Branden Williams has always had a penchant for “midcentury modern design with an Asian flair,” he said.
So when it came time to design and develop one of four plots he owns overlooking Los Angeles, Williams said he leaned into that and crafted a 13,000-square-foot mansion adorned with jade and lava rock imported from Asia.
Thirty million dollars and seven years later, the six-bedroom, 10-bathroom house is on the market for $35 million, according to Williams and a listing on Homes.com. Williams holds the listing with his wife, Rayni Williams. They're both agents with The Beverly Hills Estates. Jason Somers of Crest Real Estate helped develop the property.
Prospective buyers have had a unique reaction to the glitzy property, Williams said in an interview.
“We’ve been showing the house, and people were like, ‘This looks like ‘ The White Lotus,’” he said, referring to the HBO series that follows guests at a fictional resort chain. The most recent season took place in Thailand.
“It’s a resort sexy feel,” Williams added, “ultimate luxury living where everything is super comfy and lush and sexy.”
It's a distinct property with everything but white walls
In Hollywood Hills, eight-figure mansions are a dime a dozen. But Williams said this house stands apart from the others.
For one, there are the views of downtown Los Angeles. At the same time, the property is private and secluded.
“You have no neighbors, and you have the view, and then you have a design that looks like no other house in LA,” Williams said.
There are also celebrity connections, and, according to Williams, “people love stories.”
Lenny Kravitz helped design and lived in the house directly above the property. Luxury brand Yves Saint Laurent recently used the home for a photo shoot. And designer and singer Victoria Beckham hosted a party there for her clothing line.
“It looks like a midcentury home that was built for James Bond or Elvis [Presley],” Williams added. “It’s a one of one. Most of these homes are white modern boxes, white plastered walls, and that’s all beautiful, but this is the exact opposite of that.”
In fact, there’s little white to be found at the estate. The walls are made of wood, stone, marble, jade and velvet. Floor-to-ceiling windows up to the patio and pool create atrium-like spaces that include trees and other tropical plants.
Selling a $30 million-plus property can get tricky
Williams acknowledged that the house’s distinct style and price tag could make selling it a little trickier.
“It isn’t for everybody,” Williams said, “but for the people that really get it, and for the people that want something unique, this is it.”
In Hollywood Hills, the median single-family home price is just shy of $3 million, so there’s no shortage of luxury properties. But things can move slower when you delve into the ultra-luxury market.
“These home sales over $30 million could take anywhere from a year to two years,” Williams said, “but we’re confident that we’re going to find the right buyer.”
Williams and his wife previously shared the challenges of the project with The Wall Street Journal, and said they knew their property would appeal only to a small portion of buyers.
Even so, there have been some interested buyers from Asia and California, he said.
For now, though, the property is being rented out to “mavericks” of the industry, according to Williams.
The most recent guest: A tech mogul from Asia who paid $50,000 a day to stay at the property.