Graffitied Palm Beach Home Hits the Market for $725K—but Will Its Art-Covered Walls Keep It From Selling?

Home sellers are often advised to ensure their properties are as neutral as possible when it comes to design—a timeless and classic aesthetic is typically a smart choice.

Simple color schemes help potential buyers see the home as a blank canvas for creating their own ideal living space.

But one black-and-white Florida home is dispensing with that conventional wisdom. This standout residence with swirled, geometric paint designs on the walls, inside and out, recently landed on the market in West Palm Beach, FL, with a $725,000 price tag.

Neutral, it is not. Attention grabbing, it certainly is.

Built in 1940, the traditional, four-bedroom residence offers 1,768 square feet and is blanketed in decidedly nontraditional, original artwork and installations.

Prior to its recent listing, the home was last sold for $260,200 in 2019. Over the past five years, the look of the two-story house has been radically altered, and the owner hopes his bold vision will help him score a substantial profit.

‘I like art’

The art-filled space is owned by Gene Maltsev, according to the Palm Beach Post. He’s been offering it as a short-term rental and decided to go bold when it came to decor.

“I like interior design and art, and I was inspired by Wynwood,” Maltsev told the publication, referring to the artsy Miami neighborhood. “That’s what gave me the idea to find an artist to paint the exterior and do some of the stuff inside the house.”

He tapped abstract artist Annissa Zak to create the designs within and on the outside of the building dubbed the “Artbnb.” The remodeled space is now a one-of-a-kind living experience, with original artwork and installations.

On the home’s Airbnb listing, credit for the dwelling’s transformation all goes to the artist: “Most of the artwork on the walls is original and conceived by Annissa Zak, an intuitive abstract creator currently based in Chicago.”

The color scheme has proven successful with creatives, because the home’s been used as a backdrop for photo shoots and music videos.

Remodeled residence

The dark wood floors and fireplace are among the residence’s remaining original details.

An additional one-bedroom guesthouse measures in at 450 square feet and features an open floor plan, industrial steel barn doors, and polished concrete floors. It also boasts the same thematic elements when it comes to paint and decor.

Outside, there’s a landscaped garden with a grill, fire pit, swing chairs, and an outdoor dining area.

Priced right?

So, is the price right for such a bold home?

One challenge will be finding a buyer who wants the house as is.

“It’s fun and well done, but it’s a piece of art,” says Palm Beach Gardens-based listing agent Jeff Lichtenstein. “Even for an area that enjoys contemporary [art], it’s very specific.”

In an understatement, Lisa Wilkinson, of Douglas Elliman, who is based in Palm Beach, calls it a “very unique property!”

She adds, “I have not had the opportunity to tour the home yet, but it is highly stylized.”

As for whether a buyer would jump at the chance to own the art home, Wilkinson is a bit more circumspect.

“In the short term it may not appeal to the masses, but if the property is fully renovated with updated systems and the cost to insure the home is reasonable, then it’s nothing that a nice Benjamin Moore Designer White paint can’t solve,” she says.

Although Wilkinson isn’t the listing agent and can’t speak to the pricing strategy, she notes that $410-per-square-foot ask “seems in line for the area” but that it likely includes “a bit of cushion for negotiation.”

And if a buyer loves the structure but not the bold, black-and-white color scheme, Wilkinson estimates a paint job to bring the home back to basics would cost around $20,000.