Famed architect Scott Johnson, the founding design partner of LA-based firm Johnson Fain, and his wife, Dr. Margaret Bates, have bought a ninth-floor unit at 145 Central Park North in Harlem.
The three-bedroom, two-bath spread, which comes with picturesque views of the park and a private balcony, was asking $3.44 million. The purchase price: $3.16 million.
Johnson’s work includes the Malibu home where Laura Dern’s character, Renata Klein, lived in “Big Little Lies” (where it’s fictionally set up north in Monterey). He’s also known for designing Fox Plaza, which starred in “Die Hard;” the Creative Artists Agency’s headquarters in Century City, Calif.; and the recently completed First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City.
At 1,685 square feet, this uptown unit features white-oak floors, floor-to-ceiling windows with white-oak frames, and motorized shades.
A foyer opens into an open living/dining room overlooking Central Park, while the open chef’s kitchen comes with a breakfast bar. There’s a main bedroom with a walk-in closet and an ensuite bath — while one of the other bedrooms opens to a private balcony. Building amenities include a children’s playroom, a gym, a lounge, and a common roof deck with views of the park and the city skyline.
The listing broker for the New York home was Mike Fabbri of Nest Seekers.
Last September, the couple also listed their Ojai Valley retreat, at 1090 Shokat Drive, for $10.5 million. It sold the following month for $10.25 million, with Aaron Kirman and Danelle Lavin of Compass as the listing brokers.
Known as Wall House, that magical residence, which sits on 11 acres, has been published in multiple shelter magazines. Completed in 2016, it boasts a 300-foot-long Corten steel wall with narrow slits for windows, and a floor-to-ceiling glass wall — which opens the home to the rear yard to bring the light in.