Real or Internet Rumor? The REAL LIFE Barbie Dream Home in Santa Monica
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 8:00AM 
Someone help my {in}sanity.
According to the internets, Barbie creator Ruth Handler has a real life Barbie dream townhome in Santa Monica, CA. Images of the pink and purple beach front house seems to have popped up recently on Pinterest and Tumblr and the internet is quickly spewing out... well, nothing really other than the pictures.
Being a Barbie-girl for the past 34 years, my heart skipped a beat. I want to see this house. That's where my search for information, and my confusion, started.
See, Mrs Handler died 10 years ago. The house, located at 1341 Palisades Beach Road Santa Monica, sold in 2007. And while some sites claim that Jonathan Adler custom decorated this home in pure Barbie fashion, the pictures they are posting are actually from a party that Mattel held a few years back for Barbie's 50th birthday at a private house in Malibu.
Additionally, from the pictures of the outside of the house, you can clearly see it's not the same house.
A childhood dream dashed in 10 minutes of Google searches.
And then I cried.
The End.
PS: Anyone know the real story behind this Santa Monica house? Was it really built for Ruth Handler? Was it recently repainted?
PPS: One good thing I did learn today though: The Barbie suite at the Palms in Vegas! EEK!
Barbie, Dream House, Ruth Handler, Santa Monica in Insanity 
Reader Comments (9)
I can't wait to show you my Barbie collection. You may cry. I collect dolls, clothes, furniture and cars from 1978 - 1985. We even have mom's original with case and clothes. Oh, and everything is complete with the original boxes.
This house is still there and is still painted pink and purple. I've driven by it multiple times and always wanted to know if there was a story behind it because it sticks out like a sore thumb. I drove past it today, as well, and it's still there :)
We lived 4 homes down until 2004 and that house was not painted so colorful. According to city-data.com the owner was Joseph W. Harch at that time and Penny and Steven Meepos since 2007 to present. Neither have a relation to the late Barbie founder Ruth Handler. In fact, she did live in Malibu Beach, but never in Santa Monca, CA So this is yet another internet falsehood.
I mean, google maps street view from 2011 it shows the house pictured all over the internet. Although, the neighbor seems like a downer with their solid black house.
Well i was born in LA and of course my point is ive been going to the beach in santa monica for about 20 yrs and since i was about 5 when i can actually remember this house im 22 i seen that pink and purple house my sis and i always referred it as the barbie house so its been like that for maybe more than 20 years
My husband and some friends of ours drove to Santa Barbara for a wedding in 2009. We saw this house and of course I got excited thinking it was barbies house! The all black home next door we joked was Marylin Mansons house....anyways this "Barbie House" is also in Grand Theft Auto 5. So it lead me to search it's history. I'm sad to find out that it's just a pink and purple beach home lol.
I lived across the road in October and November in 2013 :)
I am pretty sure taylor swifts film clip our song is filmed within it
and the other house is in Venice beach where she crosses her legs.
For some weird reason I did the half splits on the fence hopefully one day i figure out why i did it :)
Barbie kept ringing people when i was having a barby Q it's very difficult to climb around the pinnacle.
I hope santa Monica respects how much effort i put in to cleaning the bluff
I was showing them what needs to be done to have perfect air and aroma.
It would also create jobs for the homeless then creates shelter self worth etc
As i was a homeless i was educated enough to be able to become a part of the homeless
So i could understand what they need verbally to regain there self respect and do my best to help repair as many as I could.
I may come back and offer a house to a guy that is soo nice and has been stuck at mc donalds pan handling for change.
For the past 8 years and he was the best of the best WILL WORK FOR FOOD his sign says
someone should offer Travis a place to live as he is trust worthy, honest maybe the barbie owner should as we have the same issue here.
I help the homeless under the bridge on and off as it is hard to manage the emotions coming from them but I will never give up :).
anyone that reads this thank you in advance for taking the time as I know i am not writing all about barbie just my weird story...part of
Cam or as the homeless of Santa monica called me call me (Australia)p.s sorry about 3rd promenade :) it would have been funny though......
I can confirm this house has never had anything to do with barbie's founder! My family bought this house in 2003 when it hadn't been lived in before- we painted it pink and purple (my siblings and I thought my mom was NUTS!)
cebemarre e3d3fd1842 https://www.beliveu.com/virciigicu