Owner, Unvarnished Co.
Gillen is the owner of Malibu-based Unvarnished Co., a luxury curated, residential real estate company. Gillen took a unique path in becoming a developer, getting his start as a stunt driver on “The Dukes of Hazzard” when he was a teenager. From there, he went on to direct car commercials. While on a directing hiatus, he purchased his first home in Venice Beach and completely updated it, selling it within an hour of listing it. From there, he created Unvarnished, from which he now develops mainly in the Malibu coastline community. Some of his projects include “The Edge,” “The Flat House,” “The Glass Tunnel,” “The Butterfly House,” “The Cantilever House” and “The New Castle.” Each Unvarnished home features pools and large rooms, projects built to “stand up to the scale of the Pacific Ocean.” According to the company’s website, most homes sell ahead of completion due to a mutual understanding of what the end result will be.
LA500 2024: 4
