La Quinta – the California desert home, that belonged to the late American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul, Merv Griffin has been listed on sale for $9.5 million. The lavish estate is ideal for those who are interested in horses, since it is thought to be the only equestrian compound with a racetrack in the Coachella Valley.
Nestled along small pastures and the Santa Rosa mountains, the 39-acre property boasts 20,000 square feet of total living space, including 5,000-square-foot main house (total of 14 full bedrooms and 12 full bathrooms), four one-bedroom poolside casitas and two three-bedroom guests houses. There’s also three one-bedroom staff quarters and apartments at both ends of the 16-stall horse barns, as well as regulation-size racetrack and a 2.5-acre fishing lagoon.
Griffin built La Quinta estate in the early 1980s to have a place to breed Arabian horses and relax with family. Decorated by Los Angeles decorator Waldo Fernandez, the estate features a Moroccan, but modern style. Each room has stained glass Moroccan lights and the showers and sinks are tile mosaics.
The luxury is apparent everywhere. Four live palm trees at least 20 feet tall and a retractable dome skylight adorn the 1200 square living room. Instead of wall-to-wall carpet, a huge rug spans nearly the entire the floor. In contrast, Griffin office is lined with bookcases and photos of Griffin with luminaries such as Richard Nixon, Muhammad Ali, Clint Eastwood and Lucille Ball. On one shelf, there’s an oversized red Monopoly house with “Merv” printed on it. A smaller green house sits next to it, reading “Don,” hinting at a feud between Griffin and Donald Trump.
Merv Griffin died from prostate cancer in 2007. His desert paradise was originally listed in March for $14.5 million and relisted earlier this month. Nearby, Gerald and Betty Ford’s home in Rancho Mirage sold for nearly $1.7 million in March. [Capitis Real Estate]
