million in September. Its price was reduced to $29 million in October and the sale closed December 4th.
The sellers were an art collecting couple from Lebanon. They bought the home for $16.1 million in 2016. The buyer was not identified.
The sale marks the area’s most significant transaction since the $49 million trade in February 2021 for the estate at 609 East Channel Road, which was owned by Shane Smith, the executive chairman of Vice Media. Richard Ehrlich of Carolwood Estates represented the buyer of Smith’s estate.
2121 La Mesa Drive is located on half acre of land, which features amenities such as a pool, a spa and a cinema. The couple lined the walls of their Santa Monica home with works from Andy Warhol and Humberto Campana, according to a September 2023 Mansion Global story. The house has a wine display room big enough for 800 bottles and features views of the Riviera Country Club and the Santa Monica Mountains.
The sale is one of four deals to close above $20 million in the fourth quarter, according to Carolwood Estates. Three of which were represented by the firm.
They include the $34 million deal for a Bel-Air home at 1492 StoneCanyon Road, which was sold by Jennifer Lopez. Lopez was solely represented by Brett Lawyer of Carolwood Estates.
Another was Saeed Farkhondehpour’s Holmby Hills estate, located at 10350 Wyton Drive, which sold for about $35 million. Farkhondehpour was represented by ZacMostame of Carolwood Estates.
