In 2010, an investor bought Bel-Air founder Alphonzo Bell's 1928 estate for $5.5 million; after a five-year restoration, the 10,600-sq-ft mansion is asking $32.5 million
A 1928 mansion that Bel-Air's founder built for himself has hit the market, with an asking price of $32.5 million.
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founder → buy → million
The sale comes after a comprehensive five-year restoration, according to a report by Platinum Tribune.
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sale → come → Tribune
The current owner, Michael Wexler, bought the estate for $5.5 million eleven years ago.
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owner → buy → million
The 10,600-sq-ft Spanish-style estate is on one of Bel-Air's most coveted perches, with a lineage tracing back to the neighbourhood's founder himself.
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estate → trace → founder
Wexler had no plans to flip the property when he bought it.
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he → have → it
He bought it to live in, and he did, for roughly a decade before deciding the house deserved something more ambitious: a complete resurrection.
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house → buy → something
After that, the estate at 10772 Chalon Road was rebranded as Maison de La Reine, and this month it hit the market, asking $32.5 million.
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it → rebrande → million
Real estate developer and oilman Alphonzo Bell, who established the surrounding neighbourhood and the Bel-Air Country Club, built this mansion in 1928 for himself.
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who → establish → himself
Bell went to architect Mark Daniels, the same man who helped him create Bel-Air itself.
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who → go → Air
By then, Daniels had laid out the neighbourhood's streets and planted thousands of trees to frame them.
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Daniels → lay → them
He'd engineered underground equestrian tunnels so riders could navigate the hills without mixing with automobile traffic.
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riders → engineer → traffic
This house was Daniels applying that same precision and vision to a single residence.
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Daniels → apply → residence
The Spanish-style design reflected 1920s LA, when Mediterranean-inspired homes were a symbol of luxury and fashion.
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homes → reflect → luxury
The craftsmanship of the mansion spoke for itself.
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craftsmanship → speak → itself
The house features built-in millwork, hand-carved stone fireplaces, and terrazzo floors laid by hand.
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house → feature → hand
Over the years, the 1928 mansion has had many famous owners, including Queen Noor of Jordan and the late film producer Steven Reuther, who built a private cinema and editing suite on site.
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who → have → site
In 2010, Maple Leaf Capital CEO Michael Wexler purchased the property for $5.5 million.
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Wexler → purchase → million
He lived there for a decade before renovating it in 2021.
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He → live → 2021
Rather than gut-renovate, he asked designers Kendra Sosothikul and Paula Press of Studio Berosso to approach the project with a scholar's attention to detail.
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he → renovate → detail
The original 1928 checkerboard terrazzo foyer was preserved and restored in place.
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foyer → preserve → place
The hand-painted Gracie wallpaper adorning the breakfast room ceiling was either conserved or recreated to match period specifications.
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wallpaper → paint → specifications
He also added some modern flair: custom Gucci wallpaper now lines the private office and theatre powder room, while a Calacatta Viola marble fireplace anchors the formal living room.
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fireplace → add → room
A new wine cellar was built with hand-laid mosaic flooring.
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cellar → build → flooring
The original indoor pool was reimagined as a climate-controlled fitness space.
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pool → reimagine → space
The outdoor terraces were expanded to frame views towards Century City and Downtown Los Angeles.
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terraces → expand → City
These upgrades only added a contemporary flair to the historic estate.
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upgrades → add → estate
Listing agent Chris Soffer of The Beverly Hills Estates described the renovation as a continuation of the home's historic character.
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Soffer → describe → character
They managed to find a balance between comfort and history.
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They → manage → comfort
Chris Soffer holds the listing alongside Trenton Armitage, Rayni Williams, and Branden Williams.
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Soffer → hold → Armitage
The buyer will also have to pay a special 5.5% transfer tax under Los Angeles' Measure ULA.
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buyer → have → ULA
This tax applies to property sales above $10.9 million.
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tax → apply → million
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