If you’re at all familiar with Kanye West, you likely know that he has a real penchant for unorthodox design styles. The rapper, who rose to prominence using a variety of wild sample-flipping techniques which revolutionized hip hop, eventually went on to change the fashion industry with his left-field ideas. It should come as no surprise that Kanye would choose a home with some fascinating and uncommon architecture, such as the Tadao Ando designed space he purchased back in 2021 for the price of $57.3 million. Those who have seen the Malibu building have made note of its rough, brutalist architecture and bare concrete facades, with some likening it to the exterior of a prison. Others have called the home revolutionary, especially in the wake of the brutal Los Angeles fires that have been sweeping through the region, tragically destroying numerous traditional-style homes.
Either way, those who have seen the property in the years since Ye bought it and began remodeling have been floored by the “destroyed” look that the artist has brought to the home. For whatever reason, Kanye saw fit to smash out many of the windows and doors, leaving the entire empty space to be ravaged by the oceanside elements. Of course, this is just one of Kanye West’s real estate investments, with many others to speak of, including those purchased during his years-long marriage with influencer and reality TV star Kim Kardashian. Given that the rapper has been characteristically making headlines for his art and erratic behavior lately, now seems like as good a time as any to examine the Ando house, as well as his other properties to see what we can learn from his buying habits, remodeling techniques and overall real estate portfolio.
What Did Kanye West Do to the Ando House?
If you’re already aware of Tadao Ando, the revolutionary Japanese architect responsible for designing Kanye’s Malibu home, you’re likely aware of what a massive “get” this was for West. Ando is known to be highly reclusive and extremely sought after, as he only designs a small handful of buildings each year. His avant-garde style should have been a perfect collaboration with Kanye, as the latter has frequently relied on minimalist designs in his work, especially in recent years. Unfortunately, the home was not tailor made for West’s tastes, prompting the “Carnival” rapper to make plenty of changes. When the father of four first purchased the 4,000 square-foot beachfront lot, it was designed with muted gray limestone floors and plenty of open space meant to house unique art.
Instead of utilizing the space in its intended fashion, Yeezy and his wife Bianca Censori decided to have the interior gutted for unknown reasons. The pair hired contractor Tony Saxon shortly after buying the architectural marvel and tasked him with dismantling the countertops, cabinets and other interior fixtures. He was even instructed to remove a few interior walls to broaden the space and rip up the floors to expose the bare concrete. Saxon was then told to strip the entire property of all plumbing hookups, electrical infrastructure and all of the windows, creating a tattered mess that looks like something you might find in a skateboarding video game. The house then sat unfinished for years, allowing the elements of sand and surf to erode at the remaining structures.
Has the Luxury Home Sold Yet?
While experts have maintained that much of the structural value of the home is still intact, others have begun to wonder what Kanye West could possibly have been thinking with these bizarre renovations. Could the rapper have been preparing to use the space as a studio of some sort, drawing inspiration from the bare, minimalist views? Could he have been prepping it for use as an off-the-grid haven, with no plumbing, electricity or modern amenities of any kind? Or was this simply an ill-advised venture with no end goal in mind? At this point, Ye has not publicly elucidated on his plans, so there’s no way to know for sure. What we do know is the “Stronger” hitmaker eventually abandoned whatever plans he initially had with the Ando house back in December 2023, when he placed the tattered residence on the market for a whopping $53 million.
Eagle-eyed investors may note that Kanye’s starting price is several million dollars lower than his initial closing price. This is because West acknowledges that any buyer interested in this tattered architectural marvel will need to spend millions after the sale to refurbish the home and make it suitable for use again. To make matters worse, the rapper is currently in the throes of a six-figure lawsuit brought on by his contractors, alleging that he failed to pay for the demolition work. In April 2024, Kanye lopped another $14 million off his asking price and eventually sold the home to a crowdfunded house-flipping firm called Belwood Investments for a paltry $21 million. Obviously, $21 million is still far above the buying power of most homeowners, though the figure pales in comparison to Ye’s initial investment. Reps from Belwood have stated that they intend to pour more than $5 million in assets back into the property before reselling, making it a sweet deal compared to Kanye’s multi-million dollar loss.
Kim and Kanye’s Family Mansion in Calabasas
Though Kanye West clearly struck out with the Ando house, not all of his minimalist ventures have been dead-end investments. Back in 2014, West and his then-wife Kim Kardashian spent $20 million to purchase Kim’s dream home in Calabasas, California, where the Skims founder still lives with the couple’s children. The 15,000 square-foot property was previously owned by Lisa Marie Presley and saw extensive remodeling from Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt. You may have seen the all-white interior of this home in the background of many interviews shared by the exes or as a common setting on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. The mansion is outfitted with tons of custom-made furniture, art and even a pair of his-and-hers faucets with flat-top drains that are nearly imperceptible to the human eye.
The design principles which guide the Kardashian-West mansion are sleek minimalism, combined with a wide-open layout, meant to convey the large living areas as a single continuous space. Natural light is also an essential fixture of the home, as demonstrated by the presence of large skylights and reflective white backsplashes. Walk-in closets tend to be as large as the bedrooms they’re attached to, leaving plenty of room for the fashion moguls to stock with new and returning designs from their respective catalogs. Today, the home is estimated to be worth over $60 million and counting, making it one of Ye’s greatest investments yet, second only to the family and memories he created there.
Monster Lake Ranch, AKA Yeezy HQ
Hardcore Kanye fans may remember that the famed producer purchased a massive Wyoming ranch back in 2019, to the tune of over $7 million. The ranch, which spans 4,500 acres in size, served as the home base for Kanye’s album Jesus Is King, and saw the artist hosting numerous listening events alongside a large ensemble gospel group known as the Sunday Service Choir. In his typical fashion, West flew multiple architecture experts out to the property after his initial purchase with plans to redesign the living space. He also planned to use the farmland to raise crops, build his own cantina and even house horse stables and shooting ranges.
The gorgeous property offers an unparalleled view of the Teton Mountain range in Jackson Hole, which are photographed on the cover of Ye’s self-titled 2018 album. Despite reports that the property was sold last Summer, county records indicate that the rapper still owns the Monster Lake Ranch. For now, it remains unclear if the sale is currently ongoing, or if Kanye has decided to keep his off-grid Wyoming getaway.
Exploring Kanye’s Childhood Home
Though Kanye is known for his lavish lifestyle, his childhood home in the Southside of Chicago showcases his humble beginnings. Long-time fans of the “I Wonder” vocalist have seen this property presented throughout much of West’s career, as Kanye took his daughter North on a pilgrimage to the building during a 2018 episode of KUWTK. Kanye originally purchased his childhood living space through his nonprofit Donda’s House, named for his mother who raised him there from the 1980s through to the early 2000s. Unfortunately, the building was deemed structurally unsound just a year after Ye bought it back, and the Donda’s House team were forced to demolish it and rebuild. The rapper ultimately purchased the house out of his own pocket after cutting ties with the nonprofit in late 2019, paying only $225,000.
In terms of the home’s design, there’s not much to say, as it’s a standard, normal home that could have served as the living space for any of Chicago’s Southside residents. Still, the house holds a ton of sentimental value, as evidenced by West’s desire to feature it in his art. One of Kanye’s most stunning spectacles saw him building a scale model of the Southside home at Soldier Field stadium as part of his Donda album rollout. West performed new and unreleased music from the front steps of the home to a massive crowd, flanked by collaborators including Jay-Z, DaBaby, Travis Scott, Westside Gunn, Playboi Carti and more. In a shocking final moment, Kanye set the replica ablaze while he stood inside wearing a fire retardant suit, emerging from the smoldering wreckage covered in flames. The instance served as one of the most memorable performances from an already awe-inspiring show and burned the memory of this humble Chicago house into the hearts and minds of fans everywhere.
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