A Holmby Hills estate once owned by W. Howard Lester, the former chairman and chief executive of gourmet cookware retailer Williams-Sonoma, has come on the market for $58.75 million.
The gated residence, accessed by an olive-tree-lined drive, sits in seclusion, surrounded by mature trees, koi ponds and gardens on 1.3 acres of grounds. A Mediterranean-style main house designed by architect Robert Sinclair sits at the heart of the property. A bridge from the main house leads to a two-story guesthouse.
![Former home of late Williams-Sonoma chief executive hits market](https://www.hiltonhyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/OVBHovlFsaLI9anS-1024x640.jpg)
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Beyond the arched front entry, the main house features such details as limestone floors, Venetian plaster walls, groin vault ceilings and colonnades inspired by 14th century Italian gothic architecture. A brick barrel ceiling tops the chef’s kitchen, which is anchored by a marble island. A staircase leads down to a wine cellar, a screening room, a billiards room and a lounge trimmed in gold leaf accents.
There are seven bedrooms, including two staff rooms, eight bathrooms and four powder rooms in the main house. The guest house, which holds a gym and sauna, has another bedroom and two bathrooms.
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A swimming pool, a spa, a pavilion and a dining patio are among outdoor amenities. A large motor court sits off the front.
Lester, who died in 2010 at 75, bought the San Francisco-based cookware company in 1978 for $100,000. Under his direction from 1978 to 2001, he expanded the company from four retail stores to more than 600 while generating more than $3.4 billion in sales.
The property last changed hands in 2012 when Lester’s estate sold it for $23 million, records show.
Linda May of Hilton & Hyland is the listing agent