If, like just about everyone else, you watched The Queen’s Gambit last fall, then a new listing in Calabasas may appeal to you. It’s a sprawling home designed to resemble over-the-top Italian villas, but there’s also an life-size chess set outside. Yours to use to brush up on your Sicilian Defense—if you’ve got a spare $30 million.
The home is being sold by Robin Gibson, who oversaw the building’s construction over the course of six years. Gibson, the founder of St. Tropez, a tanning products brand, traveled to Lake Como during the home’s development process to observe and be inspired by the palazzos there.
The outdoor chess set Photo: Wayne Ford
For the design, she enlisted architect William Hablinski, who is known for creating grand, Mediterranean-inspired mansions. His Villa Firenze project sold for $51 million earlier this year, and the home he designed for casino mogul Steve Wynn was last on the market for a whopping $110 million.
The entryway Photo: Wayne Ford
Gibson’s home doesn’t cut any corners either. The main residence is 15,745 square feet and features Travertine fireplaces, Juliet balconies and custom moldings throughout. It has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, but there’s also a separate guesthouse that adds another two beds and two baths to the property.
The great room Photo: Wayne Ford
Inside there are a library, a theater and exercise and massage rooms, as well as a wine cellar that can hold up to 5,000 bottles of vino. On the upstairs deck, a retractable glass roof offers spectacular views of the San Fernando Valley.
The wine cellar Photo: Wayne Ford
It’s a 1.2-acre lot altogether, so there’s plenty to do outside as well. When you’re not busy playing a round of chess with the six-foot-tall pieces, you can take a dip in the infinity-edge pool, practice your game at the putting green or enjoy an alfresco dinner with friends at one of the many entertaining spaces.
One of the bedrooms Photo: Wayne Ford
There’s also a five-door garage on the property, plus manicured gardens by landscape designer James Dean. Best of all, since it’s adjacent to a nature reserve, you won’t have any too-close neighbors to deal with anytime soon.
Chris Lucibello and Andrew Manning of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties hold the exclusive listing.
Check out more photos of the listing below:
The dining room Photo: Wayne Ford
The primary bathroom Photo: Wayne Ford
