Tour the ‘Big Little Lies’ and ‘Basic Instinct’ Home Selling for $29.6M

Carmel, California has been the backdrop for countless movies and shows looking to tell stories of extremes in a locale that fits the drama. One particular home is so dramatic it was used for both the 1992 thriller Basic Instinct and the acclaimed HBO series Big Little Lies. That home is now on the market for an astonishing $29.625 million. A tour of the home, courtesy of photos from TopTenRealEstate.com, proves that it could be worth that price tag.

Big Little Lies was set in nearby Monterey, where five women played by Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoe Kravitz are linked to a murder investigation. The show’s opening sequence, set to Michael Kiwanuka’s “Cold Little Heart,” set the tone for the story as viewers were given a tour of the show’s locations. It was based on Liane Moriarty’s novel and written by David E. Kelley. The show was intended to be a limited series, but it was such a hit that HBO ordered a second season that added Meryl Streep to the cast. The Carmel home now up for sale was used as a set for the series.

The home was also featured in Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct, the hit erotic thriller starring Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas which was one of the highest-grossing movies of 1992. In the movie, the Carmel home belonged to Stone’s character, Catherine Trammell. Scroll on for a look inside the home, seen in both Basic Instinct and Big Little Lies.

View of the atrium and swimming pool

The residence covers 12,000 square feet and has five bedrooms, nine baths, 12 fireplaces, and two kitchens. It sits on two acres of lushly planted grounds. Outside the home, there is a pool, spa, and grotto hidden by the tropical foliage.

Two-story library

The house also includes a two-story library, so you can do as much reading in the comfort of your own home as possible. The gourmet main kitchen includes a glass-walled breakfast area. There is also a gym and sauna.

Master bedroom with ocean views

You’ll never have to even leave the home to see great views of the Pacific Ocean and California coast thanks to glass walls. Outside, the grounds are so thickly planted that an owner could discover new parts of the property every day. There’s a shady oasis, a greenhouse, and several terraces where you could host outdoor dinners. There is also a private hot tub enclosed by a natural rock wall. The house’s open atrium includes the swimming pool. 

Dining room with beautiful views

Back in January 2018, the home was put up for sale for $16.9 million, Curbed San Francisco reported at the time. Aviator Steve Fossett and his wife, Peggy Fossett, bought the home in 1997. Fossett went missing in 2007 during a plane crash and his wreckage was found the following year. Peggy died in October 2017.

Lush plants provide privacy around the property

The house has changed hands multiple times since Peggy Fossett’s death, and millions of dollars have been spent to bring the property into the 21st Century. In 2004, designer Paul Vincent Wiseman told Architectural Digest the home’s style was “very confused” before the Fossetts hired him to redesign the home. “It was part suburban tract, part French château, with Art Déco touches added by a Hollywood art director when it was used in filming scenes for Basic Instinct,” Wiseman said at the time.

Plenty of space for outdoor gatherings by the sea

Carmel has long been a popular destination for Hollywood stars, and not just in movies. Clint Eastwood famously served as mayor from 1986 to 1988. The late Doris Day called the city home. Her ranch-style estate recently sold for $5.7 million.