The hillside compound includes a 1950s gem designed by Richard Neutra, guesthouse and cabin surrounded by lawns and succulent gardens.

(Cameron Carothers)

Flea wants $9.8 million for La Crescenta stunner

Jack Flemming

Feb. 17, 2022

Plenty of stellar homes dot the hills of La Crescenta, but none of them look quite like Fleas. The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist has owned the futuristic compound for four years, and now hes shopping it around for $9.8 million.

Thats more than double what Flea, whose real name is Michael Balzary, paid in 2018. Records show he bought it from artists Lari Pittman and Roy Dowell for $4.25 million and made a few additions, adding a chic cabin, 50-foot-long swimming pool and 875-square-foot addition during his stay.

At the center of the 5.7-acre spread sits a swirling, seven-sided structure and a smaller house built in 1953 by famed architect Richard Neutra for his secretary, Dorothy Serulnic. Neutras best work combines modernism with indoor-outdoor Southern California living, and that design philosophy is on full display here.

Jagged lines cut across the roof, bringing an industrial vibe to the exterior of the 1,350-square-foot home. Inside, vast walls of glass open to a courtyard filled with succulents.

White walls mingle with warm woods in the living spaces, which include a scenic dining area, stone fireplace and lounge with Neutra-designed built-ins such as a sofa system with a record player and concealed speakers. The primary suite one of two bedrooms in the main house and five bedrooms total boasts concrete walls and a curvilinear bathroom with a tile tub.

Nestled into the craggy, rock-laden hills, the property includes multiple succulent gardens and a handful of flat, grassy lawns. A guesthouse continues the modernist design palette, and the swimming pool features a pavilion complete with an outdoor kitchen and swinging chair. An outdoor movie theater with a wind screen completes the scene.

A native of Australia, Flea co-founded Red Hot Chili Peppers in the 1980s. The L.A.-based rock band has released 11 studio albums to date with hits such as Under the Bridge, Californication and Scar Tissue. In 2011, the 59-year-old also co-founded the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a nonprofit educational organization.

Sherri Rogers and Elisa G. Ritt of Compass hold the listing.