Jessica Capshaw Unloads Eco-Friendly Santa Monica Cottage
By James McClain
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – More than four years ago, actor and Hollywood scion Jessica Capshaw paid $10 million for an under-construction new mansion in L.A.’s coveted Pacific Palisades neighborhood. That residence has since been completed, so it’s no surprise that the “Grey’s Anatomy” alum has sold her eco-friendly “starter” house in nearby Santa Monica. The $5.75 million deal, completed off-market, was all-cash and first reported by the L.A. Times.
Sited on a charmingly tree-lined street, the 1927 Spanish Colonial-style cottage had only changed hands twice before Capshaw bought it in 2007, for about $3 million. At the time, the somewhat dilapidated property was comprised of a two-story house spanning about 2,900 square feet, plus a crumbling, detached two-car garage tucked into a far corner of the .2-acre lot.
Capshaw and her husband, Honest Company co-founder Christopher Gavigan, first restored the main house before focusing on the garage. They essentially razed the existing structure, retaining only its footprint, and rebuilt the space as an enviably chic guesthouse with a modern Spanish style that marries well with the main home’s aesthetic.
The 950 sq. ft., Greenguard-certified unit contains a kitchenette, an airy living space topped by three skylights, and a bedroom with ensuite bath. There’s also four sets of French doors — providing that desirably indoor/outdoor SoCal lifestyle — plus a semi-hidden loft area accessed by a tall ladder.
In the private backyard, a spacious banquette overlooks the sparkling saltwater pool, and an outdoor firepit services well for small alfresco gatherings. Hardcore sustainability fans will admire the synthetic grass lawn, installed by ForeverLawn , as well as the yard’s drought tolerant plantings.
Records reveal the $5.75 million cash buyer is Texas billionaire Dan Friedkin, who has become one of the world’s wealthiest auto dealers through his virtual monopoly on Toyotas in Texas and the surrounding states. Friedkin is not new to L.A., however — he continues to own an $18 million “Belgian farmhouse-inspired” residence in nearby Brentwood. And he’s also got another home in Santa Monica, this one an ocean-view property that’s currently up for sale with a $6.4 million pricetag.
As for Capshaw and Gavigan, their new Palisades estate consists of a three-level, Cape Cod-inspired mansion with more than 10,000 square feet of living space, one that happens to lie in the same general neighborhood as the longtime estate of Capshaw’s mother Kate Capshaw and stepfather Steven Spielberg.
