Designer Morgan Brown Lists West Hollywood Compound For $16.9 Million

Designer and developer Morgan Brown has listed her West Hollywood compound for $16.9 million. The property sits on a twin lot just blocks from Soho House and some of the area’s most acclaimed shopping and dining districts.

The property includes four structures set in 9,495 square feet of living space on a 26,499-square-foot lot in the heart of WeHo.

Brown, daughter of fashion model Karen Somerville and producer and screenwriter Harry “Coco” Brown, grew up traveling the globe. In addition to her famous family history, Brown and Scottish actor Gerard Butler have been dating on and off for about nine years; they are currently on, she noted with a laugh.

Brown said experiencing new cultures and traveling has informed her decorating skills and her design aesthetic.

The compound includes a skate park (built for her son, Brown said) and a salt-water pool with lush foliage and established olive trees that give the house a cozy, private feel.

“The double lot in prime West Hollywood is rare for the area,” said Alyson Richards, the listing agent with Carl Gambino of Compass.

The main home is Mediterranean style with a designer kitchen with a La Cornue range. The kitchen leads to a floor-to-ceiling rock room with an 18th-century fireplace mantle that Brown imported from France. A winding stairwell leads down to a speakeasy-inspired bar and a 12-seat home theater with Moroccan paneling and vintage Moroccan rugs.

A stylish open-format casita (a small house) stands as the third structure with 656 square feet and leads to the fourth building. Here, an indoor-outdoor office makes for an inspiring work area and can be easily converted into living space upstairs, while a stylishly retrofitted game deck and gym account for the main floor of the building, which is 1,715 square feet.

“Morgan’s home is one my favorite homes in Los Angeles. The moment you step through the gates, you feel as if you’ve been transported to a European countryside, all the while you are in the heart of West Hollywood. It’s truly incredible,” listed agent Richards added.

The retreat is peppered with whimsical moments from a cozy firepit to a private hot tub and a tree-veiled gazebo.

Brown, who remodeled her first home purchase at 25, took the lead on the design but joined forces with draftsman Ignacio Erazo to create the inviting compound.

“I’ve always gravitated toward the old-world charm that is irreplaceable,” she said.

Between the four buildings, there are eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms with glass enclosures, private fountains, steam showers, statues and other unique design upgrades. The home’s wellness center and gym feature a speckled glass mirror with a custom ballet bar made from rusted pipe.

Morgan, who was born in Beverly Hills, said she has long kept an eye on opportunities in the area. “I’ve always watched Orlando Street in West Hollywood because lots are typically three times the size of other properties. I bought two lots and ended up demolishing everything down to the dirt. I made the new main houses somewhat smaller [3,025 square feet and 4,725 square feet] in regards to the normal. They’re all split into smaller and more manageable spaces with their own amazing moments,” she added.

“I paid about $7 million for the dirt and have easily spent upwards of that amount on the property. I’ve paid more than $1 million just in landscaping. To me, it feels like you are in the middle if Europe and yet you’re in the middle of West Hollywood,” she added.

This is not the first time the compound has been for sale. In 2019, the property listed at $19.5 million but was eventually pulled off the market.

Gambino, one of two listing agents, has been selling property for more than 20 years. He said buyers like the fact that the home has multiple residences.

“It’s such an incredible design. And there is a specialness to the place that is hard to explain unless you visit. Everyone that walks in is blown away by what Morgan has done with the property,” Gambino added.

This 2019 video tour showcases the home and Brown’s style and design selections.

Brown is now focused on the Mojave Moon, a 200-acre project in California’s Joshua Tree that houses a boutique hotel with bungalows in the shape of stars and crescent moons. Morgan said her dream was “to make a place where people can escape,” she added, “and relax in luxury and lose themselves in the magic of the desert.”