Elizabeth Taylor’s home gets $47M restoration

The Bel Air estate where Elizabeth Taylor spent her final decades will not be demolished. The 7,000-square-foot ranch-style home at 700 Nimes Road will instead be preserved as part of a $47 million renovation led by developer Ardie Tavangarian.

Original Home to Become the “Elizabeth Taylor Wing”

The property, where Taylor lived from 1981 until her death in 2011, will undergo a major expansion while retaining key elements of its original design. Tavangarian, known for building high-end spec homes that sell for over $100 million, said the project combines preservation with modernization.

“We’re updating it for better functionality,” he explained. The original structure will become what he calls the “Elizabeth Taylor wing,” with rooms like her primary suite, beauty center, and former jewelry collection space receiving updates. A gallery featuring art related to the actress will also be added to the existing building.

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The estate’s well-known features—including a sapphire-blue swimming pool, koi pond, and rose garden—will stay mostly unchanged. The exposed brick facade of the original home will be replicated in new construction to keep a consistent look.

A Subterranean Expansion and Luxury Additions

The renovation will more than double the home’s size, adding 12,000 square feet above and below ground. The above-ground expansion will raise parts of the home to three stories, while the underground buildout will introduce new amenities.

Planned additions include a high-end screening room, a “pajama room” for relaxation, and a 4,500-square-foot retractable roof for stargazing. A spa and other luxury features will also be included. Tavangarian noted that not all updates will follow modern trends. “I’m treating this as if she were my client,” he said, aiming to reflect Taylor’s love of glamour while keeping the warmth she valued in private life.

Her former assistant once told reporters that the actress filled her home with paintings by Pissarro, Degas, and Renoir but wanted guests to feel at ease—”comfortable enough to spill a drink without worry.” Photos from a 2009 feature showed a space full of color, portraits, and flowers, contrasting with the polished image she presented publicly.

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A Home with Hollywood History

The property at 700 Nimes Road has changed owners multiple times since it was built. Taylor bought it in the early 1980s from a developer who had acquired it from Nancy Sinatra, Frank Sinatra’s first wife. Sinatra owned the home when it was still a one-story bungalow, before it was expanded into the two-story residence Taylor later called home.

The renovation aims to balance history with contemporary luxury. The finished project may or may not capture the lived-in charm Taylor loved, but the estate’s most recognizable features will remain. Its expansion could make it a rare example of a celebrity residence preserved rather than replaced.

That outcome would honor the woman who once called it her sanctuary.