A striking Los Angeles estate created as a modern tribute to the Sunset Strip is back on the market, with pharmaceutical heir Frank Binder asking $35 million for the 10,700-square-foot Stanley House.
For a property already associated with architect Austin Kelly, XTEN Architecture and rock star-turned-designer Lenny Kravitz, the new listing is more than another multimillion-dollar Los Angeles home coming to market. It marks the next chapter for one of Hollywood Hills’ most distinctive contemporary residences.
Located at 1894 N Stanley Ave, the four-bedroom, seven-bathroom estate occupies a roughly 15,860-square-foot hillside lot above the Sunset Strip. The property is currently represented by Branden Williams of The Beverly Hills Estates and Mauricio Umansky of The Agency.
The home is being offered for $35 million, or about $3,271 per square foot, according to the current listing. Public records and MLS history show that the property last changed hands in 2018 for $33 million, after first being offered for $38 million in late 2017.
A Hollywood Hills Mansion With a Rock-and-Roll Design Pedigree
The Stanley House was completed in 2017 as a highly customized modern residence conceived by XTEN Architecture, with Austin Kelly and Monika Haefelfinger credited with the architectural design. Kelly died in 2015, making the project one of the final works associated with the architect.
Kravitz Design, the creative studio founded by musician and designer Lenny Kravitz, shaped the interiors. Rather than embracing the polished white-box aesthetic that has become common among Los Angeles spec mansions, the design team leaned into warmer materials, darker tones and a more tactile interpretation of modernism.
When the home was first marketed in 2017, developer and listing agent Branden Williams explained the philosophy behind the project.
“We didn’t want another white modern box,” Williams told Mansion Global at the time. “We wanted to create a soul and a vibe to the house.”
That distinction remains central to the property today. Brazilian slate, Hawaiian lava rock, petrified sequoia stone and Ipe wood give the interiors an almost organic quality, while expansive panes of glass keep the architecture visually connected to the landscape and the Los Angeles skyline.
The current marketing describes the residence as a modern homage to the glamour and rebellious spirit of the Sunset Strip, a description that fits a house where architecture, music culture and Hollywood history overlap unusually well.
1894 N Stanley Ave Has a Remarkable Sales History
The property’s transaction history adds another layer to its story.
Public records show an earlier sale in 1984 for $375,000, followed by a $600,000 sale in 1988. The property then traded for $1.5 million in December 2011 before recording a $3.5 million public-record sale in November 2013.
The dramatic transformation in value came after the property was redeveloped into the Stanley House.
In December 2017, the newly completed residence entered the market at $38 million. Five months later, it sold for $33 million to Frank Binder and Alexandra Schuck. The transaction was reported at the time as an all-cash purchase.
That $33 million sale made the Stanley House one of the most significant transactions on North Stanley Avenue. Current property records still identify 1894 N Stanley Ave as the street’s highest recorded sale, ahead of the $17.25 million sale of 1871 N Stanley Ave in 2024.
Now, eight years after that transaction, the property has returned at $35 million.
Inside the Stanley House
Arrival at the Hollywood Hills mansion begins behind bronze entry gates and a paved motor court, with an air-conditioned five-car garage setting the tone for the property’s highly curated approach to luxury.
A narrow brick walkway then passes between the residence and a wall of raw Hawaiian lava rock. Shallow water channels run alongside the path before it reaches the oversized front entrance.
Inside, the architecture opens into a sequence of interconnected living spaces rather than a collection of isolated rooms. Brazilian slate, petrified sequoia stone and Ipe wood create a palette that feels substantially warmer than the conventional glass-and-white-stone contemporary mansion.
The main living area is organized around fireplaces, while a wall of glass can retract to connect the interior directly with the terrace. From the kitchen, the sightline extends toward the outdoor entertaining area and the Los Angeles skyline.
The kitchen itself features a substantial waterfall-edge marble island, while the outdoor kitchen continues the home’s emphasis on indoor-outdoor entertaining.
For more intimate gatherings, the residence includes a gentleman’s lounge with dark wood walls, a built-in bar, leather seating and artwork.
The primary suite is positioned toward the views, with a dark stone backdrop behind the bed and a large walk-in closet featuring custom cabinetry and a central stone-topped island. The adjoining bathroom continues the darker material palette with stone walls, black fixtures and a glass-enclosed shower.
A Private Nightclub and 1,200-Bottle Wine Cellar
The Stanley House becomes particularly unusual below its main living spaces.
A climate-controlled wine cellar is designed to accommodate approximately 1,200 bottles, with illuminated wood racks extending around the room and additional storage beneath a glass walkway.
Then there is Disco Volante, the home’s subterranean private nightclub.
The entertainment room has a retro space-age aesthetic, with deep red seating, dark wood ceilings, mirrored surfaces, a full bar and a high-end sound system. Large displays and carefully integrated lighting turn the space into something closer to a private members’ club than a conventional home theater or lounge.
It is precisely this willingness to embrace personality that distinguishes 1894 N Stanley Ave from many of Los Angeles’ newer trophy properties.
A 270-Degree Los Angeles View
Outside, the architecture gives way to one of the property’s strongest selling points: its elevated position above the city.
The terrace includes an open-air kitchen, built-in grill, bar seating and a red banquette designed for informal dining. Beyond it, the home’s approximately 70-foot-wide half-moon infinity pool follows the edge of the property.
From the pool terrace, the views extend across Los Angeles toward downtown and the ocean, with approximately 270 degrees of exposure.
When the house first appeared on the market, Branden Williams positioned its location in unusually cinematic terms, saying, “The home marks the 50-yard line of Los Angeles.” He pointed to its proximity to Chateau Marmont, Runyon Canyon, Hollywood entertainment and Beverly Hills.
That description remains relevant. Hollywood Hills West is valued precisely for this combination of privacy and access: hillside residences can feel secluded while remaining close to the Sunset Strip, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
Life Above the Sunset Strip
For an owner, one of the Stanley House’s greatest luxuries may be its location rather than any individual amenity.
Hollywood Hills West sits directly above the Sunset Strip, creating a distinctive Los Angeles lifestyle in which nightlife, dining and shopping are only a short drive downhill, while the residential streets above retain a quieter, more private atmosphere.
Sunset Boulevard and Laurel Canyon Boulevard provide key connections through the area, while U.S. 101 lies to the east. The neighborhood is predominantly car-oriented, a practical consideration for anyone buying into the hills, but the trade-off is access to some of Los Angeles’ most recognizable destinations.
Runyon Canyon offers hiking and outdoor recreation nearby, while the Sunset Strip and West Hollywood provide a dense concentration of restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, boutiques and nightlife. Beverly Hills is also within easy reach by car.
For the owner of a $35 million Hollywood Hills mansion, that proximity creates a rare balance: privacy above the city without sacrificing access to its cultural and social life.
From a Hillside Mansion to a Yacht at Sea
Binder’s decision to sell also has a larger story behind it.
According to the supplied listing source, the pharmaceutical heir is now pursuing Ulyssia, an enormous residential yacht project designed as a floating community for ultra-high-net-worth owners. The planned vessel is approximately 1,060 feet long and is envisioned with 122 private residences and 22 guest suites.
Binder is expected to occupy the largest residence aboard the project, a roughly 10,700-square-foot penthouse—remarkably, approximately the same interior size as his Los Angeles mansion.
That makes the $35 million listing more than a routine change of ownership. It represents a shift in lifestyle, from a highly private architectural compound overlooking Los Angeles to a residence designed to travel around the world.
For CaliforniaLuxuryHouses, the Stanley House is compelling precisely because it sits at the intersection of those worlds. It is a piece of Los Angeles architectural history, a home shaped by Lenny Kravitz’s design sensibility, a former $33 million trophy acquisition and now a $35 million offering with a remarkable sales history.
And while the next owner may change the story once again, the architecture itself is unlikely to disappear from the Los Angeles luxury-property conversation anytime soon.