Inside Bette Davis's former coastal home – a stunning French Normandy estate in Laguna Beach

A beautiful beachfront property that was once the home of screen legend Bette Davis has gone on the market for $19.995 million.

The sprawling estate boasts 5,472 sq ft of space with six bedrooms and eight bathrooms. It’s built in a French Normandy style and sits on prime real estate on Laguna Beach; the property has even earned a spot on the registry of historic places. 

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A private courtyard entry takes you to the home’s main entrance, guest house entrance, and dining terrace with stairs leading to a sun-soaked lounge area with direct stair access to the beach below.

The home is decorated in a modern coastal style and boasts uninterrupted ocean views from many of the rooms. 

The main house has a great room that leads to a relaxing lookout room, adjoining family room and dining room, all offering those soul-stirring sea views.

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The bright, white kitchen has an eating nook and top-end stainless steel appliances.

The home encircles a central spiral staircase, which is topped with a grand conical roof and spire. 

The master suite sits above the great room, and has an interior Juliet balcony as well as a large ocean-view terrace.

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And, when it's time for family relaxing and entertaining, the lower level boasts a bar and media room, wine cellar, gym, and ocean-view bedroom.

There's also a separate guest house, making this perfect for anyone with a love of entertaining or hosting family and friends.

And it's all a beach pebble's throwing distance to the art galleries and boutiques of Laguna Beach, while remaining a private and tranquil retreat.

The property is listed with John Cain at Pacific Sotheby's International Realty.

Who was Bette Davis?

Bette Davis was a legendary, Oscar-winning movie star with a career spanning over 50 years. She won the Best Actress gong for Dangerous in 1935, picking up the honour again in 1938 for Jezebel.  She was Oscar-nominated 10 times, and her last nomination was for What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? in which she co-starred with Joan Crawford. She passed away in 1989 at the age of 81 following a battle with breast cancer. In 1999, Davis placed second behind Katharine Hepburn on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest female stars of the classical Hollywood cinema era.