See safe room/theater with retina scan in CA home once owned by legal arms dealer
A 9,500-square-foot home in Southern California — for sale for $7 million — features a unique movie theater with 3-inch steel walls and private bathroom that was previously used as a safe room with retina-activated pneumatic doors, according to The Agency real estate firm.
Behind the guarded gates of Palisades Country Estate, the home was formerly owned by a legal arms dealer, according to The Agency. The retina scan was even registered with the FBI and the doors can be shut in case of emergency.
Safe rooms are hot commodities among luxury home buyers, especially in the Los Angeles area, according to a representative of The Agency.
“Our current sellers are the ones who converted the safe room into the theater,” listing agent Farah Levi told The Bee via email. “My client is in the entertainment business and wanted a great theater in their home and they felt this was the perfect solution. They spent approximately $150,000 on the theater conversion.”
The converted room’s retina scan is still operational and can be used to open and close doors, although it is no longer registered with the FBI, Levi said.
“One of the reasons they chose to convert the safe room to the theater is because it’s very quiet and soundproof,” Levi said. “The space and design are very unique. The theater has plenty of storage and a hidden room along with doors, racks and cabinets that open ... some of this storage and panels were used as gun racks by the legal arms dealer. All in all, we love this home and all of its unique features.”
The six-bedroom, nine-bath estate — 17536 Camino De Yatasto, Pacific Palisades, California — sits on .77 acres with a private tennis court.
The home, built in 1983, is sophisticated and timeless in style, with a formal living room with 30-foot tall ceilings, custom windows and a picturesque fireplace, according to the listing. There’s a formal dining room, an elegant office with backyard entrance, size-able family room with a wet bar perfect and a gourmet chef’s kitchen with a center island and large breakfast area. The home has guest quarters, as well.
Upstairs, the spacious primary bedroom has a fireplace, en-suite dual bathrooms with a dual shower, sauna, multiple walk-in closets and a bonus hidden closet hideaway. Three more en-suite bedrooms are upstairs.
Outdoors, the backyard is highlighted by a pool, waterfall, cabana and fully-lit tennis court.
The home, listed at $6.995 million, went on the market in August 2021, according to realtor.com.
This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 12:30 PM.
