Kanye West spends a lot of money on properties. Granted, he has justified his reasons for getting his hands on this 4.5 million dollar mansion; the American rapper takes his real estate acquisitions very seriously.
In September 2021, West bought a prestigious Malibu estate for $57.3 million. During the clash with his estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, West left their joint Kimye compound and moved to the Malibu estate. Kim paid Kanye his part of their home, estimated at $23m, when she decided to leave him. However, as soon as the property across Kim’s street went up on the market, West didn’t give it a second thought. He reasoned that he wanted to stay close to his four kids and declared it as an attempt to “bring his family together”.
What came as more of a shock was that, while the property was originally listed for $4.079 million, West was desperate enough to pay $421,000 above the asking price, closing the deal at $4.5m. Was it urgency to co-parent or to stalk his ex – who knows. What we’re interested in is the property that held this high-end price tag.
Originally built in 1955 on Hidden Hills, one of the most luxurious areas in California, the property was listed on the market for the first time in 67 years. You’d expect a family living in the “celebrity famous” area to remodel their mansion into one that fits its posh surroundings. However, the owners of this mansion kept the property mostly untouched, besides a few changes here and there.
A single-level home extending across 3600 sq. ft., this property is the exact opposite of the contemporary-style mansions West is used to. This vintage property, a true definition of an equestrian ranch, has 5 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. One of these bedrooms and the full bathroom are part of a guest unit connected to the mansion. Stretching across a full acre of land, the property embodies an 80s style interior with old-school wood panelings, vintage cabinets, and wall-to-wall carpeting in a dull beige tone. These rooms are modest in terms of interior decor, but are just as spacious as you’d expect for a $4.5m mansion.
That’s not all. The ranch does come with extravagant features like a swimming pool on its lawn as well as a horse corral. The family room is designed minimally but looks over the pool and the horse corral through its huge glass sliding doors. Another amenity included in this 20th-century construction is a garage big enough to fit two cars. It’s further connected with the guest unit and the horse barn.
Despite its old-school charm, the family that owned this ranch for 67 years treated it well, given its well-maintained look. The spacious front lawn was revamped into a drought-resistant Astroturf, and they remodelled the kitchen back in 2005 to add in an island, granite countertops, a dishwasher, and an oven- all retro as ever.
Overall, the mansion is the epitome of minimalistic grace. It’s not a real estate property you’d expect the likes of Kanye West to buy, given the architectural masterpieces he’s used to living in, such as his Malibu estate designed by world-renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. However, the rapper did vow to make this mansion a family-friendly home to co-parent his four kids North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, along with his estranged wife.
