A hilltop Mediterranean-style mansion in guard-gated Shady Canyon has closed for $25 million, making it Irvine’s all-time most expensive home sale.
It isn’t the first time.
The seller Joni Rogers-Kante, founder and CEO of the cosmetics brand SeneGence, previously bought the property from sports radio personality Jim Rome in April 2017 for $12.7 million. That sale broke the record as the most expensive sale at the time.
“(The house) has shattered city records for a reason,” said Ariana Gaffoglio of Official, who handled both ends of the deal, but did not disclose the name of the buyer. “The home exceeds buyer expectations in every category: architecture that feels rich in history, modern amenities you’d expect to only find at a five-star European resort, and an indoor-outdoor living experience in one of Orange Country’s most sought-after neighborhoods.”
Built in 2004, the seven-bedroom, 12-bathroom house has 13,046 square feet of living space across three levels, served by an elevator.
The main living areas include a combination gourmet kitchen with a mosaic tile backsplash and a breakfast room. It opens onto the family room, which flows into one of several wood-beamed loggias separated by oversized pocket doors.
A fireplace warms the living room.
Ample amenities make it perfectly suited for hosting guests. The property includes a catering kitchen, a home theater, a game room with a wet bar, a 1,000-bottle wine cellar and a resort-style yard with an infinity pool and spa all on more than three-quarters of an acre with canyon, golf course and city views.
Outdoor spaces include multiple seating areas, a pool house and a California room.
The house is not only meant for hosting guests. There is a home gym, as well as wet and dry saunas, a massage room, and a small cold plunge pool for soothing post-workout soreness with icy water.
An attached six-car garage adds to the offerings.
According to Multiple Listing Service data, the property had been listed on and off the market since July 2021 with an initial asking price of $49.95 million. In August 2022, the price fell to $39.995 million. It reappeared in April for $29.995 million and sold, partially furnished outside of escrow.
The Aug. 14 sale price broke the previous record set in January when a 15,088-square-foot house on the same street sold for $17 million.
You can read the article on Orange County Register here.