Pharrell Williams' Glass House Isn't Your Typical Mansion
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Singer, producer and multi-Grammy Award winner Pharrell Williams is selling his sprawling, all-glass mansion, and it’s quite a peculiar home.
The house, located in Beverly Hills, California, has a $16.95 million price tag. But it’s not a place you’d call "cozy." It looks more like a place where you’d punch in and out of work. Then again, maybe the "Happy" singer is on the cutting edge of new office-style residential architecture.
Do you think it’s a $17 million masterpiece or a cage of bureaucratic glass and steel? Judge for yourself.
Welcome to Work! I Mean, Welcome Home!
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The house doesn’t just look like an office building. It could easily double as one.
Don't let the original style fool you, though. It still has what every ultra-modern mansion owner wants.
That would be 17,245 square feet, 10 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms.
The Sculpture
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Upon closer inspection of that sculpture, maybe it more resembles a community center or the student center at a community college.
The Neighborhood
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The home is located off Mulholland Drive, near the Mulholland Estates.
The famous area is and has been home to many celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Kendall Jenner, Charlie Sheen, Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando.
Lots of Glass
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The architecture makes extensive use of right angles, glass and steel.
The Front Door
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The glass, double-entry doors look like they belong at a hotel or office.
Williams, who has an estimated net worth of $150 million, may have picked this up as an investment property.
The Lobby
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Instead of a foyer, the front doors open to a lobby-like entrance.
Interior Water Features
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The lobby has an interior waterfall feature, a soothing addition to any home or office building.
A View Outside, from the Door
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The water feature extends from the outside to the interior.
The Great Room
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If you’re wondering who built this thing, we got you covered.
Alfred E. Mann, a billionaire businessman and philanthropist, had the home custom built for him in 1992.
Mann owned the home until his death in 2016. He lived to the age of 90.
Multi-Level Living
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After his death, Mann’s estate put the property up for sale at $30 million.
It was a hopeful price — the house sold for less than half that.
Madea's Investment
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The home sat on the market for one year until Tyler Perry snapped it up for $14.5 million in 2017.
The actor and filmmaker, known for the "Madea" movies, didn’t plan to live in the home.
Instead, it seems like he just bought it as an investment.
Second-Floor View
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Perry put the home back on the market for $17 million after six months, reportedly without fixing up the home at all.
A Very Open Floor Plan
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Pharrell Williams bought the home for $15.6 million three months after Perry popped it back on the market.
Perry made around a million dollars in the transaction, after accounting for property taxes and realtor cuts.
The Dining Room
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Here’s where the grandeur really hits home.
Or where you hit your head on that stalactite sculpture.
Dine With Crystals Overhead
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The prominent crystalline sculpture hangs above the dining table, with the interior of the coffered ceiling illuminated from recessed lighting.
The Breakfast Nook
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As you can see, this house is very open.
You probably want a pair of sunglasses handy for sunny days.
The Game Room
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The windows require massive, roll-up (and probably automated) curtains.
The game room has marble flooring and a huge television with its own bar.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!
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There’s something rather Tim Burton-esque about the way that giant flat-screen television is positioned against the black rhomboid backsplash.
The Kitchen
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The kitchen is a bit unusually shaped but well-equipped.
The range oven is restaurant-quality and takes up a huge amount of floor space, while the room is illuminated with paneled lighting.
Tons of Shelf Space
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The kitchen is deceptively long. We think the fridge is on the other side of the oven, which seems like a pain.
The Balconies
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Perhaps the best argument for Williams’ house as being a piece of nouveau office-building residential architecture is its balconies.
They look more suited for a smoke break than a place to lounge.
Check Out Your House from Your House
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Above the driveway and motor court, a portion of the house curves in on itself.
If you look at it just right, the building seems angry.
The Master Bedroom
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The master bedroom is quite large and features its own modern fireplace and direct access to the outdoors.
Gorgeous Views
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Who needs a night light when you can watch the city lights of downtown Los Angeles slowly flicker off as you fall asleep?
The Master Bathroom
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At least there’s some privacy in the master bathroom — the windows are opaque.
The floor is carpeted. It’s pretty clear that Williams didn’t update this place.
The Hot Tub
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A closer look at the step-down hot tub and the sunken, carpeted flooring of the bathroom.
The Guest Bedroom
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The house has a total of 10 bedrooms positioned throughout the house.
This one has an interior balcony.
The Rooftop Guest Room
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Finally, something cozy! It’s small, but it looks like a nice place for a nap. And it’s on the roof, which is cool.
The Rooftop Deck
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In addition to the 17,245 square feet of interior living space, there’s also this huge rooftop deck.
Getting Some Sun
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It’s unknown just how much time, if any, that Williams has spent hanging out on the roof or anywhere else.
He purchased another home in Los Angeles, the Skyline Residence, in 2015. That home also has walls of glass and sharp architectural features, so maybe it's what attracted him to this behemoth.
A Perch With Views
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The house is tall, but it’s also set on a hillside, which gives it stupendous views of downtown.
The Roof Dips and Folds
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The roof dips and folds, resembling origami from this height.
Plants Can Thrive Here
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The house receives so much sun, from so many angles, there are multiple areas to support shrubs and small trees.
Kind of like a mall.
Upper Stairwell
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A look at the top floor.
The landings are empty, save for some leftover art, probably from the home’s first owner.
Elevator
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There are a lot of stairs in this house.
Naturally, it should come with an elevator.
It does.
Going Outside
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Heading outside — through another pair of hotel-style doors — you’re greeted by an amazing backyard.
A Very Happy Backyard
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To the left of the back door is a pair of flamingo statues presiding over a koi pond.
Lots of Space
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The home is set on 4.2 acres. The backyard features some high-end features, like an incredible grotto.
The Pool
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There’s a large pool, a perfect place to lounge about or take a lazy swim in the water.
The Barbecue Area
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You can also swim over to the swim-up barbecue station and order some burgers.
If you can afford this home, you can afford a full-time cook, too.
The Waterfall
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But the absolute coolest thing about this backyard — or possibly the entire home — is the magnificent grotto with cascading waterfall feature.
The Grotto
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There’s a hangout spot beneath the falling water, too.
The Spa
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The grotto has a snazzy spa, accessible via a walkway and a staircase leading to the sports court.
A Paradise
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The backyard really is lush and exciting — a bit different than the home’s architecture.
A Grand Grotto
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A better look at the grotto. There are many nooks to catch some shade and numerous places to sit and enjoy that California weather.
Tennis Court
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Also included is a full-length tennis court with a basketball hoop.
The stairs lead to the grotto.
Tennis Court, Continued
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The tennis court is shaded by trees and has ample lighting for night play.
An Investment Game
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With Williams selling this house less than two years after buying it — and with no discernible improvements — he’s likely looking to flip it.
He stands to make $1.3 million, if it sells at the asking price and not including selling costs and property taxes, which amounted to $175,000 in 2018.
Up-Sizing?
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Williams’ wife, Helen Lasichanh, gave birth to triplets in 2017. Including their 9-year-old son, Rocket, the couple now has four children.
But they aren't looking to move from their Skyline Residence or up-size—which they could easily do at this property.
The number of stairs and interior and exterior water features wouldn’t be safe for young children, either.
An Aerial View
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The titanic estate features a 200-long private driveway with a 30-car motor court.
You Can See Clearly Inside
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It might seem a bit unsettling that your entire life is on view from the front yard, but the house is set far back from the road, and the driveway is gated.
Those Views
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All of this could be yours for a cool $16.95 million.
With a 20 percent down payment ($3.39 million) on a 30-year fixed mortgage, you’ll pay about $83,000 a month in mortgage payments.
So who wants to set up shop, literally or figuratively speaking?
Related:Most Expensive Homes in the World l Biggest Megamansions
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