When Snap Inc.’s Evan Spiegel shelled out $100 million for the ingredients for a Los Angeles estate this spring, it turns out it was British real estate developer Ian Livingstone who accepted the funds. The purchase was completed in two transactions, and included plans for a palatial and starkly unadorned mansion of concrete, travertine and teak which could be in the wings if Spiegel is so inclined.
Meanwhile, Ian Livingstone fulfilled plans of his own when he picked up an appealing villa across the street for $47.7 million, according to Dirt. The 27,816 sq. ft. house dates to 1993, and features a wealth of varied influences, from modern to renaissance.
Renderings reimagine the home with a chilly and glitzy contemporary interior. Among the striking details at work is a hallway with a groin-vaulted ceiling, a double-height foyer with a glass dome ceiling and a two-level chandelier, a contemporary take on a classic two-level library with a second-floor gallery overlook, a billiards room with a scalloped ceiling, and a marble-sheathed Roman bath. An example of the extraordinary materials employed in expressing this home’s interiors: the macassar ebony and alpaca that dress up the theater.
The master suite’s layout includes a large dressing room and closet with a round skylight, dual baths; it measures in at 2,900 sq. ft. all by itself. Outside: a motor court suitable for larger gatherings in front, a sprawling lawn in back, and an ancient world gazebo with a landscaped roof.
Livingstone shares a net worth north of $10 billion with brother Richard, according to Forbes.