With three failed marriages and constant public scrutiny, Marilyn Monroe decided to move into a secluded Spanish-style home at the end of a cul-de-sac in Hollywood’s Brentwood neighborhood. It would be the one and last home ever owned by the millionaire blond bombshell.
Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson, purchased the house in 1962 and lived there for only four months before her tragic death from an alleged drug overdose. Although the home retains many of the design elements selected by Monroe, it has undergone many renovations since her passing at age 36. The property changed hands more than half-a-dozen times, according to property records.
The pin-up icon’s short residence and heartbreaking end may still loom over the house, but most of the residents have been private people. This includes its current owner, who bought the home in 2012 for US$5.1 million.
Built in 1929, the 2,624-square-foot hacienda is now listed with Mercer Vine for US$6.9 million. Original details include white stucco walls, cathedral ceilings with wood beams, casement windows, and arched doorways.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home also features a fireplace in the living room; a skylight above the eat-in kitchen; and a dining room space with floor-to-ceiling bookcases adjacent to a sunroom.
Outside, there’s a citrus orchard, expansive yard, guest house and the famous kidney-shaped swimming pool, where it’s been said Monroe never had the opportunity to swim in.
Monroe told a reporter during a Life Magazine interview, which was conducted inside the home: “Anybody who likes my house, I’m sure I’ll get along with.”
Listing agent Lisa Optican says: “When you walk the house and grounds, you’re immediately struck by its serenity and warmth. It’s an absolute oasis in the heart of one of the best neighbourhoods in Los Angeles.”
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www.mercervine.com