Think you can’t strike it rich by working in cosmetology? Think again. In-demand celebrity hairdresser Chris Appleton has bought a nearly $4 million Los Angeles home, tucked above the eastern end of the iconic Sunset Strip. Surrounded by glamorous estates, the classic 1920s Spanish Revival villa was recently updated in a contemporary manner with trendy wallpaper and a color palette that mixes whites, blues and creamy grays with a dash of black.
The house even has a celebrity pedigree. From 2015 until late 2016, it was owned by TV-focused interior designer Nate Berkus, who endowed the place with much of its current visual glitz. Berkus flipped the property for $2.9 million and the house has changed hands twice since then, before Appleton entered the ownership picture.
Perched on a steeply up-sloped lot, the multilevel main house is elevated high above the street, behind gates and vine-encrusted walls. There are four bedrooms and four bathrooms in about 3,600 square feet, plus another bedroom suite and additional square footage in the property’s guest apartment, which is located directly above the detached street-level garage.
Pale blonde hardwood floors and original architectural details are found throughout the century-old home. The large living room flaunts oversized casement windows and steps up to a cozier den. Around the corner, a fully rebuilt and very white kitchen has top-of-the-line appliances and opens to a formal dining space with two giant glass windows. Also downstairs is a staff bedroom that could be converted into an office or small gym; upstairs are three more bedrooms, all of them with ensuite baths. The primary suite opens via French doors to a private balcony with over-the-treetops views.
There’s also a pool on the property, tucked into a corner of the front yard and thoughtfully hidden from the road behind towering hedges. Elsewhere, numerous terraces and brief patios provide ample options for al fresco lounging or dining. There’s even an AstroTurf-covered outdoor space atop the roof of the guest apartment/garage structure, complete with a comfy seating area and views of the L.A. skyline.
Appleton, 38, has worked with a huge array of A-listers over his career, but he’s perhaps best known for his longtime association with Kim Kardashian West, Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande. The English-born “hair artist” is the man most frequently credited with inventing — or perfecting, if you will — Grande’s signature high ponytail, Kardashian West’s signature slicked, ultra-glossy hairdo and the so-called “endless volume” of J.Lo’s tresses.
On a more personal front, Appleton shares two teenage children with his ex-girlfriend Katie Katon. Born and bred in suburban England, he’s lived in Los Angeles since 2016 and has rapidly amassed a significant following — to the tune of 2.1 million followers on Instagram. According to a PPP loan he received last year, Appleton’s eponymous corporation also now employs eight staff members, presumably to assist him in coiffing some of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars.
Jacob Greenberg and Carl Gambino of Compass held the listing; Coldwell Banker’s David T. Kessler repped the buyer.