By the time Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey bought a $7 million Malibu home that Frank Gehry designed in 1968, garden designer Scott Shrader already had created gardens to connect the minimalist dwelling to the landscape. But when the Dempsey family arrived—with three children, dogs, chickens, rabbits, and miniature donkeys—adjustments were in order.
After the Dempseys bought the five-acre property in 2010, they asked West Hollywood-based designer Shrader (who had worked for the previous owners) to add a kitchen garden—Dempsey's wife, Jillian, is an organic gardener—an outdoor kitchen and dining area, and lawns for the children to play.
Photography via Scott Shrader except where noted.
Above: Garden designer Shrader added cobblestone courtyards for the previous owners, spa developers Alex and Sue Glasscock.
Above: Photograph by Roger Davies.
When Shrader re-graded the property, replaced an asphalt driveway, and planted olive trees.
Above: A dramatic pivot door connects the house to the front courtyard. For more on pivot doors, see Architectural Detail: Pivot Door Roundup on Remodelista.
Above: Photograph via Le Blog Mademoiselle.
Dempsey, twin sons Sullivan and Darby, and members of the family menagerie in the living room.
Before
Above: Photograph via Art Info.
Gehry designed a 4,000-square-foot house for California abstract artist Ronald Davis, who used it as both home and studio. Davis now lives in Taos, New Mexico.
Above: When Davis lived in the house, it had an asphalt driveway and minimal landscaping. Photograph via Iron Davis.
After
Above: The Glasscocks kept horses. For the Dempsey family, Schrader replaced the riding ring with a raised-bed kitchen garden.
Above: Dempsey's wife, Jillian, grows vegetables and flowers in the organic edible garden.
Above: Recycled concrete walls and pea gravel terraces connect the house to an outdoor kitchen and dining area.
Above: A fire pit and an outdoor kitchen at the base of the staircase.
Above: A woven wicker canopy shades a dining area.
Above: Succulents and native plants populate low-water garden garden beds along the fence.
Has January put you in the mood for California dreaming? Here are more of our favorite Southern California gardens:
- Designer Visit: A Mad Man's $800K Hollywood Hideaway
- Before and After: A Grande Dame in LA's Hancock Park
- LA Confidential: A Private Courtyard Garden Goes Luxe on a Budget
More Stories from Gardenista