If you’ve got $10.5 million to spare, you can embrace your inner James Bond villain and live in the architecturally unusual hideout from the film Diamonds are Forever. Bond fans will remember the fight scene that takes place in the home’s living room with its stony outcrop features.
The house, which is located in Palm Springs, California, utilizes the naturally rocky landscape and the result is a highly unique building. In 1968, interior designer Arthur Elrod commissioned John Lautner, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright, to “Give me the house the site deserves.” Apparently what the site deserved was a villain’s lair with a certain sexy edge that led Playboy to dub it “The Ultimate Bachelor Pad” in 1971.
The 8,901 sq foot home centres on a large, circular living room which gives the exterior a UFO-like appearance that is appropriate for its Space Age origins. The 1.62 acre estate is actually composed of a two-bedroom main house and a two-bedroom guest house equipped with maid’s quarters. The home includes a gym and an expansive deck and pool with a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. Also included is a vault for storing silverware — or you could use it to imprison any super secret spies who attempt to foil your villainous plans.
