A speculation-built home on the lot where Dino’s home once stood has entered the market with an asking price of $27.95 million. Martin lived on the property from 1988 until his death in 1995. The property—apparently dilapidated—was sold to a developer in 2014, for a little less than four million dollars.
As homage to the legendary Rat Pack crooner and so-called King of Cool, the developer, Patrik Mirahmadi, decided to incorporate mid-century modern details into the design.
The result is a curious postmodern statement, a pastiche of contemporary luxury sensibilities and what are now historical period details, represented most forcefully by the double-sided fireplace set into an accent wall in the open-concept common living area.
21st century luxury amenities include a sauna, a home cinema, and a smart system; a fitness center was certainly not rat-pack material, but it certainly is contemporary. There is a wet bar, of course; it’s featured prominently in the living area, and incorporated just beyond the retractable wall that reveals the covered terrace and outside lounge/dining area.
The house’s design can be quite chilly, with long strident lines, and all the whitewash, glass, and interior/exterior flow giving it an almost overwhelming sense of expanse. Hard angles increase the mathematical coolness of the interiors, and the muted tones make the understated into the flat-out unsaid. An incredibly ambitious project, it will be interesting to see how it fares on the market.
Dean Martin’s oeuvre includes silliness with Jerry Lewis, heroism on the trail with John Wayne, capers with fellow Rat Packer Frank, and more serious thespian efforts alongside the likes of Marlon Brando. He recorded or released thirty-two long-playing records, many on Sinatra’s label Reprise.
