Raphael Stevens

More stories

  • 163 Shares199 Views

    in Luxury

    Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s Encino Mansion Lists for a Cool $16.75 Million

    Last summer, amid the Covid-19 lockdowns and around the time they added a baby to their growing family, boy band royal and budding actor Joe Jonas and 2019 Emmy nominated Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner hoisted their 3,000-square-foot three-bedroom and three-bath condo in downtown Manhattan’s trendy Nolita neighborhood on the market at $6.5 million. The price was soon and considerably chopped to $5.9 million and, at the tail end of the year, slashed again to $5.4 million, a notable but presumably weatherable bit below the slightly more than $5.6 million the pecuniarily blessed couple paid in March 2018.

    Now, with a Manhattan condo that no one seems to want, at least at a price they’re willing to accept, the Turner-Joneses have taken it off the market and, as was first tittered about by the property gossips at The Wall Street Journal, tossed their fashionably appointed mansion in LA’s ever more popular and expensive Encino community up for sale at an attention getting $16.75 million.

    Redfin

    The sky-high asking price makes it not only the most expensive house currently available on the open market in Encino, it also represents a hefty bump above the $14.1 million the couple shelled out for the then newly built estate only about 1.5 years ago, shortly after their two weddings, the first an under-the-radar affair in Las Vegas and the other a more elegant, star-studded event at the Le Château de Tourreau near the Provençal town of Avignon in the south of France.
    Set on almost an acre of groomed grounds, secured behind high gates and fortified by a comprehensive security system, the roughly 15,000-square-foot home was designed by Jae Omar Design with a sophisticated blend of natural woods and imported stone used in a contemporary manner. According to listings held by Carl Gambino of Compass, there are nine bedrooms and eight bathrooms, plus three powder rooms, between the sprawling L-shaped main house and the two-story entertainment pavilion/guest house,

    Redfin

    Pared back and modern with familiar architectural shapes, the tri-gabled front of the house is accented with vertical wood planks, while a pair of stone foo dogs guard the solid wood front door that floats in a two-story wall of glass held in place between whitewashed brick volumes.

    Lustrous, variegated walnut floorboards in the huge double-height entrance gallery run throughout most of the house; The flannel-grey marble fireplace in the formal sitting room is enhanced by a pair olive-colored velvet sofas; And a floor-to-ceiling wall of glass is all that separates the formal dining room from a climate-controlled walk-in wine vault.
    In the family room, a book-matched grey-marble fireplace column stands between floor-to-ceiling wood storage boxes, and full-height panels of glass vanish into the walls to merge indoor and outdoor living and entertainment spaces.
    The main kitchen is open over a long island where a single plank of polished wood with a raw edge serves as a seven-seat snack bar. There’s also a second prep kitchen for larger scale events as well as an informal dining space that spills out to an outdoor dining area through disappearing walls of glass.

    Redfin

    A second family room on the upper floor includes a fireplace and direct access to a large terrace that overlooks the swimming pool.
    Some of the guest and family bedrooms in the main house open to balconies and all off them, per marketing materials, have deluxe private bathrooms.
    The master bedroom feels like a five-star treehouse with leafy views into the surrounding treetops through huge expanses of windows that slip in the walls. A fireplace anchors the sitting area, the custom-fitted walk-in closet and dressing room is perfect for a couple of red carpet regulars, and the spa-style bath is bathed in earth tone stone tile work with a huge open shower space and a freestanding soaking tub.
    The main house also includes a well-equipped gym that opens to the backyard and a plush screening room. 

    Redfin

    The ground floor of the two-story entertaining and guest pavilion has been transformed into a pub-like lounge complete with red brick walls, a vintage bar and a pool table. There’s also a humidor, a fog machine, disco lights and a hidden DJ station. Upstairs contains guest quarters.

    Shielded by tall fences and mature landscaping with an ancient oak tree that arches over the swimming pool and spa, the resort-style backyard has a couple of comfortably furnished lounging areas, an outdoor kitchen, lots of evergreen faux-grass that incorporates a putting green, and an outdoor projector for al fresco movie nights.
    Check out more images of the mansion below.

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin

    Redfin More

  • 163 Shares179 Views

    in Luxury

    Robert Redford’s 30-Acre ‘Horse Whisperer’ Ranch in Utah Just Listed for $5 Million

    Robert Redford is selling his 30-acre horse ranch near Sundance, the mountain resort he founded in Utah in the 1960s. The property, which is for sale for $4.9 million, is named Horse Whisper Ranch after the Oscar-nominated movie The Horse Whisperer, which Redford directed and starred in shortly after he bought the ranch in 1996.

    Redford, 84, will retain his main home in Sundance, according to Jaisa Bishop of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio, who holds the listing with Steve Mavromihalis of Compass. According to Bishop, Redford is consolidating his Utah properties and moving his horses—there are about a dozen, she says—to his 1,800-acre Sundance estate.

    About a dozen horses will be moved from Robert Redford’s Utah ranch to his Sundance estate. 

    Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

    After buying the ranch 25 years ago, Redford added more horse facilities and pasture, and worked to conserve the land, according to Bishop. Today, the rustic retreat on the banks of the Provo River, 15 miles north of Sundance and 50 miles east of Salt Lake City, is made up of a 100-year-old two-bedroom farmhouse, several spacious workshops and outbuildings, plus riding facilities including a hay barn, covered horse corrals and pastures. The main attraction—other than the celebrity sparkle—is the setting: a rural valley with views of the surrounding Wasatch Mountains.
    “For the last 25 years, my family and I have loved and embraced this ranch as a base for our horse program, running clinics and serving as a home for our many beloved horses,” Redford, who also owns property in California and New Mexico, told The Wall Street Journal. “Looking ahead, we want to focus on expanding the facilities at our ranch located at Sundance in nearby Provo Canyon,” he said.

    Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

    Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

    Redford first bought land in Utah in 1961, gradually expanding it until his success in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid enabled him to buy the entire Provo Canyon, which he proceeded to turn into the Sundance Mountain Resort, named after his starring role, partly to protect the land from more aggressive development. He launched the Sundance Film Festival there in 1981.

    The living room. 

    Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

    In December, he sold the 2,600-acre Sundance Resort to high-end hotel developers Broadreach Capital Partners, owners of the Rosewood Hotel chain and the Carlyle in New York, and Cedar Capital Partners, owners of the Savoy in London. Strict conservation commitments accompanied that sale, according to The Salt Lake Tribune, and the new owner of Horse Whisper Ranch will also face some restrictions. It would be possible to build a bigger residence than the current 1,460-square-foot house, but any buyer will have to agree to size limits, as yet unspecified. Redford and his family, said Bishop, want to ensure “there won’t be any large-scale development. Nature conservancy is so important to them; he is passionate about it.”

    A bedroom at the ranch. 

    Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

    The ranch has plenty of space for more extensive and advanced equestrian facilities, including arenas, according to Bishop, who expects interest from buyers who wish to “keep up the horseback-riding tradition.” The ranch, she said, is evocative of “the Old West,” just like a movie set.
    See more photos of the Utah ranch below:

    Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

    Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

    Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

    Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

    Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

    Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

    Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

    Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

    Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

    Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

    Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International More

  • 238 Shares199 Views

    in Luxury

    The Lavish Mansion That Starred in Notorious BIG’s ‘Big Poppa’ Music Video Can Be Yours for $14 Million

    A sprawling compound with an extensive filming resume on Long Island’s North Shore has just hit the market, offering music fans the opportunity to own an iconic piece of rap history. Known as Bellavista, the property sits on a whopping 16 acres in New York’s affluent Old Westbury suburb, which Bloomberg counts as being the 18th richest zip code in the entire United States.

    Central to both Manhattan and The Hamptons, the estate is located about 25 miles east of the former and 70 miles west of the latter. And, as the listing notes, there’s plenty of room for a helipad to be built on the premises for those seeking a quicker commute to either.

    Initially constructed as an Amish farm in 1868, the secluded site makes for quite the unique buy. The spacious grounds not only boast a 9,415-square-foot main residence that stands on a gated four acres but a fully operational 12-acre equestrian village with expansive lawns that includes seven legal cottages, as well! Considering the potential rental, riding and, of course, filming revenue, the listing represents an extraordinary opportunity to purchase a property with an abundance of built-in passive income – not to mention the set from an epochal music video. It was at the estate back in 1995 that The Notorious B.I.G. shot the famed video for “Big Poppa,” the groundbreaking second single from his premiere studio album, “Ready to Die.”

    A trophy property in every sense, the compound is being offered by Kristin Thomas of Compass for $13.9 million.

    The lush entryway and roundabout. 

    Tyler Sands

    Mediterranean in style, the handsome main residence contains seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms (six full, three half) spread across two floors. There is also a partially-finished 4,533-square-foot basement level with a dressing room, a fireplace, a nearly 300-square-foot cedar closet, multiple storage spaces and ten-foot ceilings.

    The bright and spacious home entrance. 

    Spotless Agency

    According to listing information, “The main house is reminiscent of European enclaves from Spain and Greece, constructed with solid white stone and terra cotta roof.  It was built in 1988 throughout a four-year ‘labor of love’ construction, flying in artisans and masters from Europe as well as highly respected Manhattan designers to create a dream house sparing no expense. Every inch was created with the highest level of quality, materials, and design. Today, it presents a buyer with an opportunity to bring their own vision to life, reimagining the finishes with more contemporary style throughout the smartly laid out floor plan.” As such, visual renderings of possible new design schematics have been provided by Compass, including the above of the entry foyer, where guests are currently welcomed via a dramatic space capped by a 36-foot ceiling with a sunroof.  Standing opposite the front doors is a grand bifurcated staircase complete with a balcony overlooking the expansive room. The remainder of the mansion features ten-foot ceilings throughout.

    The massive dining room with floor to ceiling windows. 

    Spotless Agency

    Amenities are plentiful at the estate. With boiserie and millwork galore, an impressive five fireplaces, four balconies, a formal dining room and a gym, the manse is not short on creature comforts or space.

    The updated kitchen with wooden floors and beams. 

    Spotless Agency

    Rounding out the living spaces are a den that opens to a wisteria-covered patio, formal living and family rooms (both with fireplaces) and a chef’s kitchen that is bigger than most New York apartments! An epicure’s delight, the cavernous space (pictured in a rendering above) currently features a granite island and countertops, oversized fridge and massive breakfast nook surrounded by a smattering of arched windows.

    The backyard pool amongst florals and cropped hedges. 

    Tyler Sands

    To the rear of the mansion is a 96-gallon swimming pool and attached jacuzzi, flanked by an outdoor kitchen and mature foliage of every size, shape and vibrant color. The grounds are bucolic and serene and, some might even say, hypnotizing.

    One of the outbuilding on the property. 

    Tyler Sands

    The charming Colonial-style equestrian village consists of myriad outbuildings including two barns, stables housing 29 stalls, two garages and six paddocks, most of which are original to the 1868 farm.

    A clip from the ‘Big Poppa’ music video. 

    Bad Boy Records

    The unique and extensive landscape provides ample backdrops and vistas for filming and, as such, the property has been a location manager favorite, appearing in more than 100 productions including movies, television shows, commercials and music videos.

    The stunning bathroom where ‘Big Poppa’ scenes were filmed. 

    Tyler Sands

    The Notorious B.I.G. and Bad Boy Records exec Sean “Diddy” Combs headed to the estate to shoot “Big Poppa” – more specifically to the property’s ornate main bathroom. It is while sitting in the massive tub, with its gilded swan-shaped faucets, amidst a trio of women and bubbles of both the champagne and soap variety, that Combs asks, “How you living Biggie Smalls?”, and he responds in his signature flow, “In mansion and Benzes, giving ends to my friends and it feels stupendous.” Indeed, taking a dip in that tub on a regular basis would feel stupendous.

    A screen capture of the entrance steps in the ‘Warning’ video. 

    Bad Boy Records

    Biggie and Combs also shot the video for “Warning” at the estate, with the latter taking up residence once again in the bathtub of the owners’ suite for the shoot. The rest of the mansion, including the foyer, appeared extensively in the video, as well.

    An outside shot of the Bellavista in a Junior M.A.F.I.A video. 

    Big Beat

    Biggie Smalls proved to be a B.I.G. fan of the property because he also filmed the video for Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Player’s Anthem” there, along with Lil’ Kim and Lil’ Cease.

    A clip of Kool G Rap in the marble tub within the manse. 

    Cold Chillin’/Epic Street

    Additionally, Kool G Rap made use of the main bathtub in his “Fast Life” music video. Talk about a famous tub!

    A view of the property in the 1998 action film “Scarred City.” 

    Alchemy

    Bellavista played the home of Raphael Soto (Lou Cantres) in the 1998 action film “Scarred City” (also known as “Scar City”).

    The entrance gates seen in a 2008 commercial starring Martha Stewart and Jim McCann. 

    1-800-Flowers

    In 2008, the manse’s front gate was used in a 1-800-Flowers commercial starring Martha Stewart and Jim McCann.

    A night shot of the mansion in the Martin Scorsese/Mick Jagger-created series “Vinyl.” 

    Warner Bros. Television Studios

    It popped up as the residence of radio station owner Frank ‘Buck’ Rogers (Andrew Dice Clay) in the pilot episode of the Martin Scorsese/Mick Jagger-created series “Vinyl,” which aired in 2016.

    An elaborately detailed scene from tv series, Madam Secretary within the mansion. 

    CBS Media Ventures

    And it portrayed a couple of different spots in the season three episode of “Madam Secretary” titled “The Detour,” including the Dakar, Senegal palace where Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) met with President Babacar Diome (Afemo Omilami), as well as Le Musée Togolais d’Art et dHistoire in Lomé, Togo, which Elizabeth and her team toured. More