It sold on July 25, 2016, snapped up by young designer Ashley Tripplehorn and her husband, Ward Hunt. Owned by Kenny Goss, former partner of pop singer George Michael and principal in the Goss-Michael Foundation, the 5,538-square-foot, four-bedroom, five-and-a-half bath home came to the market at just under $4 million. It closed at $2.9 after more than 507 days.
George lived in the home at 4449 Belfort when he and Kenny were together, throughout most of the early 2000’s. He died on Christmas Day at his long-time home in the historic village of Goring-on-Thames, one of several luxury homes he owned and left behind at the time of his passing.
Belfort was built in 1940, designed by well-known Dallas architect Harwood K. Smith with landscape by Blackland Prairie Design. The homes’ clean lines and sharp angles hint at minimalism with nods to federal, colonial and art deco styles.
The exterior’s white brick and gray trim is extremely timely today, when grey rules, and extends to the interior, which was remodeled in 2007 to Goss’ design sensibility as a gallery owner. Unobtrusive walls, flooring, lighting and trim are designed to let art and furnishings take the spotlight. Not a lot of distraction from millwork or fancy pants chandeliers, the art gets almost 100% of the attention.
There is the graceful flanked by formal rooms in a classical layout. To the right is the dining room with patterned hardwoods and enough room to seat 10. To the left is the living room with two mock columns, an ornate marble hearth, and spacious art walls.French doors open to the front yard as well as the back, and they are everywhere.
A long limestone floored gallery stretches along the back of the home and houses several pieces of incredible art, including a large, pink typographic wall hanging by Dublin’s Michael Craig-Martin. Five pairs of glass-paned doors open from the gallery to a velvet green patch of green lawn, a simple rectangular swimming pool of sterling blue, and a brick patio.
On the way to the downstairs guest rooms you pass through a heavy wooden door adorned with a scattering of ornate handles by Glasgow artist Jim Lambie . Another guest room, huge, is upstairs along with the master overlooking crepe myrtles and the lush back gardens.
There are dual master baths here, too, with a multi-jetted shower AND tub, and custom closet system. Upstairs masters were preferred at one point, and European friends tell me they refuse to buy a home with sleeping quarters on the first floor. Something about security? This master features a wall of built-ins and a fireplace so you could hide out indefinitely.
There is a two-car garage, powder room with marble seashell sink, and an airy library. None of the art works in the house were included in the sale, but we wonder if the young couple purchased any.
It would be a pleasure to see what the talented Ms. Hunt has done with this treasure… we may just have to go a knocking.
