LOS ANGELES _ A Venice compound made famous on the series "Californication" has sold for $14.6 million, a record for the beachfront neighborhood, public records show.
The home, which sits on a lot of 7,500 square feet, consists of four permanent structures connected by three bridges that surround a lap swimming pool. The compound has a combined 5,000 square feet of living space that includes seven bedrooms, a media room and a pool house. An outdoor kitchen, a fire pit, a rooftop deck and a basketball area make up the grounds.
The seller was architect and environmentalist David Hertz, who designed the home in 1995 and describes it as "somewhat of a living laboratory."
"The house might look contemporary, but imagine it back in '95," said Hertz, a pioneer in the field of sustainable design. "Nobody really had solar-thermal systems and natural ventilation, and certainly not of that period."
A building material called Syndecrete Surfaces, which Hertz invented and later sold, was used to create the countertops, sinks and floor tiles. Polished concrete, recycled and sustainable wood and expanses of glass speak to the home's eclectic style, which draws from Bali, Craftsman and modern style.
Already a local landmark, the home gained a worldwide following in 2007 after it was used as a primary filming location for the series "Californication." Various promotional events, photo shoots and scenes from the film "Adaptation" were also filmed at the property.
Hertz identified the buyer as a real estate investment group led by Venice-based sustainable builder Nick Valencia. The two are collaborating on other ecological homes, said Hertz, who will also oversee a restoration of the house he just sold. His architecture firm will remain in Venice.
"It's the end of this chapter, but it's also the start of the new one," Hertz said.
The sale, which closed off-market, bests the previous price record for a single-family home in Venice, which was set by the former home of sculptor Robert Graham and actress Anjelica Huston, which sold three years ago for $11.15 million.
