A gated San Marino home, formerly owned by the late “SpongeBob SquarePants” creator Stephen Hillenburg, is on the market for $5.895 million four years after it last sold.

Nestled on a secluded half-acre-plus lot, this 1959 residence, designed by the Case Study firm Buff, Straub and Hensman and known as the Thompson Moseley House, spans 3,744 square feet. It features four bedrooms, four bathrooms and an open floor plan.

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The post-and-beam construction, clerestories and floor-to-ceiling glass allow natural light and garden views in most rooms.

County records reveal Hillenburg’s widow, Karen, sold the house in March 2021 for $5.08 million, 27% more than the $4 million asking price from the previous month. While the limited liability corporation Canonwood conceals the current owner’s name, US Modernist.com reported that billionaire investor Gerald Chan bought the home.

The Southern California News Group confirmed the records filed with the California Secretary of State link the LLC manager and address to Gerald Chan’s greater Boston-area company, Morningside.

U.S. Modernist added that he bought the house for his son, Ash Chan.

He and wife, Annemarie “Pop,” appeared on the architectural blog OpenSpace to talk about what it’s like to live in the home in 2022. The blog noted the couple — he’s a restaurateur and entrepreneur, including co-founder of the handmade take-and-bake Neon Pizza in downtown Los Angeles, and she’s the founder of the downtown L.A. plant shop Wyldbnch — made few changes, attributing this to the care given to the house by previous owners.

Recently, the Hillenburg family, who owned the property from 2006 to 2021, hired the L.A.-based architectural firm Space International to modernize the house while preserving the original vision of its architects. Buff, Straub and Hensman are famously known for Case Study House No. 20B, also known as the Bass House in Altadena, which survived the Eaton fire in January.

The listing notes custom millwork, period lighting, rich textures of tile and brick and built-in seating.

According to previous reporting by the Southern California News Group, improvements included an open kitchen and an expanded primary suite.

Other highlights include a walk-in bar, studio space in the detached guest house and a lap pool.

Tracy Do and Elias Tebache of Coldwell Banker Realty share the listing.

Hillenburg, an animator and former marine biologist, died in 2018 from the neurodegenerative condition known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS, at 57. He created a comic book to teach kids about tide pools, which evolved into the hit Nickelodeon series “SpongeBob SquarePants.”

Season 15 of the absurdist show, set in a tiki-steeped underwater world, is streaming on Nickelodeon.

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