Raphael Stevens

More stories

  • 163 Shares169 Views

    in Luxury

    Ellen DeGeneres Sells Her $96 Million SoCal Compound to a Billionaire Mining Magnate

    Santa Barbara’s most notorious house flipper is at it again! Barely two years after Ellen DeGeneres dropped $70 million on two side-by-side properties in the exclusive seaside enclave of Carpinteria, the former talk show host and her wife Portia de Rossi have already sold the neighboring parcels of land, which rest atop a bluff overlooking the Pacific. As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the clandestine off-market deal was inked for a whopping $96 million.

    Records reveal the buyer is billionaire mining tycoon Robert Friedland—chairman of Ivanhoe Mines and a business mentor of the late Steve Jobs—who is widely reported to have an estimated net worth topping $3 billion. Avid real estate watchers will recall that this isn’t the first transaction in the Santa Barbara area between DeGeneres and Friedland. Earlier this year Friedland and his longtime wife Darlene paid DeGeneres and de Rossi a lofty $32 million for a rebuilt 1919 estate in Montecito known as Pompeiian Court, only to repurchase the 8-acre spread a few short months later for the same exact amount.

    When DeGeneres and de Rossi paid retired hedge-fund manager and billionaire Bruce Kovner a speck under $70 million for the two neighboring parcels of land in Carpinteria in 2022, they doled out $41.7 million for a Tuscan farmhouse-style mansion set on 3.4 acres and concurrently paid another $28.2 million for the mostly vacant 6.6-acre plot of land right next door, which presently contains a small lake and vast lawns. Together, the two parcels create a 10-acre, fully contiguous compound with a private pathway leading to the beach below.

    The blufftop estate’s 9,000-square-foot home sits amid 10 acres of manicured landscaping.

    Apple Maps

    Though Friedland’s new Carpinteria complex makes quite an impressive estate, it’s actually less than half of the original 22-acre compound that was parceled together by Kovner and his spouse Suzie beginning in 2007. According to WSJ, Kovner cobbled together the massive site over several years, spending around $110 million to buy up adjoining properties as they became available.

    After securing the land, it took another several years to obtain permission to build and complete the private compound, which came to be known as Sanctuary at Loon Point. The construction and other improvements cost an estimated $50 million, per Kovner himself, and when completed, the vast estate comprised two custom homes, each on their own parcels, plus three additional landscaped lots connected by a private, gated road with a guard house. Before DeGeneres and de Rossi bought the portion they just sold to Friedland, the Kovners’ entire spread was put up for sale in 2021 at a hefty $160 million. The remaining home and two additional parcels still owned by the Kovners are currently up for grabs at $75 million.

    Friedland’s new compound boasts a five-bedroom, eight-bath home with just over 9,000 square feet of living space on three levels. The beige-hued and terracotta-roof structure is adorned throughout with high exposed wood-beam ceilings, hardwood floors, stone archways, and marble accents. There’s also a one-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse and an attached three-car garage flanked by a cobblestone motorcourt.

    Especially standing out on the main level is a striking great room displaying a massive antique fireplace, along with a family room and dining area that connect to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with professional-grade appliances, a center island, and a duo of butler pantries. Five en-suite bedrooms can be found upstairs, including a primary suite that comes complete with a spa-equipped terrace and dual walk-in closets and baths; and the lower level has a wine cellar and a movie theater with reclining leather seats.

    Laced with olive trees, the picturesque grounds host a marble mosaic pool, two spas, an outdoor kitchen, several fireside lounge areas, raised herb and vegetable gardens, and numerous spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. A private beach area atop the bluff also has a fire pit, tiki torches, an antique row boat, and a large stone dining table with a custom umbrella wired for phone and Internet access.

    In addition to his Santa Barbara-area properties—which also includes an oceanfront estate in Carpinteria that he paid TELUS president and CEO Darren Entwistle just under $47 million for this past February—Friedland also owns two side-by-side Beverly Hills estates, plus Zsa Zsa Gabor’s former Bel Air property, a luxury flat in Singapore, and an oceanfront home in Thailand. As for DeGeneres and de Rossi, they still have multiple properties in the Santa Barbara area, including several homes scattered around Montecito. More

  • 175 Shares189 Views

    in Luxury

    The Co-Founder of Woodstock Just Listed His Longtime Hudson Valley Home for $2.4 Million

    Move over, Graceland. This newly listed Hudson Valley compound was the longtime home of the co-creator of Woodstock, Michael Lang. 

    Listed for $2.4 million with Chris Pomeroy and Nancy Felcetto of Brown Harris Stevens, the music industry icon snapped up the property in Mount Tremper, New York, some 45 years ago before he passed away in 2022 at the age of 77. The 17-acre estate, dubbed Happy Brooks and about 40 miles from where the legendary music festival was held, was built out between 1929 and 1933 for artist G. Adolph Anderson. Architect A.M. Bedell was tapped for the design, which includes three stately stone structures: a main house, a two-bedroom guesthouse, and a separate cottage.

    RELATED: A Charming French-Style Chateau in New York’s Hudson Valley Hits the Market for $12.3 Million

    The double-height great room inside the main house.

    Jonathan Simons -HudsonHomeTours.com

    “There have always been musicians and painters and sculptors and writers that have either lived there or stayed there or created there,” Pomeroy told Mansion Global. The bucolic spread, now being offered up by Lang’s family, comprises park-like grounds complete with wildflower fields, a large pond with an art island, an oval cement swimming pool, and a three-stall barn. 

    “Once you cross the gate, you’re in a very private world of your own,” Pomeroy added. The four-bed main pad is entered via a double-height great room. This wing of the abode also holds an office, an upper-level bedroom, and a library. Elsewhere, a central foyer opens up to a formal dining room overlooking the mountains and a county kitchen equipped with a breakfast area, a wood stove, and a built-in bread oven. Additional highlights include a reading room with stained glass windows and a dramatic conservatory with a soaring 24-foot glass ceiling. 

    RELATED: Inside a Renovated 158-Year-Old Farmhouse Nestled Within Hudson Valley

    The primary suite features wood paneling and a wooded view.

    Jonathan Simons -HudsonHomeTours.com

    Across the way, you’ll find the guest house, decked out with an oversized living room, a dining area, a kitchen, and a den sporting a large bluestone fireplace. The latter is also decorated with “a striking built-in collection of Fu dogs and woodcarvings on gilded plaques collected from [Lang’s] travels.” 

    The famous Woodstock Music and Art Fair was originally held on a farm in Bethel, New York from August 15-18, 1969. Lang, a 24-year-old concert promoter at the time, relocated the festival to Woodstock, where he joined forces with Artie Kornfeld, Joel Rosenman, and John Roberts. Today, the event is gearing up to celebrate its 55th anniversary.

    Click here to see more photos of Happy Brooks.  

    Jonathan Simons -HudsonHomeTours.com

    Authors

    Abby Montanez

    Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…

    Read More More

  • 150 Shares199 Views

    in Luxury

    A Musical Family’s SoCal Estate Spins on the Market for $6 Million

    Several years ago, smooth jazz saxophonist Warren Hill and his record producer wife Tamara Van Cleef picked up a home in the Agoura Hills suburb of Los Angeles, decking out the place from head to toe with glitzy amenities and even spawning a Top 10, Season 15 American Idol finalist during their tenure in the form of their pop singer daughter Olivia Rox. Now the music-oriented couple has decided to move on from their obviously cherished Tudor-style digs, asking a slight beat under $6 million.

    Originally built in the mid-1980s and described in the listing held by Alessandro Corona and Brandon Doolittle of Douglas Elliman as a harmonious blend of “British Rock Star grandeur and comfortable elegance,” the aptly nicknamed Kind of Blue Manor features seven bedrooms and five baths in a little more than 7,000 square feet of multi-level living space.

    A cozy sitting area is equipped with a seated bar and a wall of guitars.

    Andrew Orozco

    RELATED: ‘House of Cards’ Composer Jeff Beal Lists SoCal Estate for $4 Million

    Sited amid a woodsy parcel of land spanning just over an acre, within the gated Medea Valley Estates community, the striking blue brick and shingle-roof structure is fronted by a circular driveway that empties out at a four-car garage tucked off to the side. A walkway leads up to ornate wood and glass doors, which open into a double-height foyer displaying polished marble floors and a waterfall crystal chandelier dangling from a coffered wood ceiling.

    From there, the entry level features a combination living and dining area sporting a massive stone fireplace, a hand-polished rock crystal chandelier, and French doors leading outside, plus an updated kitchen outfitted with custom cabinetry, granite countertops, a center island, top-tier Bosch, Thermador and Sub-Zero appliances, a wine fridge, and an accompanying Moroccan-style breakfast nook. The first of two primary suites on this floor has a bath equipped with a spa tub, an oversized shower, and a large walk-in closet.

    A crimson library is complete with glossy black bookshelves.

    Andrew Orozco

    In addition to a formal dining room, two guest bedrooms, and a full bath, the main level offers a fireside sitting room flaunting a lofty lounge area, a full seated bar bar, a space with arcade games, and a movie theater. A second primary suite and an optional recording studio can be found upstairs, while the finished basement hosts a billiards room, a 350-bottle wine cellar, and a red-hued library lined with glossy black bookshelves.

    Topping it all off are the resort-like grounds, which overlook the Santa Monica Mountains and hold four covered cabanas, fire pits, custom fountains, an al fresco kitchen and bar setup, a saltwater pool with a waterfall and spa, a sports court, and an outdoor shower and infrared sauna nestled alongside a citrus grove. The property also abuts the Paramount Ranch recreation area, which is ideal for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

    Click here for more photos of Kind of Blue Manor.

    Andrew Orozco More

  • 163 Shares129 Views

    in Luxury

    Billionaire Steve Schwarzman Is Turning One of His Mansions Into a Private Museum

    Billionaire Steve Schwarzman is unlocking the ornate, wrought-iron gates to his Neoclassical mansion in Newport, Rhode Island.

    The Blackstone CEO, who currently ranks as the 30th richest man in the world with an estimated net worth of $43.9 billion, says he and his wife plan to open Miramar estate to the public following their deaths. “Christine and I intend to set Miramar up as a private museum at the time of our deaths for the benefit of the public in perpetuity,” he told Town & Country. “We are honored to have been able to do this for the community and contribute to Newport’s historic preservation.”

    Located on tony Bellevue Avenue, Miramar represents all the glitz and glamor of the Gilded Age. Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer originally designed the extravagant abode for streetcar magnate George Dunton Widener and his wife, Eleanor in the early 1990s. George sadly died aboard RMS Titanic in 1912, before the home was completed in 1915. Eleanor later moved into Miramar with her second husband Alexander Hamilton Rice, Jr., and the couple lived there till the 1950s. The storied property changed hands a few times before former Goldman Sachs banker David B. Ford snapped it up for a record $17.15 million in 2006.

    A view of the Miramar mansion in 1917.

    Heritage Images

    The Schwarzmans bought Miramar for $27 million in September 2021 in a deal brokered by Gustave White Sotheby’s agent David Huberman. The couple then treated the century-old pad to a meticulous, three-year renovation to restore it to its former glory. They have carefully curated period-correct art, such as paintings and portraits by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, John Singer Sargent, Vigée Le Brun, and Peter Lely. They have also sourced the finest antique furniture and decor. “In the great tradition of the Gilded Age of Newport and the Gilded Age of New York, they are really taking this seriously and trying to get the very best objects they can find to make this house sing,” Ian Wardropper, director of the Frick Collection in New York, told the magazine.

    An interior view of Miramar mansion in 1917.

    Heritage Images

    Miramar and the rarities within will eventually be on show for all to appreciate. The museum, one of Schwarzman’s many philanthropic endeavors, will be run by a private foundation, with an endowment covering operation and upkeep costs.

    An interior view of Miramar mansion in 1917.

    Heritage Images

    Miramar isn’t the only historic Newport mansion open to the public—Marble House and the Breakers also offer tours—but the city sounds as if it is ready to welcome another landmark. “Steve and Christine clearly have a love of preservation and that is a trait the people in this community share,” Trudy Coxe, CEO of the Preservation Society of Newport County, told Town & Country. “They know the value of our history and have amassed a remarkable, culturally significant collection. What is even more impressive is that the collection is housed at Miramar, an exceptional example of architecture that could be a museum in its own right.”

    Authors

    Rachel Cormack
    Digital Editor

    Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

    Read More More

  • 125 Shares199 Views

    in Luxury

    Alexandra Daddario Lists Midcentury Treehouse in L.A. for $3 Million

    Back in spring 2023, almost a year to the date after Alexandria Daddario and Andrew Form paid $7.6 million for an alluring midcentury-modern fixer home in Los Angeles crafted in the 1950s by noted modernist architect Allen Siple, the Mayfair Witches and White Lotus star and her film producer husband went on to dole out $2.8 million for another smaller property nearby. Now the couple has decided to pare down their real estate holdings, having flipped the latter residence in the leafy Mandeville Canyon neighborhood of Brentwood back on the market for a smidge under $3 million.

    Originally built in the late 1950s by surfer-turned-architect Matt Kivlin, the 2,418-square-foot dwelling underwent an extensive renovation and reimagining at the hands of its previous owners in collaboration with designer Claire Thomas and subsequently appeared in an April 2022 issue of Architectural Digest.

    Tucked into a steep hillside parcel of land spanning just over a third of an acre, the treehouse-like structure’s first level is comprised mostly of storage space and a bedroom that could double as an office, plus an accompanying two-car garage. Up above are three bedrooms, three baths, and open-plan living spaces boasting blonde hardwood floors topped with post-and-beam ceilings.

    RELATED: Helen Hunt Just Scored Another L.A. Home for $6.45 Million

    Highlights include a combined living and dining area separated by a large wood-burning fireplace clad in glazed Fireclay Tile and sporting sliding glass doors spilling out to a wraparound deck. An adjacent kitchen outfitted with oak cabinetry, a terrazzo tile backsplash, golden-hued marble countertops, and stainless appliances connects to a lofty den decked out with green shag carpet.

    Elsewhere in the house is a primary suite flaunting an eye-catching bath spotlighted by dual vanities and a glass-encased wet room holding a rainfall shower and a Japanese-style hammered copper soaking tub. A pair of guest bedrooms share a bath adorned with pink-and-marigold tile. And outdoors, the turf-clad grounds are laced with mature oak and sycamore trees and host a cold plunge and a barrel sauna.

    Back in late 2022, Daddario and Form sold a French-Mediterranean property in L.A.’s historic Hancock Park community to Sweetgreen co-founder Nathaniel Ru for $7.7 million, or nearly $400,000 more than they paid Shameless creator John Wells for the place in summer 2021 before they spruced up the premises with the interior design firm Nickey Kehoe. The couple, married since June 2022, are currently expecting their first child together. More

  • 138 Shares119 Views

    in Luxury

    A Colorado Ranch Tied to Walmart’s Founding Family Seeks $48.5 Million

    A sprawling Colorado ranch owned by the Walton family just hit the market. Nestled amid a scenic alpine valley tucked into the peaks of the Front Range, about 30 minutes from Boulder and just outside the historic town of Nederland, the entire spread is asking a substantial $48.5 million. That includes several structures paired with a wealth of recreational pursuits, plus the notoriety of having once served as an 1880s mining base camp, an Arabian horse-breeding operation, and a recording site for legendary musicians ranging from Michael Jackson to Stevie Nicks.

    “The rarity of the Caribou Ranch officially presented back to the market is just that: an incredibly rare opportunity,” says listing agent Jeff Buerger of Hall and Hall. “The true rareness of this property includes its location, accessibility, privacy, landscape, views, infrastructure, diverse topography, abundance of surface water, unique history, and overall physical features.”

    The storied recording studio at Caribou Ranch spawned more than 45 top-10 albums, 18 Grammy awards, and 20 No. 1 Billboard hits. 

    Hall and Hall

    As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the owner of the 1,700-acre spread is a Colorado-based LLC easily linked to Walton Enterprises, a family office of the Walton family. Widely known for their ownership of the Walmart retail empire founded by the late Sam Walton in the early 1960s, the Waltons have an estimated combined net worth of around $267 billion, per Forbes, which makes them one of the world’s richest families.

    Per records, Indian Peaks Holdings purchased the ranch in spring 2014 in two separate deals totaling $32.5 million from music producer Jim Guercio, who originally bought more than 4,000 acres in the area in 1971. During his 40-year tenure, the ranch served as a destination recording studio that hosted more than 150 artists, with Elton John and John Lennon notably recording “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” there in the summer of ’74. Ending its run after a fire damaged the premises in the mid-’80s and since refurbished, the studio was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame in 2017.

    Encompassing multiple parcels, the vast ranch has a dated two-story main home of 9,133 square feet with three bedrooms, two baths, stone fireplaces, a front porch, and a walk-out basement. There also are five guest cabins measuring in size from 554 square feet to 3,126 square feet, as well as a six-bedroom lodge with a gathering space, two horse barns, and a couple of equipment buildings.

    Ponds and running streams can be found throughout the 1,700-acre property.

    Hall and Hall

    Also on the grounds is an abundance of wildlife, including moose, deer, turkeys, mountain lions, black bears, and elk, along with access to outdoor activities like hiking, horseback riding, and fly fishing in numerous streams and ponds. Upping the appeal, per the listing, is the opportunity to build on 10 acres of the ranch’s mostly conservation easement-protected land with approval from Boulder County.

    Though Buerger declined to confirm the owner’s identity in an article by The Denver Post, he did say his client purchased the land for his family’s use, and now that his children are grown, it’s time to sell. “For my client, it’s family first,” he said. “They’ve enjoyed it, but that phase of their life is moving on, and so are they.”

    Click here for more photos of Caribou Ranch.

    Hall and Hall More

  • 188 Shares159 Views

    in Luxury

    Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy’s Longtime Townhouse in N.Y.C. Hits the Market for $9.75 Million

    Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy’s longtime New York City residence in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan has popped up for sale.

    The married entertainment industry veterans—she an award-winning TV and film actress probably best known for her roles in My So-Called Life, Romeo + Juliet, Homeland, and Fleishman Is in Trouble, and he a fellow actor who’s appeared in Black Hawk Down, the TV adaptation of David Copperfield, and Hannibal—are asking just under $9.8 million for the Greek Revival townhouse they picked up for $6.8 million over a decade ago, back in late 2012.

    The townhouse’s striking wood and metal staircase boasts a woven leather railing.

    Alejandro Leon/DD Reps

    RELATED: One of New York’s Grandest Gilded Age Mansions Lists for $65 Million

    Originally built in the 1880s and extensively renovated during the couple’s tenure by BKSK Architects partner Joan Krevlin, who subsequently earned an American Architecture Prize for interior design, the red brick and wood-accented structure features four bedrooms and five baths spread across a little more than 3,800 square feet of living space on five levels. There’s also a trio of outdoor spaces.

    Touted in marketing materials as a “really happy, romantic, special place,” the first floor is highlighted by an entry foyer/mudroom that has floor-to-ceiling double doors opening to a large coat closet, a powder room, and an office that can be closed off with folding doors. From there, a fireside living and dining area resting beneath an 11-foot ceiling connects to the kitchen, which is outfitted with a glass-block ceiling, top-tier Miele appliances, and a glass wall that spills out to an al fresco dining space.

    A bank of pocket doors allow the office space, where Danes keeps one of her three Emmys, to be concealed from public view.

    Alejandro Leon/DD Reps

    A dark wood and metal staircase with a woven leather railing heads to the second floor, which is spotlighted by a den/media room displaying a fireplace, built-in bookcases, and a wet bar equipped with a fridge and dishwasher. Rotating glass doors lead out to a trellis-shaded terrace, and elsewhere is a guest bedroom with a fireplace, a walk-in closet, and access to a full bath.

    On the third level are two more bedrooms, each with their own bath and closet, while the entire floor above is occupied by a luxe primary suite boasting bespoke closets, as well as a bath with dual vanities, a fireplace, a glass-encased steam shower, and a clawfoot soaking tub. Steps just outside the primary bedroom ascend to an entertainment-ready roof deck, which has an outdoor kitchen with an Ooni Koda pizza oven, a garden, an electric retractable awning, and views of One World Trade Center.

    The roof deck has a garden-laced dining spot and an outdoor kitchen.

    Alejandro Leon/DD Reps

    RELATED: Katharine Hepburn’s Longtime N.YC. Townhouse Hits the Market for $7.2 Million

    Rounding out the listing, which is held by Tamer Howard of Corcoran, is a finished basement hosting a wine cellar, laundry facilities, and a cedar-lined closet for garment storage, plus high-tech temperature control, security cameras, and Sonos sound systems.

    Per The New York Times, which first reported the listing, native New Yorker Danes and her British-born husband Dancy have decided to sell because they need more space for their three children and frequent family guests. The couple doesn’t plan to go far, preferring to stay in the downtown area of New York.

    Click here for more photos of Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy’s Manhattan townhouse.

    Alejandro Leon/DD Reps More

  • 163 Shares109 Views

    in Luxury

    The Former London Home of the Founder of ‘Riverdance’ Lists for $33 Million

    Built in 1840, this west London residence has played host to some notable characters in its 184-year history. Nestled in the charming enclave of Little Venice, the Grade II-listed home, once owned by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley, has hit the market for the first time in 20 years. Listed with Aston Chase for £26 million ($33 million), the palatial pad was originally built by English architect Matthew Wyatt and at one point was acquired by socialite and royal mistress Lillie Langtry, who was known to have romantic ties to more than one member of the English aristocracy. 

    The three-story property is positioned within Park Place Villas and directly overlooks the famous Regent’s Canal. According to listing records, Flatley, the creator of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance, snapped up the spread in 1998 for a cool £4.75 million. That is, after he managed to outbid Madonna and Barbara Streisand. 

    The main reception room features a fireplace and ornate crown moldings.

    Aston Chase/Tony Murray

    “Two decades ago, three A-listers had a bidding war to acquire it, and we envisage there will be strong interest with this new listing as the Langtry villa is one of the most historically important houses in Little Venice,” says Michael Sulkin, director of Aston Chase, in a press statement. Altogether, the Victorian mansion comprises seven bedrooms, a drawing room with a Regency fireplace, and an adjoining conservatory.

    RELATED: This $10 Million London Townhouse Was Once Home to the Namesake of the U.K.’s Most Popular Tea

    Before Flatley handed the roughly 8,000-square-foot digs over to its current owners in 2004, he tapped architect and interior designer Peter Inston to revamp the place, including transforming the lower ground floor into a leisure hub complete with an indoor swimming pool, a gym, and a mahogany-clad club room with a cocktail bar and movie screen. Other of Flatley’s updates also still remain, like the diamond pattern marble flooring in the entrance hall, the imported French stone fireplace and red silk wallpaper in the dining room, and the Fourneaux de France Aga stove and banquet-style breakfast booth in the kitchen. It was here that the dancer used to host his A-list friends, including members of the Irish football team and members of the British royal family. 

    The barrel-roofed glass conservatory overlooks the lush backyard.

    Aston Chase/Tony Murray

    There are remnants from Langtry’s time at the villa as well, such as the pair of stone lions at the front door, a gazebo with a loveseat where she entertained Edward VII, then the heir apparent Prince of Wales, and a secret carriage driveway so her royal paramour could sneak in and out undetected.

    “The house has huge potential and a comprehensive refurbishment, and the installation of the latest specification would create one of the finest trophy homes in London,” adds co-founding director of Aston Chase, Mark Pollack. “With its colorful royal and celebrity backstory we anticipate significant interest in the villa from discerning buyers around the world.” 

    Click here to see more photos of Michael Flatley’s former London home. 

    Aston Chase/Tony Murray

    Authors

    Abby Montanez

    Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…

    Read More More