The Wolf of Hermosa Place: Leonardo DiCaprio picks up Palm Springs holiday home
Oscar-nominated actor Leonardo DiCaprio is set to join the gangs of Palm Springs after purchasing the former home of the late Hollywood star Dinah Shore.
The one storey house has been an icon in desert residential design since its inception in 1964, when it was built for Shore by Palm Springs architect Donald Wexler. A terrific example of 60s modernist desert architecture, the home opens with a large entrance foyer, complete with a front door big enough for two people floating in the North Atlantic Ocean.
The residence underwent significant interior renovations by the previous owners and features stone fireplaces, floor to ceiling windows and wooden ceilings throughout. Should Leo ever decide to remain indoors for the better part of three months, he would be well served by his new holiday home; six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, four nominations, and zero Oscars.
The estate’s 650 square metre main house is set on a half hectare enclosed gated estate, which will provide the celebrity with security befitting J Edgar himself. The grounds also house a tennis court with glass pavilion and a pool, which one would hope DiCaprio will enjoy a good deal more than a certain Mr Gatsby enjoyed his.
The purchase is the most recent entry in DiCaprio’s property diaries, following the sale of another holiday home last year. DiCaprio departed the beach on Boxing Day, trading in his Malibu waterfront colonial for US$17.35 million (A$19.21 million).
With the Palm Springs home the fifth of DiCaprio’s properties, our bet is that the star has his own private aviator to fly him between his newest purchase, his main Los Angeles home and his New York residences.
DiCaprio has ensured there will be no plague on at least one of his houses – his Greenwich Village apartment, purchased in 2013, is part of the Stay Well project by developers Delos, and designed with the health of its inhabitants in mind. The apartment comes with "wellness building amenities" including vitamin C infused showers, posture supportive flooring, air and water purifiers and a “circadian lighting system”: it is neither lark nor nightingale that wakes DiCaprio, instead, a customised system which comes with "optimal lighting to match your natural circadian rhythm throughout the day." DiCaprio is on the advisory board of Delos, as is Deepak Chopra.
The Palm Springs home was purchased by a limited liability company, which shares an address with DiCaprio’s production company, for US$5.23 million (A$5.8 million).