One may not have the talent to play like tennis ace Maria Sharapova, but if pockets permit, then there is a chance to live like her on offer. The five-time Grand Slam winner has listed her incredible Japanese-inspired home in Manhattan Beach for $25 million. Why, you ask? The 38-year-old retired tennis ace and her British businessman fiancé, Alexander Gilkes, aim to call Europe home. This means, for $25 million, the home located in Manhattan Beach, California, through listing agent Susan Perryman of Carolwood Estates, could be your humble abode.
Practically speaking, there’s nothing humble about this abode. Purchased for $4 million in 2012, this rare find has appreciated more than sixfold. Credit goes not just to inflation, but to the incredible work of Los Angeles-based KAA Design. Their vision turned the property into a custom-built masterpiece, a true real estate gem that more than justifies its $25 million price tag.
The first impression is grand, owing to a double-height entry gallery with concrete walls. It gives you a good sense of what lies beneath. Inside, the living room is serene and surprising in equal measure. No, there is no mini tennis court inside as one might even expect (in fact, there is no tennis court here at all); but there are two bowling lanes adjacent to the media room, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The elegant living room, washed with ample natural light and views of the outdoors, also includes a cutesy reading nook overlooking the pool outside. The home unravels the personality of a sports star who has built a space around her other hobbies. Going through the image gallery, one cannot help but notice the openness of space in every room. The master room, for instance, has no walls dividing the ensuite from the bedroom, and the large floor-to-ceiling windows combine it with the views like one solid unit. This primary bedroom even flaunts a fireplace for the ultimate luxe effect.
The primary bathroom, with a standalone tub, is connected to a private terrace that only adds to the charm of the five-bedroom house. The home is built on the idea of togetherness and, in the truest sense, has ample places on the property to sit together and mingle. The dining room opens to the pool, which makes for a large space to socialize while grabbing bites. Even the outdoor lounge, enhanced by the presence of a fireplace, features a large cozy daybed that makes for a perfect conversational spot.
Concrete walls and beige tones are married together to perfection in creating a balance between modern and evergreen interiors. Barring the presence of a bowling alley in the background of a media room, there is nothing out of the ordinary that one would like to alter or change. Much like Sharapova herself, the home is graceful, grounded, and full of quiet surprises.
