Marilyn Monroe made millions at the box office, but the actress was surprisingly frugal when it came to property, only ever owning one home. After renting over 40 properties across West Hollywood, New York and the Hamptons, Marilyn eventually found solace in Brentwood, California, purchasing a Hacienda-style bungalow for $75,000 in 1962.
© Corbis via Getty ImagesTucked away in a peaceful cul-de-sac, Marilyn's first and final home was built in 1929 and equipped with two bedrooms, three bathrooms and a large outdoor pool surrounded by a grove of citrus trees. Determined to make it her own, the film star travelled to Taxco, Mexico, where she personally picked out blue and yellow ornamental tiles for her kitchen.
© GettyA fan of bright colours and patterns, Marilyn picked out glazed terracotta tiles with yellow and brown floral designs for her bathroom, too. Perhaps a reflection of the tranquillity she hoped to find at Helena Drive, the phrase 'Cursum Perficio' – meaning 'My Journey Ends Here' – had been scribed on a plaque by the front door.
While photos inside Marilyn's Brentwood abode are hard to come by, the contents of her living room were revealed during an auction in 2009. Among her decadent furniture collection, the starlet had filled the space with four folding wood benches of Mexican origin, which she adorned with pillows of blue, pink, yellow, and turquoise.
Fans were also given a glimpse of Marilyn's dining room, which she'd furnished with a custom-made round-top wooden table and matching chairs, as well as a statement mirror with triangular accents, and a star-shaped light. During her travels to Mexico, Marilyn was known to pick up art and tapestries too, which she hung throughout the house.
© ShutterstockAccording to The Hollywood Home, Marilyn's bedroom looked out onto the backyard. A sun-soaked space, it had expansive windows and a stunning wood beam ceiling. Should she wish to host close friends, the actress also had a guest house at her disposal.
An extension of herself, in her final interview with LIFE Magazine, Marily remarked: "Anybody who likes my house, I am sure I will get along with." She also described it as a "fortress where I can feel safe from the world."
© ShutterstockTragically, Marilyn only lived in her Brentwood retreat for a matter of months, before she died from acute barbiturate poisoning on August 4, 1962. She was 36 years old. In 2024 – decades after her passing, the late star's property was declared a cultural landmark and saved from demolition.
© ShutterstockLast summer, LA City Councilmember Traci Park said: "We have an opportunity to do something today that should've been done 60 years ago. There's no other person or place in the city of Los Angeles as iconic as Marilyn Monroe and her Brentwood home.
"To lose this piece of history, the only home that Monroe ever owned, would be a devastating blow for historic preservation and for a city where less than 3% of historic designations are associated with women's heritage."
© ShutterstockAs of June 2024, Marilyn's home is valued at around $8 million.
