Ryan Murphy Selling Richard Neutra House in Bel-Air, Formerly Owned by Tom Ford, for $33.9M

Ryan Murphy is looking to part ways with a historic mid-century home designed by iconic architect Richard Neutra — to the tune of $33.9 million.

The clean-lined house in Bel Air, California is known as The Brown House and was built in 1955 by the late architect, who was known for pioneering the idea of indoor-outdoor California living and whose houses have since been owned and prized by such entertainment names as Flea, Mitch Glazer and Kelly Lynch, stylist Jeanne Yang, and directors Josef von Sternberg and Marc Forster.

Feud and American Horror Story creator Murphy purchased the Brown House in 2022 and set about renovating it and decorating it in an eclectic style that wasn’t slavish to its mid-century roots. As he wrote in Architectural Digest earlier this year, “Instead of surrounding ourselves in one particular midcentury style that had long gone out of fashion (and was actually uncomfortable), why not invite objects and furniture from other mid-centuries? … “I had been brainwashed by shelter magazines for decades: Never place something Victorian with something pure and modern. But that’s what we did here, with candlesticks, chairs, really everything. It was like a house of misfit toys. In a great midcentury home, the clean-lined architecture is usually the star. But what do stars need to shine? Quirky supporting characters.” Murphy worked with designer Trevor Cheney of L.A.’s Seventh House gallery on the redo and with landscape architect Scott Schrader on the gardens.

The house’s previous owners have included Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi, who briefly owned it after buying it in an off-market deal in 2022 for $29 million, and designer and director Tom Ford, who purchased the property in 1997 for just over $2 million and sold it in 2019 for $20 million.

The listing for the six-bedroom house, which calls it an architectural “work of art,” notes that it offers 180-degree views of L.A., restored original cabinetry, terrazzo floors and walls of glass that look out on the Roman-inspired gardens.

Other details include a primary suite with lacquered walls, two kitchens and a double-wide living room.

Ryan Murphy’s house is listed with Aaron Kirman of Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California and Riley Schmidt and Tim Wollaston of Riley Real Estate.