Melanie Griffith’s Aspen Aerie Could Be Yours
All home photos by Michael Brands, Mountain Home Photo
Melanie Griffith is no stranger to the luxe life. Daughter of actress Tippi Hedren and mother of Fifty Shades of Gray leading lady Dakota Johnson, Griffith is essentially Hollywood royalty. But it isn’t her family that’s earned her the bulk of her fame; Griffith has starred in numerous critically acclaimed films. To name just a few: Body Double, Something Wild, and Working Girl, which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won her a Golden Globe.
Featureflash Photo Agency, Shutterstock
While Los Angeles is, in large part, Griffith’s home, the actress adores her high-country aerie on the backside of Aspen Mountain, which has served as much more than the typical celebrity vacation retreat. “It is so family-oriented,” Griffith tells Mountain Living, minutes after completing her scenic morning hike on the property. “There’s nothing else like it.” The home, which she and her family have loved for 15 years, is currently on the market now that her children have flown the nest.
Griffith had previously lived in Aspen, and then in 2002 she brought her then-husband Antonio Banderas to ski and show him the lay of the land. “He fell in love with it,” Griffith says. “We had been staying at The Little Nell or The Ritz, and Antonio said, ‘Go buy us a house!’”
“I looked at 20 places that were outrageously expensive, huge, and not built for family life,” Griffith says. “And then the last one I looked at was this gem. The minute I saw this place and walked in, I was in love.”
The home is a 15-minute drive up the mountains from town, situated on two acres of rustic wilderness. “All I see from my windows are mountains. I don’t see any people, houses or anything. The views are simply breathtaking.”
A wooden sign above the right window reads, “Cowgirls are forever”
The main house—laden with gorgeous wooden features and high ceilings—boasts five bedrooms, a gourmet kitchen, a grand two-story fireplace, a billiard room, and expansive decks that surround the property for optimal views. Griffith notes the way the kitchen, dining room, and living area are situated, with the huge fireplace in the middle—an open layout perfect for family gatherings.
There are also two “super cool” apartments connected to the house—one is Griffith’s older son’s and the other her caretakers’, who have been with her for 27 years.
When asked who designed the interiors, Griffith says with a laugh, “I did it myself! I love it. Everything is quirky; no room is cookie-cutter.”
The home will be sold partially furnished, maintaining the style Griffith created, which she describes as ‘funky elegant.’ “It’s all very eclectic, unique, beautiful, and meaningful. Each piece tells a story.”
The table is a repurposed door from Spain. The kitchen tiles (seen above) were handmade by the previous owners—their tile work crafted downstairs in what became Dakota’s bedroom. The crystal-adorned lighting fixture that hangs over the dining table (seen below) is one of Griffith’s favorite pieces, along with a few 1930s leather chairs. “A lot of the furnishings are pieces I bought with my kids or when they were little, so they’ve known all of this for a long time.”
Family is a prominent theme in Griffith’s love for the home and the property. “We have so many great memories here of all kinds of adventures! Snowmobiling, biking, fishing—we do it all. We’re big skiers in the winter and big hikers in the summer. The outdoor fire pit is perfect for mountain evenings, especially when there’s a full moon.” When describing the home’s 9,000-bottle wine cellar, memories of secretly wrapping the kids’ Christmas presents come to mind. “It’s a great hiding spot! There is also a beautiful dining table down there for enjoying nice, romantic dinners.”
With her children grown, Griffith knows that now is the time to part with the beloved mountain home and hopes it will bring the next owners just as many memories.
“I’m currently leasing a home in L.A., and I think I’ll stay there because that’s where my kids are. I’ll always come back to Aspen, though.” Spoken like a true mountain girl at heart.
See the home listing and learn more about the property here.
