Jeff Franklin's 21,000-square-foot Andalusian-style estate features five aquariums, a 35-foot water slide, multiple bars and more.
Franklin paid a reported $6.37 million for the 3.6-acre lot perched high-up in the tony Benedict Canyon neighborhood. Included in the sale was a partly completed mansion on the site.—to create a stunning, Spanish Andalusian-style estate with nine bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, a detached guest house and subterranean 16-car garage.
The estate itself sits at the end of a long cul-de-sac off Cielo Drive, a short drive from Benedict Canyon and Sunset Boulevard. Imposing double security gates open on to a huge, stone-paved motor court with parking for 35 cars.The entry into the main house is nothing less than spectacular, with wooden front doors set in a Moorish-style rotunda topped by a turquoise-and-gold dome. Inside, visitors are greeted by a grand two-story foyer with a sweeping stone staircase.
The jaw-dropping living spaces were created by Sicilian interior designer Franco Vecchio, best-known for his decadent, masculine bachelor pads. A standout space is the main living room with its coffered and vaulted ceilings and wall of retractable glass offering “jet-liner” views of downtown Los Angeles in the distance.The Balinese-inspired master retreat features a wood-paneled, pitched ceiling and two walls of glass opening on to a wrap-around terrace.
Among the multitude of luxury amenities of the three-story home is a movie theater, spa, gym, hair salon, games and music rooms and multiple bars. The professional-grade kitchen features high-end appliances and a mile-long marble central island, and there’s also a brick pizza oven.Of course, the $85 million asking price is a hefty step-up from the $6.3 million Mr.
If the home goes for anywhere close to the asking, it’ll be among the highest-priced sales in the area. Only Jeff Bezos’ $165 million splurge on the former Jack Warner mansion on nearby Angelo Drive in 2020 would top it. , Franklin called the connection to the Manson murders “irrelevant” and “ancient history,” adding that “it’s had absolutely no impact on life whatsoever.