Resort-style LA home where Charlie Chaplin once stored his fire truck collection asks $12.5M

Once a parking spot for Charlie Chaplin’s fire trucks — yes, fire trucks — this Santa Monica, California hideaway is ready for its next act.Listed for $12.5 million — the home has been completely transformed from silent film-era storage space to tropical-meets-modernist sanctuary, according to Realtor.com.Tucked behind what are described in the listing as “repurposed 500-year-old monastery gates,” the roughly 0.3-acre estate sits discreetly behind an “innocuous wall,” concealing an 8,000-square-foot residence that blends organic materials with a serene Balinese design sensibility.The site’s first act dates back nearly a century, when Chaplin reportedly used the original structure as a garage to house his collection of antique fire trucks, according to a press release.

In the decades that followed, the home took on a second life as a creative refuge for abstract expressionist painter Sam Francis.He converted the property into a studio compound, where he lived and played host to a rotating cast of Los Angeles art world luminaries.Regular guests included Ed Ruscha, Ed Moses, Larry Bell and Ken Price.That chapter came to a fiery end in 2007, when a blaze destroyed much of the original residence Francis had crafted. Four years later, a new home — designed by architect Christopher Sorensen — rose from the ashes, with a focus on natural textures and tranquility.Sorensen’s design incorporates old-world details — like centuries-old teak flooring — while embracing a modern, spa-like aesthetic meant to evoke a “calming” atmosphere.The five-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom layout includes a flexible floor plan with the option to add more bedrooms. The primary suite features an expansive walk-in closet that doubles as a lounging area, as well as a kitchenette. Bathrooms throughout the home feature hand-carved Indonesian stone tubs and sinks, further contributing to the immersive, organic style.Outdoors, a lounge and dining pavilion flanks the swimming p...