Perhaps one of the most haunting faces to have appeared in Hollywood in the 20th century was that of Elizabeth Taylor, also fondly known as Liz Taylor. Having immortalized Cleopatra onscreen in the 1960’s eponymous movie, Liz Taylor went on to become the highest paid actress of her time, demanding over $1 million for her performances.
Winning the heart of audiences world-wide, Liz Taylor won Academy Awards for her performance in 1960’s “Butterfield 8″ and 1966’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” while raking in critical acclaim for movies like “A Place in the Sun” (1951), “National Velvet” (1944), “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (1958), and “Giant” (1956). She passed away in March this year at the ripe age of 79. It was indeed a most tragic loss for the entire film fraternity of Hollywood.
Post her demise, her Bel Air mansion, where she’d established residence since 1981 has been listed for an asking price of $8.6 million. The gated property that sprawls over 1.2 acres and covers approximately 7,000 square feet, has been built in the style of a ranch house and was once owned by Nancy Sinatra Sr.
The house, accessible only by the private driveway that leads past a guarded gate, has 5 bedrooms, including late Ms. Taylor’s master bedroom-cum-living room done up in her favorite color – lavender. The main floor features a beautiful and spacious living room with a wood-burning fireplace and tall wood-beam ceiling, a dining room, and a sitting room. All three rooms open out to the outdoor pool terrace. Also on this floor are the lower master suite, powder room, country kitchen, 2 family bedrooms with garden access, and the maid’s quarters.
On the second level you have the two smaller bedrooms, the second master suite that has got beautiful treetop views, which is incidentally Ms. Taylor’s personal boudoir that was mentioned earlier, the master bath, and a salon-cum-dressing room adjacent to it.
The grounds surrounding the property are perfectly groomed. A pool and a spa outside the main living area are lined with iridescent mosaic tiles, lending it a gorgeous sparkly look. The impeccably maintained terraced gardens have a manicured lawn, hothouse for orchids, arbor, flowerbed, and a delightful koi pond with waterfall. There are several trails that lead from around the perimeter of the property to the upper rose gardens and a secret bamboo “jungle”.
Who steps into this mansion that has been home to the legendary actress for nearly three decades is a matter of some speculation that only timely patience will reveal. In the meanwhile, I am personally hoping it won’t be some developer who guts the property down and build a monstrosity and sell it for double price. After all, a legend such as Liz Taylor has to be preserved with care and affection, don’t you think?
