Heidi Murkoff, author of the bestselling pregnancy guide “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” spends a lot of time on the road advocating for maternal and infant health. So while she and her husband love their Richard Neutra-designed house in Encino, Calif., they aren’t able to spend as much time there as they would like.
They are listing the circa-1951 Midcentury Modern home, which they renovated, for $7.6 million.
“There’s nothing about it I don’t love,” said Heidi, 66, who published the first edition of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” in 1984. “We’re constantly on the road and this beautiful house is not being enjoyed the way it should be enjoyed.”
Heidi and her husband, Erik Murkoff, paid $4.725 million for the house in 2015. Set on 0.77 acre, the home measures about 4,200 square feet with five bedrooms and glass walls offering views of the landscaped grounds.
The Murkoffs, who have an affinity for architecture and design, have lived in several architecturally significant homes over the years, including a Montecito house designed by George Washington Smith, said Erik, 71.
“We never thought we’d actually be lucky enough to own” a Neutra, Erik said. Before purchasing their current home, they tried to buy a different house designed by the famed architect, but they were outbid. “It was kind of devastating,” said Heidi.
The Murkoffs were thrilled when they were finally able to buy a Neutra a few years later. Although the house was in good condition, it hadn’t been touched in 20 years. Before updating it, Erik said, he spent hours working with historians and poring over original plans and photographs of the house.
During the renovation, the Murkoffs kept original features such as redwood ceilings. In the primary bathroom, they removed marble that had been added by a prior owner, installing stone in its place to be more in line with Neutra’s work.
The Murkoffs also put significant effort into the gardens, which had become overgrown. Erik studied the work of landscape architect Garrett Eckbo, who did the home’s original landscape design. The Murkoffs worked with landscape architect Pamela Burton to reimagine the gardens in line with Eckbo’s vision.
The Murkoffs declined to say how much they spent on the project.
Being on the road so much, they rarely entertained, preferring to spend time at home with their two adult children and grandchildren.
The Murkoffs said they plan to look for a home on the East Coast, possibly in Washington, D.C., where they do advocacy work; the couple founded the What to Expect Project, a nonprofit focused on maternal and infant health.
Heidi conceived of “What to Expect” when she was pregnant with her first child. The book spawned a series of parenting books, an app and a 2012 romantic comedy.
The Encino house is located in Royal Oaks, a wealthy enclave that is popular with people in the entertainment industry because of its large lots, privacy and proximity to the studios, said listing agent Stephen Sigoloff of Carolwood Estates.
