Another Friends House

SELLER: Michael Skloff and Marta Kauffman
LOCATION: Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA
PRICE: $20,000,000
SIZE: 9 bedrooms, 9.5 bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: ...Two parcels totaling approx. 2.71 acres w/ approx. 250' of bluff frontage. Existing 3 bedroom, 3 bath Buff and Hensman home w/ pool, plans and pending approvals for a 7,565 square ft. main home and guest home on separate legal parcel. Architectural plans for new home designed by renowned architect Mark Rios. includes immediate access to fabulous private cove. A truly breathtaking location and opportunity to complete your own private beach/bluff estate.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: On a few occasions we've discussed houses that have been purchased by the mountains of money that were made from the Friends sit-com juggernaut including the gargantuan house Adam Chase built and sold up in the birds, and Matt LeBlanc's monster mansion in Hidden Hills. Today we bring you another, this one on the bluffs of Malee-boo.

In case you have never read the credits of Friends, (and let's face it, why would you?), let Your Mama educate you. Marta Kaufmann was one of the creators and executive producers of the enormously popular show. Given those titles and credits, Your Mama prolly does not need to tell you the lady made bank. Seer-ee-us money. Huzband Michael Skloff wrote the little ditty theme song for the show, for which we are sure he was paid handsomely and likely makes mad royalties from the huge syndication deals.

In June of 1998, right in the thick of the Friends popularity, this couple, who have many other film and television credits as well as Friends, purchased a 4,481 square foot house on 1.84 acres way up in the Northern reaches of Malee-boo for an undisclosed sum of money. The lot runs from the Pacific Coast Highway to the bluff overlooking the angry Pacific. The property appears to also contain a guest house and a small riding ring as well as rolling lawns and private stairs to the not very sandy beach. This property is not the house shown in the photos.

In March of 2003, public property records show the couple purchased the ocean front house next door on a lot measureing just under an acre, also for an undisclosed sum of money. This property features the cool Buff and Hensman house seen in the photos above.

Given that the listing states the sellers have plans for a large Mark Rios designed compound, we're guessing their intention was to knock everything down. Which we can understand on the one hand. But on the other, if you ask Your Mama, and of course no one did, the Buff and Hensman house is worth saving. Besides the vintage Panton light fixture over the dining room table, we wouldn't save a stick of furniture that we see in the photos, but the low slung house with the courtyard swimming pool holds up design-wise and would really make an excellent beach house for someone who is not looking for a hotel sized getaway.

Your Mama has no intel on why the couple has decided not to pursue building their dream compound. Perhaps they've decided to take the money and run to a property that needs less work? Or perhaps they've decided they don't want or need a house in Malee-boo. Whatever the case, the two single and separate lots are being offered as a package along with the architectural plans for an uber compound.

Maybe someone will come along, buy the lots, build on the larger one and keep the B and H intact. We dream.

Anyhoo, the Friends couple still own the 7 bedroom, 6 bathroom, 8000+ square foot house in Hancock Park they purchased in late 1998 for $1,465,000. So be assured they'll not be homeless once they get this place sold.

P.S. We presume the 9 bedrooms and 9.5 bathrooms shown on the listing is the total for all the structures currently on both parcels.