Inside Will Smith's secluded estate
The 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' actor's Adobe-style mansion includes impressive sports amenities, custom-built interiors and, curiously, large symbols etched into the facade of an extension.
Tucked away in the star-filled enclave of Calabasas, this compound is so large it has its own ZIP code.
The Oscar winner's Pueblo Revival home was previously featured on a 2011 cover of Architectural Digest, then praised for its ambitious, bespoke design and worldly architectural inspirations.
The sprawling property was an early real estate endeavour for Smith and his reportedly estranged wife Jada Pinkett Smith, according to the Daily Mail.
The then-newlyweds, inspired by the desert-chic style of Gene Hackman's now-infamous Santa Fe home, commissioned the late actor's architect, Stephen Samuelson, to build their own abode in the late 1990s.
The rambling estate encompasses the work of hundreds of woodworkers, metalsmiths, stonemasons and upholsterers.
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Pinkett Smith previously called the constructing property 'a spiritual endeavour.'
Smith has stayed largely out of the spotlight since the 'slap heard around the world,' in which the actor stormed the stage at the 2022 Academy Awards and slapped host Chris Rock over a jab at Pinkett Smith's alopecia.
The secluded property's resort-like amenities would offer a much-needed retreat for any beleaguered celebrity.
Smith previously told Architectural Digest the property's lake gazebo — accessed across a bridge — was his favourite place to relax.
'Answers come to me out there,' Smith told the outlet.
An apparent extension on the home includes a curving roof and mysterious, Superman-style 'Cool S' symbols etched into the stucco walls, the Daily Mail reported.
The features — a familiar sight on the notes of bored schoolchildren the world over — are perhaps a homage to the last initial of the homeowner.
The sloping roof of the extension encompasses a sunbathing area with umbrellas and daybeds.
Other tailor-made features of the larger-than-life property include a puppy mansion for Smith's rottweilers and a sunken trampoline.
A sports complex features courts for tennis, volleyball and basketball.
In addition to nine bedrooms, interiors of the 25,000-square-foot home include a meditation room, a recording studio and an entire cinema wing.
The latter feature comes with a projection booth, men and women's restrooms and an 'accolades lounge,' in which moviegoers can conduct lofty discussions after the credits roll.
Smith briefly listed the property for sale in 2014 for a whopping $US42 million ($A64 million), but subsequently pulled the listing.
It's unclear who among the Smith clan remains at the Calabasas compound, but signs of family life are apparent in aerial shots.
Jaden Smith's free vegan food truck for the homeless, launched on his 21st birthday in 2019 and bearing the name 'I Love You Restaurant,' is parked on the property.
Calabasas has long been the chosen residence of Hollywood stars and music industry titans.
The Kardashians, Miley Cyrus and Drake number among its most famous community members, but only one local resident can boast his very own ZIP code.
Parts of this story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.
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