Gem of the Canyon - Page 2

The renovation was overseen by Commune, a West Hollywood design firm that Frankel describes as "really the hipster, go-to people to use." It included removing some interior walls, adding a detached "yoga room," extensive landscaping, and interior improvements like reclaimed oak paneling.

"There's a gorgeous master bedroom with a walk-in closet and the sexiest bathroom," effused Frankel, who is also considerably impressed with the grounds featuring art elements and a towering fountain.

"The landscaping is so lush, you feel like you're nestled," said the realtor, who last year sold another Buff and Hensman home in the area, as well as the Loring House by Richard Neutra. "It just transports you. This is a house that makes you feel like you're in a resort."

Other exterior features include a full bar and dining patio, swimming pool, spa, firepit, outdoor shower, and some remarkable sculpture walls by a noteworthy modern artist.

"Stan Bitters came down to see the property in 2009 to see if it was a project he wanted to take on," Mattion said of the sculptor, a pioneer in the organic modernist movement of the '60s. "He was in his 70s at the time, and we kind of had to convince him to do it [because] both murals were pretty big. The one in the outdoor dining room that goes into the master shower is massive.

"After walking the property and seeing all the construction going on, he [Bitters] said, 'This is happeninnnnng.' I guess that was his way of saying he'd take on the project."

The art contributed to a masterful renovation project that won a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in 2005 and now to a price tag of nearly $7 million. Noting the gated driveway and curtain of pepper trees around the property, Frankel said this canyon gem is worth the asking price.

"It's got great privacy," he observed. "It's been totally renovated. We feel we priced it to reflect that."

For more information about the Ajioka House, click here.