Raphael Stevens

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    Reese Witherspoon Just Spent $17 Million on a Sumptuous L.A. Estate

    Reese Witherspoon might not yet be a billionaire, but she’s currently the world’s richest actress, per Forbes, with a net worth widely reported to be north of $400 million. So it’s no surprise that while the media maven continues to reside mainly in Tennessee, she’s also now splashed out $17.5 million for a house in prime Los Angeles, on the Pacific Palisades Riviera.

    Designed by noted architecture firm Morgan, Walls & Clements, the same company behind the design of L.A.’s El Capitan theater, the roughly 7,500-square-foot traditional home was completed in 1933 for film writer/director Oliver H. P. Garrett and once owned by acclaimed TV producer Steven Bochco. Enveloped by towering eucalyptus trees and verdant hedges, the nearly 1.1-acre property is supremely private and suitable for a major celebrity.

    From the street, past a meandering brick pathway, guests are welcomed to the home via a teal front door and double-height foyer. Seamlessly connected to that space is a notably oversized great room with a brick fireplace and access via French doors to the backyard; branch off from the great room and you’ll find a chef’s kitchen equipped with its commercial-grade appliances and breakfast nook, plus a den equipped with its own wet bar and fireplace.

    Built in the 1930s, the multi-winged house has been renovated and modernized in the decades since.

    Google Earth

    Three of the home’s six bedrooms are located upstairs, but the spacious master retreat is actually located on the ground floor, where it flaunts a spa-style bathroom, walk-in closet and fireplace. Also on tap is a finished basement level equipped with a large games room and another bar area.

    Out back, the a sparkling pool is surrounded by a well-watered lawn, and there are multiple seating areas overlooking tree-shaded canyon views. The property is also only a short jog from the Riviera Country Club, where initiation dues reportedly top $300,000 and members include Larry David, Adam Sandler and Ari Emanuel.

    Witherspoon is known as something of a real estate maven, frequently buying and selling expensive homes in Nashville and on the posh Westside of Los Angeles. Thus, while her holdings are always subject to change, her property portfolio currently includes several Nashville properties, including her main residence — an $18 million compound in the Belle Meade area — and a $5 million home in L.A.’s Brentwood neighborhood. More

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    Menswear Mogul Mortimer Levitt’s Manhattan Townhouse Hits the Market for $12.5 Million

    Fashion businessman Mortimer Levitt built a menswear empire, so it’s no surprise his former Manhattan townhouse is bursting with style.  

    The home of the late clothier has been hoisted onto the market, listed for $12.5 million with Ian Slater and Alex Antigua of Compass. The palatial Upper East Side pad sits down the block from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Central Park. Originally built in 1910, the 113-year-old property spans five stories and measures a whopping 5,737 square feet. In case you were looking for something bigger (and taller), the spread also comes with an extra 2,200 square feet of unused air rights—so the sky’s really the limit. 

    The late Mortimer Levitt’s New York City townhouse is up for sale.

    Michael Parks / DD-reps

    Altogether, the abode comprises six or potentially seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two powder rooms. Everything about the place feels inviting, from its soaring 12-foot ceilings, arched windows, and stately fireplaces. On the garden level, you’ll find a large chef’s kitchen, a butler’s pantry, and a formal dining room. One of the standout perks here is that you’ll have access to a private garden. Upstairs, the parlor floor is flooded with sunlight and would be perfect for throwing a chic soirée. In fact, according to the Washington Post, Levitt and his wife, Mimi, used to host musicals at this very townhouse. 

    The five-story townhouse was originally built in 1910 and features arched windows and stately fireplaces.

    Michael Parks / DD-reps

    Levitt, who established the Custom Shop in 1937, died in 2005 at the age of 98 at his home in Connecticut. The business had over 60 branches before he sold it in 1997 and was best known for creating made-to-measure shirts that were sported by celebs, business execs, and political figures alike. In addition to having a passion for fashion, Levitt was also the founder of the Manhattan Theatre Club and chairman of the board of Young Concert Artists for over 25 years. 

    Click here to see all the photos of Mortimer Levitt’s former Manhattan townhouse.  

    Michael Parks / DD-reps More

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    Bad Bunny Is Renting This Swanky N.Y.C. Penthouse for $150,000 a Month

    Bad Bunny is officially a New Yorker.  

    Originally from Puerto Rico, the Grammy-winning rapper, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is renting an ultra-swanky penthouse in Chelsea for a whopping $150,000 per month, the New York Post first reported. Spanning an impressive 4,552 square feet, the apartment sports four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms. The palatial pad is matched with 4,593 square feet of patio space, which includes a private 32-foot lap pool, an outdoor kitchen, and multiple seating areas.  

    Last listed for $18.5 million with Chase Landow and Ryan Serhant of Serhant, the airy abode is expected to have its streaming debut next year when it airs on the broker’s new Netflix series, The Post reported. For now, we’ll walk you through what’s inside. The apartment is decked out with oak flooring, custom wood paneling, and soaring 12-foot ceilings. Of course, living high above the Big Apple also comes with the benefit of picturesque city views, courtesy of the home’s sliding glass walls.

    Bad Bunny is renting a New York City penthouse for $150,000 per month.

    Tim Waltman of Evan Joseph Studio

    Entered via a key-lock elevator, the condo opens up to a windowed gallery and leads into an open living room, library, and south-facing terrace. The library comprises a super sleek, sculptural staircase straight to the sprawling rooftop. Back on the main floor, you’ll find a dining room and an eat-in kitchen. The latter is kitted out with custom Molteni cabinets, stainless steel counters, terrazzo floors, and top-of-the-line Gaggenau appliances. 

    The four-bedroom apartment in Chelsea over looks the city and features a 32-foot lap pool.

    Tim Waltman of Evan Joseph Studio

    Other standout features include the primary suite. The bedroom is undeniably worthy of a global superstar with dual walk-in closets and a private balcony. The en-suite bath is equally impressive. Think giant slabs of marble, heated floors, an oil-finished oak vanity, and a soaking tub. While Bad Bunny may be spending more time in the concrete jungle, the Latin artist also owns property in San Juan, Miami, and Los Angeles. Earlier this year, he dropped $8.8 million on a Hollywood Hills mansion.  

    Click here to see all the photos of Bad Bunny’s N.Y.C. penthouse. 

    Tim Waltman of Evan Joseph Studio More

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    Mindy Kaling Drops Millions on a Beverly Hills Fixer-Upper Estate

    Mindy Kaling already owns two enviable homes in the Los Angeles area, a nearly $10 million Malibu beach house that used to belong to Frank Sinatra and a historic Hancock Park estate that was featured in the pages of Architectural Digest back in 2017, following a nearly year-long makeover.

    Now the always-busy and successful actress, writer and producer has decided to take on another project, having picked up a traditional Hamptons-esque fixer-upper in the city of Beverly Hills, just minutes from The Beverly Hills Hotel and Rodeo Drive.

    Records show the property surfaced on the market earlier this year, asking a speck under $17 million. But Kaling was able to snag the place at a heavily discounted $15 million. That chalks up as a loss for the seller, Russian insurance billionaire Sergey Sarkisov, who purchased the house for $16.2 million in 2017 and also lays claim to the much larger mansion right next door.

    Originally built in the early 1950s, and formerly owned by the late and powerful Hollywood business manager and producer Edgar F. Gross, the shingled and brick-accented structure is hidden down a lengthy driveway, and rests on two parcels of walled and hedged land spanning over an acre. It’s also quite literally around the corner from Taylor Swift’s landmarked mansion, the former home of MGM producer Samuel L. Goldwyn.

    Though photos are scarce, marketing materials show the existing two-story structure offers six bedrooms and six bathrooms in a little more than 6,000 square feet of living space. But the house could potentially be bulldozed to make way for a newer and bigger mansion, complete with up to 15,000 square feet of living space.

    It’s not yet clear what Kaling plans to do with her newly acquired digs, but according to listing agent Ernie Carswell of Douglas Elliman, who presented the home in a recent YouTube video, this is “an opportunity property, one where someone with creative vision is going to come and take the essentials here—a large lot, beautiful tennis court, guest house, pool, main house, all in a sumptuous verdant lot—and take it to the next level.”

    In addition to this project, Kaling recently sold a $2.4 million New York City apartment in the trendy Soho neighborhood that she had extensively remodeled in collaboration with One Kings Lane designer Sally Gotfredson.

    Carswell shared the Beverly Hills listing with Rita Benelian of Keller Williams Hollywood Hills; Kaling was repped by Matt Altman of Douglas Elliman. More

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    Kyle Dean Massey and Taylor Frey are Seeking $4 Million for Their Glitzy Las Vegas Mansion

    Now that they’re planning to relocate across the pond to London, Kyle Dean Massey and Taylor Frey’s stylish mansion in the affluent Spanish Hills community of Las Vegas has unsurprisingly popped up for sale.

    The married acting duo—Massey best known for his work on Broadway in Pippin and Wicked, and Frey who penned and is set to star alongside Kyle Richards and Rick Cosnett in the upcoming film The Holiday Exchange—are asking just under $4 million for the sprawling ranch-style home they picked up for $1.5 million a little over two years ago, back in spring 2021.

    Originally built in 2002, but since extensively renovated and customized to suit the couple’s personal tastes, the white stucco and terra-cotta-roof structure rests on one-third of an acre, within an exclusive guard-gated community that also has been home to Nicolas Cage and Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil through the years. Inside, five bedrooms and three baths are filtered across 6,000 square feet of single-level living space accented throughout with gleaming marble floors, high ceilings, designer lighting, and Versace, Roberto Cavalli and Phillip Jeffries wallpaper treatments.

    A formal living room just off the foyer has a marble fireplace and more than enough space to put a grand piano.

    John Martorano

    Glassy double front doors open into a soaring foyer, which flows to a formal living room boasting a fireplace and plenty of room for a grand piano. Other highlights include an office space warmed by a fireplace and secluded by a curving floor-to-ceiling wall of glass with automated curtains, and an open-concept great room holding a fireside family room that connects to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, dual islands, a swath of top-tier stainless appliances and an accompanying breakfast nook.

    A massive primary bedroom has French doors that open directly to the pool and spa area.

    John Martorano

    Sequestered in one of two bedroom wings by itself is a luxe master retreat, which comes complete with yet another fireplace, a sitting area, spacious walk-in closets, and a spa-inspired bath spotlighted by a steam shower and round soaking tub resting on a bed of lava rock.

    French doors lead to the resort-like backyard, which is laced with fruit trees, and hosts a pool with a cascading waterfall and spa, as well as several spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. There’s also an attached four-car garage sporting an EV charger.

    The listing is held by Avi Dan-Goor of Douglas Elliman.

    Click here for more photos of Kyle Dean Massey and Taylor Frey’s Las Vegas house.

    John Martorano More

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    Late Fashion Designer Oleg Cassini’s Manhattan Home Hits the Market for $14 Million

    It’s been more than 50 years since Oleg Cassini’s Manhattan home was last on the market. Now, the late fashion designer’s elegant townhouse can be yours for a cool $14 million.  

    The lavish Gramercy Park abode, also known as the Joseph B. Thomas House, is one of New York City’s last remaining architecturally significant townhouses up for private sale, Bloomberg first reported. Dating back to the 17th century, the home was originally built in Amsterdam, and in 1845, it was dismantled and shipped to the Upper West Side. The home was moved again in 1910 to its coveted spot on East 19th Street, where it was completed by British architect Frederick J. Sterner.

    Late designer Oleg Cassini’s N.Y.C. townhouse is up for sale.

    Tim Waltman of Evan Joseph Studio

    Sporting a Gothic style, the five-story dwelling is “somewhere in the middle of a castle, a mansion, a townhouse, and a church or synagogue,” Compass agent Jim St. André, who holds the listing together with colleague Peter Gordenstein, told Bloomberg. Outside, you’ll find gargoyles on the façade, along with stained-glass windows and decorative stone inlays. Internally, the aesthetic continues with a soaring seven-foot fireplace, dark wood paneling, and ornate plasterwork. 

    The massive foyer is decked out with Flemish-patterned stone flooring, while the two-story great room features a barrel-vaulted ceiling. From here, you can step into a stunning, sun-drenched solarium. Altogether, the 7,000-square-foot property comprises six bedrooms, five-and-a-half baths, a gourmet chef’s kitchen with a dumbwaiter, a formal dining room, and a wine cellar.

    The century-old home has tons of Gothic details like stained-glass windows

    Tim Waltman of Evan Joseph Studio

    Cassini, best known as a dressmaker for Jackie Kennedy, died from a stroke in 2006. Following his passing, the townhouse became the subject of a bitter estate dispute between his widow and grandchildren. The current owners, who bought the palatial pad at auction for $5 million last year, chose to rehab some of the existing elements before deciding to sell. “Someone will walk in the door, feel a connection to the property, and want to use or rehabilitate and restore what’s here,” added St. André.

    Click here to see all the photos of Oleg Cassini’s Manhattan townhouse. 

    Tim Waltman of Evan Joseph Studio More

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    Madeleine Albright’s Longtime Georgetown Home Packs in More Than 50 Years of Political History

    Ever wish walls could talk? Well, if the ones within this Washington, D.C., property long owned by the late former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright could indeed speak, they most assuredly would have their share of fascinating tales to spin.

    Think stories of all the distinguished guests who visited the storied premises at some point during her 50-plus-year tenure—from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, to Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and George Shultz, just for starters.

    Madeleine Albright chats with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during a 2000 luncheon held at her Georgetown home.

    George Bridges/AFP via Getty Images

    Now, almost two years after the trailblazing politician died from cancer at age 84, the 19th-century residence is up for grabs, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

    Tucked away in the historic Georgetown enclave of Washington, D.C.—and reportedly purchased by Albright and her husband Joe in 1968 for around $100,000—the Federal-style row house is being offered for $4 million by Michael Rankin and Logan MacKethan of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.

    Built in the early 1850s, the traditional red brick structure features four bedrooms and five baths in just over 4,700 square feet of multi-level living space rife with wide-plank hardwood floors, elegant crown molding and decorative millwork. Access is granted via a teal-hued front door, which opens into a lengthy entrance hallway providing views of an expansive terrace and a stone fountain holding court in the garden-laced backyard.

    A double living room has two fireplaces and French doors flowing to the rear terrace.

    Townsend Visuals for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

    From there, a double living room painted in a pale shade of yellow and warmed by dual wood-burning fireplaces has two sets of French doors spilling outside. A formal dining room with built-in shelving leads to a kitchen that’s been sleekly updated by local architect Anne Decker, complete with marble countertops, an island, Viking and Sub-Zero appliances, a breakfast nook, and butler’s pantry boasting a Miele washer and dryer.

    The second floor holds a bookshelf-clad library and primary bedroom suite hosting a spacious closet, plus a newly renovated marble bath equipped with heated floors; and elsewhere is a garden room, along with an office and a basement. There’s also a detached two-car garage with a full bath and storage space.

    Click here for more photos of Madeleine Albright’s Georgetown house.

    Townsend Visuals for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty More