Text by Joyce Chen, Architectural Digest
Serena Williams recently dropped the price on her Bel Air California mansion in hopes of securing a worthy buyer, from the original $12 million asking price to a considerably lower $9.995 million.
The home which she purchased for a little over $6.6 million back in early 2006, sits on a 2.7-acre spread and spans approximately 6,100 square feet, with a distinct baby blue façade outside and a kind of rustically grandeur appeal on the inside. The six-bedroom, seven-bathroom home sits behind a high hedge and opens onto a narrow entrance hall that leads to a cavernous, semi-circular living room lined with a series of French doors leading out onto lush green gardens. The first floor also boasts a formal dining room with black-and-white tiles and a wall of windows overlooking the yard, as well as a dark panelled library/office with built-in display cases (perfect for, say, plaques and trophies), and a modern kitchen with an adjoining breakfast room. Of note, also, is a private hair and makeup salon, also known as a glam room.
Upstairs, the master suite includes a fitted walk-in closet, an adjoining octagonal dressing room, and a marble bathroom fit for a queen, with an old-fashioned claw-foot tub, a separate gold-framed steam shower, and a skylight to allow in plenty of natural light. Several of the guest bedrooms on the second floor also have their own private balconies, overlooking the impressive grounds below, which include boxwood-lined pathways, manicured lawns, and even a poolside loggia with an outdoor fireplace. (No tennis court included.) Last autumn, Serena and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, picked up a different Beverly Hills home for $6.7 million, one with more of a Spanish contemporary style and an open floor plan perfect for the family of three to spend quality time together. Their new home’s amenities also include things not available in her Bel-Air mansion, such as a game room with a full bar and wine cellar and a massage and yoga room for decompressing.
Images: Instagram @SerenaWilliams
