It’s been over a year since Kelly Clarkson made an apparent move to Encino. The summer of 2018 saw her shelling out for a brand-new trophy home in the burgeoning California city, a forcefully expressed contemporary farmhouse she picked up for $8.5 million. This while her estate outside Music City had already languished for better than a year with an asking price of $8.8 million.
Still, Ms. Clarkson stuck to her six-shooters, not budging a whit on the price of the 20,000 square foot riverfront chateau. Until the tail end of 2019, that is; a recent price reduction finds the ask down a judicious $1.3 million.
Clarkson put a great deal of effort into revising the property after buying it for less than 3 mil as a unique fixer-upper in 2012. At the time of her purchase of the house, it certainly wasn’t in a state of Faulknerian dilapidation. But it did need a great deal of attention, and the investment in money and effort likely tells the tale of this property’s pricing history, and the extended sojourn on the market that has been its consequence.
The house itself need make no excuses. It shows superb craftsmanship, and the setting’s a beaut. It may err on the side of formality, with 19th-c. French architectural tropes—including a strongly expressed symmetry in its façade—perhaps representing a turn-off to buyers in this part of the country with ~$10 million to drop on an estate. Farmhouse style is in vogue, after all.
Details include a floating double staircase in the foyer, ornate chandeliers, reclaimed wood and fixtures, and beautifully contrasted cedar plank floors. The kitchen is the heart of the home, with what appears to be reclaimed raw wood custom cabinetry and a spacious island-and-bar layout, a rail ladder, and stone tile floors setting a rustic mood.
As for the master suite…well, the dome ceiling and chandelier have to be seen to be believed.
