Inside Betty White’s iconic California home – listed for $7.95 million

Betty White’s former home in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, is currently on the market for $7.95 million. The ‘Queen of TV’ built the Monterey Peninsula property with her TV host Allen Ludden in 1978 before he passed away in 1981. 

Producer and actor Betty White was the first woman to write, produce and act in a sitcom – Life With Elizabeth. She is also well known for playing Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls and hosting Saturday Night Live. 

Throughout her 80 year career, she won eight Emmys and a Grammy – so it seems only fitting that one of the most celebrated actors in America owned one of the world’s best homes. Here, we explore the ocean-front property. 

The 3,621-square-foot home – that sits on the fringe of Ribera and Monastery Beach – is a maze of natural decorating ideas that bring the 1970s property into contemporary California. The property has walls of glass and organic building materials, including light wood walls and ceilings and a statement stone fireplace in the living room. 

These neutral-toned materials bring a bright and airy aesthetic to the space whilst creating a contrast against the blues and greens of the surrounding ocean. 

Beyond the main living space, the home has an interchangeable dining room that can be used as an extension to the kitchen, or more formally, with the option to interrupt the open-plan area and become a separate room. 

This versatile open plan kitchen idea allows guests to host a dinner party away from their food preparation space – or continue their kitchen party into a dining room with a view over the shore.  

Upstairs, the home has four bedrooms, including a primary suite with another fireplace and an ensuite bathroom, with a vanity that was designed by Betty.

While the home’s interiors are something to note, its garden ideas are equally as impressive. Perhaps the most impressive part of the exteriors is the decking that includes manicured landscaping with grass, shrubs, and flowerbeds. The terrace showcases views of the craggy shoreline rocks and a streak of the white beach to the left of the estate. 

Nicole Truszkowski and Zak Freedman of Sotheby’s International Realty, Carmel hold the $7.95 million listing. Photos courtesy of TopTenRealEstates.com.