Elizabeth Taylor was an international star and she lived like one. The actress lived in New York, London, Switzerland, Puerto Vallarta, and in California, where she would primarily make her living.
This article will discuss the places she lived in and owned over the years (Excluding things like the Hotel Bel-Air, which aren’t houses). The properties discussed will cover many years, ranging from the early 1940s until her death in 2011.
The Platinum Triangle
The Platinum Triangle is the nickname given to 3 affluent communities that are adjacent to each other: Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, and Holmby Hills. Elizabeth Taylor primarily lived in both Beverly Hills and Bel-Air for many years.
700 Nimes Road
Starting with Taylor’s last home, this Bel-Air property was her main residence from when she bought it in 1981, until her death 30 years later. It was previously the home of Frank Sinatra’s first wife, Nancy.
Residing on a spacious 1.27 acres, this 7,100-square-foot home is a 1960’s style ranch house. The house contains six bedrooms. Including two separate master suites, as well as six bathrooms.
On the ground floor of the home was the “Trophy Room” where Taylor had items displayed. Including awards, and photographs with other celebrities. The house was redecorated twice. First with white carpets and furniture in 1984 and subsequently with lavender upholstery later in 2010.
The garden of the house, which was designed by Nicholas Walker, was instructed by Taylor to “duplicate an authentic English herbaceous border”.
“Her desire was for color and more color, all the time. “Let’s be bold!””
– Nicholas Walker
An annual Easter egg hunt occurred in the garden, which was alongside a petting zoo for children. Occasionally Taylor would hire dancers from Cirque du Soleil that would perform at the event.
Shortly before her death, Tim Mendelson, Taylor’s personal assistant arranged for an art photographer, Catherine Opie, to photograph the house. Opie took 3,000 images; 129 comprised the completed study. She never met Taylor during this process.
Taylor purchased the house for $2 million. The house sold for $8.6 million in 2011.
703 North Elm Drive
Located at 703 North Elm Drive, this was was the first home that Elizabeth Taylor lived at in Beverly Hills. She was here with her parents from 1941 until she married Conrad Hilton in 1950.
This property was built in 1929 and sits on a small third of an acre of land. The house is over 6,500 square feet and has five bedrooms, as well as eight bathrooms.
1771 Summitridge Drive
Taylor and her husband Michael Wilding purchased this Beverly Hills home in 1952 for $75,000. The couple spent $40,000 remodeling the house.
“We will have the outside painted yellow, with white shutters, the living room will be in grey with periwinkle blue—my favorite color.”
— Elizabeth Taylor
The house is currently the home of the Southern California Recovery LLC, Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Facility.
1375 Beverly Estates Drive
This Beverly Hills home sits on two acres of land. The house is built around a palm-shaded fountain courtyard. Built in 1953, it contains six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The total square footage of the home is just under 7,800.
In 1954, Taylor and Wilding bought this home after they snuck inside for a look around after they noticed a “For Sale” sign out front, and realized the sliding glass door in the rear was unlocked.
“One whole wall was built of bark with fern and orchids growing up the bark, and the bar was made of stone. And the fireplace had no chimney. There was a device making the smoke go down under the building and out through the barbecue pit. You really couldn’t distinguish between the outside and inside. And all the colors I loved—off white, white, natural woods, stone, beigy marble. The pool was so beautiful. There were palm trees and rock formations—it looked like a natural pool, with trees growing out of it. It was the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen.”
– Elizabeth Taylor
At the time of its purchase, the home featured such features as an intercom, automated doors, light dimmers, automated curtains, and a movie screen.
1330 Schuyler Drive
Taylor and Mike Todd bought this Beverly Hills home in 1957. When he tragically died in a plane crash the following year, Taylor sold this house because it reminded her of her late husband.
The house was built in 1926 and sits on a third of an acre. It’s 4,000 square feet and contains six bedrooms and five bathrooms. An interesting feature is that it is right on the street, offering no privacy like the other homes featured.
242 Copa de Oro Road
After Todd’s death, Taylor rented this house in Bel Air. This is the home in which Taylor lived in during her affair and marriage to actor and singer Eddie Fisher in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
The house wound up getting demolished. Currently, the new home here features four bedrooms and six bathrooms with a total square footage of 7,500.
Westwood
10600 Wilshire Boulevard
After her divorce from Nicky Hilton in 1951, Taylor moved into this apartment building in Westwood with her secretary, Peggy Rutledge. The apartment, which was in a five-story, pink stucco building, consisted of 5 rooms 2 of which were bedrooms. Her downstairs neighbors were Tony Curtis and his wife, her Little Women costar, Janet Leigh.
Elizabeth lived at the apartment for a short time during her marriage to Wilding, but the newlyweds had to find a larger home when Elizabeth found out she was pregnant with their son Michael Jr. The house they purchased was 1771 Summitridge Drive.
