Photo: Douglas Friedman
Maria Sharapova spent years custom-building her dream house in Manhattan Beach, California, but she’s ready to move on. The modern three-story house is hitting the market at just under $25 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. In 2012, the now-retired tennis champion paid $4.1 million for the ocean-view property about 20 miles outside Los Angeles and enlisted architecture firm KAA Design to help her create a minimalist oasis, which she shared via AD Open Door in 2019.
The dwelling took three years to complete, and Sharapova was deeply engaged with the design process. “She was involved in every single aspect of this house, down to the most minute detail and material permutation,” architect Grant Kirkpatrick told AD in 2019. “To say that she simply collaborated with us does not adequately describe her dedication and influence on the design.” That sentiment was backed up by interior designer Courtney Applebaum, whom Sharapova tapped to decorate the dwelling with a mix of antiques and midcentury pieces. “There’s not a chair or table that came into the house that [Sharapova] didn’t analyze, dissect, and discuss. She pays attention to every stitch and groove,” Applebaum said.
A stairway in the home.
Photo: Douglas Friedman
The home opens into a grand double-height foyer with a spare but graceful floating staircase. “I was inspired by Japanese architecture and minimalist aesthetics,” Sharapova explained. “I didn’t grow up with lots of stuff around. For me, uncluttered means healthy. If you don’t use something, you don’t need it.” That less-is-more mentality is reflected down to the walls, made of bare concrete panels. That’s not to say that the home is without a fleet of fun amenities; a two-lane bowling alley can be found beside the basement media room, and the swimming pool is just outside the great room’s sliding glass doors. Once open, it takes just a step to dip one’s toe in.
A bathroom in the home.
Photo: Douglas FriedmanSee the video.
Sharapova and her fiancé, British businessman Alexander Gilkes, are letting go of the property because they plan to spend more time in Europe, per the WSJ.
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
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