In Los Angeles, even lunch can come with an affirmation. Anyone who has ever ordered from Café Gratitude knows the ritual: You state your meal in the first person. “I am Grateful”, I am Present”, “I am Abundant.” It’s earnest, a little tongue-in-cheek, and reflects the popular eatery’s holistic and mindful vegan cuisine.
Chris and Lisa Bonbright, the founders of Café Gratitude (as well as Gracias Madre), just listed their longtime Beverly Hills home for $18 million. Unsurprisingly, the design-forward home channels the same ethos as their restaurants and imbues a feeling of peace and wellness. If buyers have to order it the same way, too, they may say “I am Home.”
The couple bought the property in the early 2000s and Wendy Haworth, who also helped them curate the bohemian aesthetic of their restaurants, transformed it. As Lisa once told the Los Angeles Times, “Wendy nails it every time,” adding of their decade-long partnership that “we finish each other’s sentences.” She reflected that although they’ve collaborated commercially, she wanted their home to have a separate identity.
Set on nearly half an acre, the 7,090-square foot ranch contains five bedrooms and five full bathrooms across three floors. Inside and out, it’s the epitome of airy, SoCal sophistication with details like wood beams and wood paneling, vaulted ceilings, and stone fireplaces that look soft to touch. The furniture, either custom-built or sourced by Haworth from antique shops in the area, are minimalist and organically sculpted.
The exterior is classically elegant and the outdoor spaces are bright and green, reminiscent of Lisa’s childhood in the Hamptons. In the backyard, ethereal grounds designed by Scott Schrader feature gardens and lemon trees, a pavilion with a wood-burning fireplace, a pool and spa, and a guest house. It feels like you could be at a boutique hotel in the Napa Valley rather than at home in the hills of L.A.
Intrigued? Billy Rose of The Agency represents the listing
