A Los Angeles residence that was the one-time home of soul singing, hard-living duo Tina and Ike Turner recently sold for $870K.
For those who grew up during the era, the interior of the View Park home may be an unwelcome flashback. It’s all here: the heavy curtains and garish deep-pile, the faux stone, the geometric-pattern linoleum and dark cabinetry in the kitchen, the light fixtures conjuring UFOs or biological forms.
The height of the cold war and psychedelia made for a curious mix; manifested in the interior design of the Turners’ home, the effect is strangely escapist as it blends space-age sci-fi, a newfound curiosity about the natural world, and the baroque color sensibilities of the LSD experience. The ornate gold wallpaper in the dark bathroom speaks volumes, as does the den, with its bright striped wallpaper contrasted with scarlet carpet. More interesting features of the home include an interior water feature, a wet bar with inlaid fishtank, and the grandiose master bedroom. Altogether, the four bedroom, 2.75 bath home is a little bit of a Smithsonian exhibit waiting to happen.
The Turners sold the home after their difficult 1978 divorce.
Ike Turner was a gifted singer, songwriter, guitarist and arranger who may have recorded the first rock-and-roll song, while Tina Turner was a hugely influential vocalist, the Billie Holiday of the soul universe. Known for their electrifying stage presence, they were a powerful act: an immensely talented musical outfit, and—along with James Brown, Sly Stone and Jimi Hendrix—an uncompromising and essential popular-musical force in the nascent black pride movement.