The Western White House, a neoclassical Georgian colonial building in the San Francisco Bay Area, has sold for $23 million, according to Compass Real Estate.
Alex Buljan of Compass closed the deal on Wednesday. The house was listed for sale in June 2023 for $38.9 million.
“This expansive four-story Julia Morgan-designed home was created by George Hearst in 1930 as a replica of the White House,” Buljan said in a statement. “We are thrilled that this historic Hillisborough estate has found the special buyer it deserves.”
The 24,000-square-foot home sits on nearly three acres. The interior design of the 11-bedroom residence combines vintage touches such as intricate crown molding with contemporary elements throughout the four floors. The lower level of the house includes staff quarters, a gym, a wine cellar, a living room and a laundry room
Additional features include a wood-paneled ‘Oval Office’, a gourmet kitchen, a primary suite with dual bathrooms and dressing rooms, a pool pavilion and a home theater.
Greg Browman of Corcoran represented the buyer.
The sellers were real estate investor Mehrdad Elie and his wife Neda Elie, who bought the property in 2022 for $15 million.
Major renovation
They remodeled all nine full bathrooms, opened up the kitchen by combining four rooms into one large one, installed new hardwood floors and added a state-of-the-art movie theater, a Compass representative said.
All told, the renovations cost about $6 million, according to Compass. The work adhered to the original architectural details.
The estate is located at 401 El Cerrito Ave., in the exclusive San Mateo County community of Hillsborough, California.
Behind a gated entrance among a grove of trees, the estate’s garden presents fountains, trees, hedges and an expansive mosaic motor court with ample parking. Towering pillars open to expansive lawns, a rose garden and ivy arches surrounding a huge statue-strewn swimming pool, bathhouse and gazebo.
