Shortly before they picked up a $6 million estate in the mountains above Beverly Hills — within a guarded community famous for its high-profile residents — actor Joanna Garcia Swisher and her retired pro baseball player husband Nick Swisher quietly sold their former house in L.A.’s historic Windsor Square neighborhood. While the transaction was consummated off-market, records reveal the deal went down for $8.7 million, $700,000 more than the Swishers paid for the property about 2.5 years prior.
The stately, century-old home’s new owner is much-lauded television writer Courtney Kemp, creator of “Power,” the runaway hit Starz crime drama series now in its sixth season.
Described in marketing materials as a traditional, the recently renovated structure has a decidedly Italian villa-esqué flair, its symmetrical facade liberally festooned with molded architectural flourishes. Inside, a dynamic entryway with a barrel-vaulted ceiling leads directly into a great room with steel-cased windows and doors overlooking the backyard.
Wide-plank oak floors flow throughout the home, and the formal living, dining and family rooms each sport intricate detailing and individual fireplaces. The thoroughly modernized eat-in kitchen offers Calacatta marble countertops, high-end stainless appliances and ash grey painted cabinets, while other luxe spaces include a media room with projector and a glass-encased walk-in wine closet.
In addition to downstairs staff quarters, the main house has four family bedrooms, all of them ensuite and located on the upper level. A resort-worthy master suite feautures dual bathrooms, a joint steam shower and walk-in closet, plus a fireplace and sitting area.
While the .41-acre lot isn’t particularly big, all the outdoor spaces are flat, exquisitely manicured and filled with elegant recreational amenities. In front are symmetrical lawns and trimmed hedgerows, while out back are another lawn, a bocce ball court and a built-in BBQ center/outdoor kitchen with pizza oven. There’s also a petite plunge pool with colorful tiles and an inset spa; an adjacent cabana has an outdoor fireplace and is just steps from the one-bed guesthouse.
After relocating to L.A. from her native Connecticut in her mid-20s, Kemp landed a role as a staff writer on “The Bernie Mac Show.” That gig led to other TV opportunities, including her long-running stint as a writer for the CBS political drama series “The Good Wife,” and since 2013, she’s served as co-showrunner on “Power,” which has long ranked as one of Starz’ highest-rated original series. Last year, she signed a multi-year development and production deal with Lionsgate, where she is expected to churn out a variety of new content through her End of Episode banner.
On the real estate front, Kemp continues to own a 1920s Spanish-style bungalow in Hancock Park that she picked up just last year for about $2 million, in addition to her much grander $8.7 million digs in nearby Windsor Square.