Niecy Nash Upgrades in SoCal’s Suburban Bell Canyon (EXCLUSIVE)
By Mark David
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Claws” star Niecy Nash has upgraded her suburban Southern California residential circumstances with the just over $2 million purchase of a spacious Mediterranean residence about thirty-some miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles in the relatively unsung and guard-gated Bell Canyon enclave that’s discretely tucked into the rugged foothills just north of the notoriously celebrity-packed Hidden Hills community. Originally built in the early 1980s but completely rebuilt in 2007 and well positioned for maximum privacy and panoramic views at the higher end of an up-sloped parcel of more than half of an acre, the turreted two-story white stucco and clay tile roofed residence sits amid mature trees and landscaped gardens with six bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms in 5,812-square-feet.
A double-height rotunda foyer leads to an unexpectedly capacious central atrium that doesn’t have any windows but is none-the-less soaked in natural light through an eight-foot wide pyramid-shaped skylight atop a ceiling that soars to 34 feet high. Perfect for entertaining on a large-scale and/or overwhelming guests with gratuitous architectural melodrama, the extravagantly voluminous space features a mahogany inlaid lattice-pattern travertine tile floor, a TV-surmounted raised fireplace and a walk-in wet bar. There’s also a separate formal living room with fireplace, a formal dining room that comfortably seats a dozen, a climate controlled 500-bottle walk-in wine cellar and an intimately proportioned den with built-in entertainment unit. Finished with beige-speckled granite counter tops on traditional raised panel mahogany cabinets, outfitted with high-end designer appliances and arranged around a massive center island, the chef-accommodating kitchen is open to an informal dining area and family room with a raised-hearth fireplace and a floor-to-ceiling bank of mahogany-trimmed windows and glass doors to the backyard.
A secluded bedroom and bathroom on the main floor is well suited for guests or live-in domestic staff and an elaborately scrolled wrought iron railed staircase and cantilevered gallery that runs around the upper area of the atrium lead to four en suite guest bedrooms on the upper floor along with the master suite. With a fireplace and slender private balcony, the master bedroom also offers a fitted walk-in closet and a travertine-tiled bathroom replete with opulently carved double-sink vanity, a two-person soaking tub and a steam-equipped multi-head shower.
Between the back of the house and a dark-bottom swimming pool and spa, a stone-paved terrace with picturesque, tree-framed mountain view includes a lattice-pattern detail that mimics the floor in the central atrium. To one side of the pool is a detached three-car garage and ample motor court, to the other is a built-in grilling station and, just above and beyond the swimming pool, a flat and lushly grassy, partly tree-shaded yard for children to run and pets to piddle.
Arguably best known for her half of a dozen seasons on “Reno 911!” and set to appear the upcoming Netflix mini-series “Central Park Five,” the Daytime Emmy winning former reality TV host, twice nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her role on the little seen but critically acclaimed series “Getting On,” has owned another, somewhat smaller and much more contemporary residence in Bell Canyon since 2013 when she and husband Jay Tucker picked it up for little more than $1.3 million. And, her former home in the nearby but less exclusive community of Northridge, purchased in 2004 for $959,000, remains for sale at $979,000 after first coming for sale almost a year ago at $1.129 million .
Listing photos: Keller Williams
