An eagle-eyed informant snitched that a secluded mansion in the affluent Los Angeles, Calif., suburb of Encino, owned by Nick Lachey and Vanessa (Minnillo) Lachey, has been floated for sale as an off-market listing with Craig Knizek at The Agency with a $7 million asking price.
The 98 Degrees singer, host of Nickelodeon’s soon-to-premiere reality music competition “American’s Most Musical Family,” and the beauty queen turned TV presenter and actor who most recently popped up on “BH90210”, a “head spinning” reboot of the popular 1990s series “Beverly Hills, 90210,” purchased the property almost 3.5 years ago from the estate of lionized late Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera for a tad over $4 million.
Sequestered for maximum privacy down a gated lane shared by just two other multimillion dollar homes, the imposing, English Normandy manor house is further secured behind driveway gates on almost four acres with staggering views clear across the San Fernando Valley. Built in the late 1990s, there are a total of seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms in almost 9,800 square feet of extensively updated interiors done up for the Lacheys in a contemporary, serenely neutral grey and white palette.
The baronial, stone-quoined red brick façade wraps around a parking lot-sized motor court with a tiered fountain at its center and heavy-looking, wrought-iron-embellished glass doors give way to conspicuously cavernous, double-height foyer with twin curved staircases and custom-crafted wrought iron banisters. With an 18-foot-high ceiling, the voluminous formal living room has a fireplace and a humongous wall of curved windows that frame a glittery city lights and mountain view, while the adjacent dining room easily seats eight or ten with a fully stocked, white-marble wet bar. More family-oriented spaces include an informal dining area with a secondary staircase to the upstairs family quarters, a family room with a wall of built-in media cabinets and a colossal kitchen arranged around a massive, triple-wide island with white marble countertops and top-quality commercial-style designer appliances. A small gym, a paneled games room and state-of-the-art media room complete the main floor.
Guest bedrooms are ample in size with renovated bathrooms, while the sprawling master suite includes a plush sitting area with fireplace and a private terrace. There’s also a boutique-style walk-in closet/dressing room, an adjoining office or nursery and a lavishly appointed bathroom with dual water closets. With both interior and exterior access, a self-contained, studio-style apartment is ideal as a home office, staff housing or self-contained accommodations for long-term guests.
The lushly landscaped backyard sits above a rugged ravine and consists of a covered dining terrace, a comfortably appointed patio amid a great sweep of rolling lawn with postcard-ready views, a children’s playground and a waterfall that spills over a pile of rocks into a flagstone bordered swimming pool and spa.