Developer’s own beach house on Santa Monica’s Gold Coast to list for $25M

Palisades Beach Road on Santa Monica’s Gold Coast enclave has served as a waterfront address for celebrities and business stars for more than a century. Press Baron William Randolph Hearst shacked up with his mistress Marion Davies on this stretch of beach in the early 20th century. Grace Kelly, Cary Grant President John F. Kennedy’s brother-in-law Peter Lawford partied here in the 1950s and 1960s. More recently, Owen Van Natta, a former Facebook chief operating officer and David Bonderman, founding partner of TPG Capital, have bought houses on this thoroughfare, which is a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway that runs from Santa Monica Pier to the California Incline, the distinctive slanted road which connects Ocean Avenue to Pacific Coast Highway.

966 Palisades Beach Rd (Molori)

While Palisades Beach Road continues to be a popular address, it takes effort to renovate the older homes on this stretch of road, many of them built in the 1920s. To get a green light for an extensive remodel for 966 Palisades Beach Rd, Kirk Lazurus, a developer and founder of Molori, a home and resort designer, had to submit plans in order to get a stamp of approval from the California Coastal Commission. He bought the house for $3.95 million in 2010. Lazarus’ design resume includes the Molori Safari Lodge in South Africa. He also designed 1525 San Vicente Blvd. in Santa Monica, a house that is currently listed for $69 million, it’s one of the priciest homes on the Los Angeles market.

Lazurus extensively remodeled 966 Palisades Beach Rd., a five- bed, seven bath house, which measures about 6,300-square-feet, the developer said. The four-level beachfront home is scheduled to be listed June 24 for an asking price of $25 million or about $3,968-per-square-foot. Prominent luxe agent Joyce Rey, affiliated with Coldwell Banker Global Luxury, and Veronica Klein of Compass will serve as the listing agents. 966 Palisades Beach Rd. also will be available for rental, Lazarus said.

966 Palisades Beach Rd (Molori)

Lazurus owns two adjacent homes, 972 Palisades Beach Rd. and 924 Palisades Beach Rd. But 966 Palisades Beach Road Rd. has its own style. “ It’s New York loft meets St. Tropez beach house,” he said. Architectural details include brick walls, flooring built from reclaimed timber sourced from French chateaus and custom-made doors and windows.

An environment-friendly renewable geothermal heating and cooling are part of the house’s amenities, and of course luxury was crucial to this house’s remodel, Lazurus said. “ Each suite is designed like a hotel room,” he said.

Bedrooms are equipped with fully stocked refrigerators, and are connected to steam showers. A couple of master bedrooms are stocked with 120-inch screen monitors, which drop down from the bedrooms’ ceiling.

The house’s lower floor empties out onto a sandy beach and features a fitness studio with pilates equipment, free weights and can be used for yoga. The house’s backyard features an infinity pool and an outdoor kitchen. Also on the lower floor is a cinema, aquarium and a steam room.

Recent sales in the neighborhood include 1020 Palisades Beach Rd., a seven-bed, six-bath, 6,485-square-foot house which was sold for $10.6 million, or $1,634-per-square-foot in November, 2021. If a buyer for 966 Palisades Beach Rd has questions for Lazarus about the remodel, the developer will be easy to find. Lazarus said he will be moving into 972 Palisades Beach Rd.

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