Friday, October 2, 2009

Meg Ryan's Bel Air Home Back on the Market: Is it too Cold?


Thanks to two of our favorite sources, Luxist and the L.A. Times, we know that movie actress Meg Ryan has placed her Bel Air back on the market.  According to the Times, she purchased the Spanish-style 6BR/7BA home in 2000 for a little under $9M.  The home was built in 1931 and has been beautifully restored.  It also has four fireplaces, a guest house, and a swimming pool, and comes with city and ocean views. 

Meg put it on the market last October for $19.5M and withdrew it in February, after apparently getting no takers.  Now she's asking $14.2M.  Who knows if the home is priced right this time? 

We're more interested in the debate on Luxist as to whether this home lacks warmth.  At least one realtor said she'd been inside the home and found it cold. 


In our opinion, her home and the furnishings inside are gorgeous, as shown above and below--even if its hard to figure out the functionality of these rooms.



Though we're not sure if the room below is a bedroom with a floating bed next to the fireplace or two sofas facing each other, we love this room! 



And we think this kitchen is absolutely PERFECT:



Granted, aside from the photos in the kitchen, the home looks like it isn't currently being lived in.  No flowers, no anything to suggest activity or personality.  But don't realtors advise their clients to strip away their personal items so prospective buyers can envision themselves there? 

We think the room that everyone thinks needs improvement is this one:


If it's the main living room, it does look a bit awkward.  Our guess is that it's nothing an interior designer couldn't rework.

Moreover, we think the rest of the interior along with outdoor spaces (below) overcome our minor quibble with the living room:




We love this house!   It's our Celebrity Home of the Week!

Good luck with the sale Meg!

11 comments:

  1. I love the minimalist approach. Very clean. Perhaps she needs someone to stage it better for those folks who can't see its fabulous potential...

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  2. I love Spanish style houses, this one doesn't strike me. However, I would love this kitchen.
    It's hard to identify the use of the other rooms.
    Good luck to Meg on selling the house.

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  3. Thanks Anon, we understand. Evidently there are people out there who agree with you.

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  4. I think it is great that it still has furniture in it and looks staged appropriately but I am not a designer. I love it.

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  5. It is a beautiful house; naturally, I'd want to make some small changes (a bit of color and even, dare I say, some window treatments), but overall, it would make a wonderful home.

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  6. Thanks Struggler. That's basically how we feel too.

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  7. I don't think it looks cold. I really like the steel-framed doors and windows, the wood floors, and the ceiling detail in some of the rooms. And the patio looks like a fab place to hang out and enjoy the views :-)

    Kelly

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  8. It's hard for me to relate to huge houses but this one seems human scaled. Pictures can show great vignettes but I don't trust them to convey how a place feels or lives. What great windows and french doors.

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  9. Love Meg's gridded ceilings and the beautiful doors and floors.
    Also love the blog!!Thanks!

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