Elizabeth Arden’s Former South Carolina Summer Home Can Be Yours for $3.3 Million
Almost six decades after she died of complications from a heart attack at age 81, Elizabeth Arden’s former South Carolina vacation home is now up for grabs—complete with red-hued front doors that readily call to mind her eponymously named cosmetics empire’s signature fragrance and salons.
Tucked away in the historic town of Summerville, about 25 miles from downtown Charleston, and famously occupied by the legendary Canada-born beauty mogul from 1938 to 1954, the Victorian-style residence is now on the market for a dash under $3.3 million. The listing is held by Taylor Charpia of Taylor Charpia Real Estate.
A pair of posh parlors each have their own fireplace.
Jon Javier/Virtual Realty
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Built in the early 1800s by A.J. Baird for Charleston attorney Samuel Lord and described in marketing materials as a “rare blend of pedigree, history, and sophistication,” the stately white wood-sided home was also occupied during its history by New York stockbroker Ogden Phipps and his socialite wife Lillian Bostwick Phipps, whose eldest daughter was fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer. Records show the place was last sold in 2022 for nearly $1.9 million to Ron and Allison Wehtje, who subsequently undertook an extensive renovation in collaboration with interior designer and TV personality Gray Benko.
Hidden away behind a wrought-iron gate amid a lushly manicured parcel spanning over an acre, the compound includes a main home and a trio of guest cottages that are currently being used as short-term rentals—for a combined total of nine bedrooms and 12 baths in 8,400 square feet. Other structures include a pool house and a detached garage.
The pool sits alongside a pool house with a kitchen and a covered patio for entertaining.
Jon Javier/Virtual Realty
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As for the primary six-bedroom dwelling, it has nearly 6,400 square feet of three-level living space boasting the original heart pine floors, 12-foot ceilings, hand-carved molding, an elevator, and six fireplaces. Highlights include a wallpaper-clad entry foyer and hallway that flow to dual parlors, both painted bubblegum pink, and a formal dining room that seats up to 14. Elsewhere is a bookshelf-lined study, a designated bar room, and a spacious brick-accented sunroom, plus a gourmet kitchen outfitted with a high-end Viking range and an accompanying breakfast nook.
Outdoors, the landscaped grounds are laced with live oak trees and host formal gardens adorned with a life-size chessboard and a secret swing. A freeform pool is nestled alongside the aforementioned pool house, which has two baths and a fully equipped kitchen that opens to a covered entertaining patio warmed by a fire pit.
Click here for more photos of Elizabeth Arden’s former vacation home.
Jon Javier/Virtual Realty
Authors
Wendy Bowman
Wendy Bowman is a real estate writer at Robb Report. Before that, she was a freelancer for Modern Luxury and several other media outlets, where she primarily covered luxury properties for…
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