Raphael Stevens

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    Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck Passed on This L.A. Mansion. Now It Can Be Yours for $30 Million.

    Earlier this year, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck initiated escrow on a $34.5 million “Hamptons-esque” estate in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles after a lengthy home search. Alas, though most folks thought they had finally found true real estate love, the merger was not in the cards. Instead, the A-list couple wound up pulling out of the real estate deal, before ultimately paying all cash this past spring for a $61 million compound high in the mountains above Beverly Hills.

    Now the place that got away has popped up for sale once again, and it could be yours for a speck under $30 million. Sam Palmer and Blair Chang of The Agency hold the listing.

    A porte-cochère empties out at a motorcourt fronting the two-story home.

    Tucked away behind walls and gates amid a 1-acre parcel in the Benedict Canyon neighborhood, and designed by architect Ken Ungar, the recently built spec mansion features seven bedrooms and 13 baths sprawled across 15,000 square feet of two-level living space crafted by The House of Porter. There also are plenty of amenities, including a study, wet bar-equipped parlor room, movie theater, wine cellar, gym and spa.

    Among the main-level highlights is a formal living room sporting a wood-burning fireplace and floor-to-ceiling glass doors spilling outside. Another fireplace and a bar can be found in the formal dining room, while a cozy family room links to a marble-clad kitchen outfitted with double islands, top-tier stainless appliances, a separate prep kitchen and breakfast nook.

    A study has sliding doors leading out to a covered deck ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining.

    Upstairs, the fireside master retreat comes complete with a sitting room and private balcony overlooking the backyard, as well as dual walk-in closets and baths; and outdoors, the resort-inspired grounds are laced with native sycamore trees and grassy lawns, and host a kitchen and an al fresco dining setup, a fire-pit, and pool and spa. 

    Also holding court on the property is a detached one-bedroom guesthouse with its own living and dining rooms, along with an arched brick porte-cochère that leads to a gravel motorcourt flanked by a six-car garage.

    The backyard is decked out with a full outdoor kitchen and dark-bottom pool.

    Lopez recently sold her lavish Bel Air retreat for $34 million to Taiwanese businessman Walter Wang, president and CEO of L.A.-based JM Eagle, the world’s largest manufacturer of plastic and PVC pipe, and his wife Shirley, founder and CEO of Plastpro, a top fiberglass door manufacturer, who already own two properties just a few doors away. Affleck also let his Pacific Palisades bachelor pad go back in October 2022 for $28.5 million

    Between them, the couple also owns an 87-acre Georgia estate that’s currently on the market for $8.9 million, as well as a New York City penthouse, mansion in the Hamptons and petite cottage in L.A.’s Encino neighborhood.

    Click here for more photos of 14330 West Sunset. More

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    Kendrick Lamar Just Dropped $8.6 Million on 3-Floor Penthouse in Brooklyn

    There’s nothing humble about Kendrick Lamar’s new home. 

    The Swimming Pools rapper has just splashed out a cool $8.6 million for a three-floor penthouse in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn Heights triplex, which was originally listed for $8.9 million, is positioned atop Pierhouse, a 10-story apartment building that, per The New York Post, counts Ed Sheeran, Matt Damon, and Amy Schumer among its A-list residents. The Post also revealed that the hip-hop hitmaker was previously shopping around the Quay Tower in Brooklyn Heights and Olympia in Dumbo before deciding on 90 Furman Street.  

    When it comes to Kung-Fu Kenny’s 3,140-square-foot pied-à-terre, the property features four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and a whopping 2,000 square feet of outdoor space spread over two levels, including a private rooftop that overlooks the East River, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and lower Manhattan. Some of the standout features of the townhouse-style condo are its soaring 18-foot ceilings, reclaimed heartwood pine floors, and walls of floor-to-ceiling windows.  

    Kendrick Lamar just nabbed a triplex penthouse at a celeb-loved apartment building in Brooklyn.

    Elsewhere, the kitchen is decked out with top-of-the-line Gaggenau appliances, swanky Calacatta Tucci marble counters, and solid American walnut cabinets. Of course, the 17-time Grammy Award-winner will have access to all of the development’s amenities too. These include 24-hour concierge services, a fitness center, and a meditation studio. Residents of Pierhouse are also able to enjoy a slate of perks, such as a rooftop swimming pool and bar, provided by the adjacent 1 Hotel.  

    The rapper’s new pad has floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the East River and lower Manhattan skyline.

    King Kendrick’s latest New York City purchase joins the celebrated musician’s robust real estate portfolio. Most recently, in 2022, he dropped a hefty $15.9 million on a house in the Bel-Air area of Los Angeles. The 8,000-square-foot estate was originally built in the 1950s by architect Edward Fickett—who was also a consultant to President Dwight D. Eisenhower—and features seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and enviable extras like a swimming pool, a 4K movie theater, a gym, and a wine cellar.  

    The Pulitzer Prize-winning singer/songwriter snagged a $9.7 million mansion in Manhattan Beach in 2019, and the year before, he ponied up $2.6 million for an investment property in Calabasas. His first purchase, however, was a modest four-bedroom abode that he bought in Eastvale in 2014.

    Click here to see all the photos of Kendrick Lamar’s Brooklyn penthouse.  More

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    Diane Sawyer’s Coastal New England Oasis Sells for Close to Asking

    Once again Diane Sawyer is associated with breaking news—but this time, the latest juicy tidbit is centered around her own New England home. Barely two months after the TV broadcast journalist’s longtime residence known as “Chip Chop” first hit the market, the sprawling seaside compound has already traded hands for a smidge under the $24 million asking price, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

    Records show the speedy buyer is David Malm, managing partner of Webster Equity Partners, who paid $23.9 million for the 20-acre estate resting in the coastal enclave of Martha’s Vineyard. Per WSJ, the investor now lays claim to $100 million worth of luxury homes on the Massachusetts island and neighboring Nantucket, including a historic house on Edgartown’s inner harbor he paid $15 million for earlier this year.

    Designed in the late 1930s by Neoclassical architect Eric Gugler and ultimately completed in the mid-1940s, the property was purchased by the news anchor and her late film director husband Mike Nichols in the mid-1990s for $5.3 million. The couple subsequently undertook an extensive restoration in conjunction with Tate Builders, which included adding dormers, and replicating antique windows and doors.

    Originally built for stage actress Katharine Cornell, and designed by Neoclassical architect Eric Gugler, the New England-style home is topped with 10 chimneys.

    Nestled on two separate parcels of land tucked between Vineyard Sound and Lake Tashmoo, and boasting a combined mile of private shoreline, the seaside spread features a wood-shingled, New England-style main house boasting three bedrooms in nearly 5,000 square feet of living space.

    Numerous additional structures include a two-bedroom caretaker’s cottage and a pair of modern beach cottages affectionately referred to as “The Shacks” because of the fishing shacks they replaced, plus two more detached guest bedroom suites known as the Pond and Ocean pavilions. There’s also a swimming pool and Har-Tru tennis court on the premises.

    Several ancillary structures are scattered across the 20-acre property.

    The 77-year-old anchor known for programs such as ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America and 20/20, previously told WSJ she is selling this “magic place” because “the rhythms of summer have changed” as her family has grown, and “there is less free time for long visits to the island.”

    The listing was held by Mark Jenkins of Wallace and Co. Sotheby’s International Realty; Malm was repped by Tom Wallace of Wallace & Co. Sotheby’s International Realty.

    Click here for more photos of Diane Sawyer’s New England compound. More

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    ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Screenwriter Scores Hilltop L.A. Home With Panoramic Views

    Perched atop a knoll high above L.A.’s trendy and expensive Silver Lake neighborhood, this stylish Spanish Colonial Revival-esque home may appear to be a classic 1920s example, but it was actually built in the early 2000s. Although initially designed as a Tuscan-style villa, the roughly 4,000 square foot house underwent a dramatic refresh circa 2020 by its second owner, filmmaker/musician Robert Schwartzman, a member of Hollywood’s famed Coppola family.

    Schwartzman and his wife Zooey bought the house in 2019, paying $2.3 million, but their modifications caused the property’s value to soar. Over the summer, they flipped the place for a hefty $4.3 million to Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Peter Craig and his third wife, educator Cristina Esposito. 

    But it’s not hard to see the home’s attraction. Set high up and far back on its relatively generous 9,300-square-foot lot, the house lies completely out of sight from public view, shielded behind a detached two-car garage and a dense canopy of oak and eucalyptus trees. Behind a locked gate, several short flights of stairs lead up to a flat patio with a grassy lawn and dozens of native plantings.

    The formal dining room harkens back to the glory days of Old Hollywood, albeit with some chicly modern-day wallpaper.

    Inside the double-height foyer, the home’s Old Hollywood feel is especially pronounced – there are intricate iron details and terracotta tile floors that blend surprisingly well with the dark brown hardwood floors found on the staircase and throughout the rest of the home. From the foyer, an arched passageway leads directly under the staircase to the great room, which packs in a fireplace, casual dining space and an open kitchen with premium appliances and two islands, plus several sets of French doors leading to various outdoor patios.

    Other stylish home highlights include a bonus room/studio and a wine cellar, plus a formal dining room that connects via an arched doorway to a fountain-equipped terrace. All three of the residence’s bedrooms lie upstairs, where two guest rooms share a single bathroom; the primary bedroom features a sumptuous bath, two walk-in closets and a private, covered balcony with stunning city lights views.

    The house gets the full benefit of L.A.’s famous sunsets.

    Those vistas continue throughout the backyard, where various patios and terraces drink in unobstructed sightlines of Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Sign and the Downtown L.A. skyline. And while the property does not currently sport a swimming pool, the watery beauty of Silver Lake Reservoir is just a short jog away.

    Craig, 53, is the eldest son of Oscar-winning actress Sally Field. Originally a novelist, he made his screenwriting debut with the 2010 crime thriller The Town , which garnered critical acclaim. In 2022, he co-wrote the screenplays for both The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick, both major box office successes; the latter project earned him an Academy Award nomination.

    Click here for more photos of Peter Craig’s Silver Lake house. More

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    Elliðaey – An Uninhabited Island In Iceland (PHOTOS)

    This uninhabited island, named “Elliðaey”, is located south of Iceland. It is the most northeastern of the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands), an archipelago consisting of 15 to 18 islands and assorted smaller rocks. It features 2 buildings. The larger and nicer of two buildings on the island is a hunting lodge, built in 1953 by the Elliðaey Hunting Association. […] More

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    Sally Jessy Raphael Lists 43-Room Upstate New York Mansion for $6.5 Million

    Former radio host and Emmy-winning tabloid chat show dynamo Sally Jessy Raphael, whose eponymous daytime talkfest, The Sally Jessy Raphael Show (later shortened to just Sally), ran from 1983 to 2002, has decided to part with her longtime country estate in New York’s historic Dutchess County. The 25.5-acre spread in Pawling, about 70 miles north of midtown Manhattan, is available for $6.5 million via Harriet Norris of Douglas Elliman.

    Raphael, famous for her acerbic wit and her collection of bold, bright red eyeglass frames, and her late husband of 57 years, Karl Sodlerland, who passed away in 2020, purchased the sprawling property back in 1997 for a bit more than $1.7 million. It had previously been in the same family for nine generations. In addition to the Elizabethan-style Tudor manor house, the property, known as Elmwood Farm, comprises two caretaker homes, a carriage house with chauffeur’s quarters, a yoga studio, and a 12,000-square-foot stable. 

    The grand oak staircase features hand-carved wooden animals atop the newel posts.

    The main house, an impressive edifice built in 1860 and situated at the end of a long driveway amid towering trees, measures about 15,000 square feet with a whopping 17 bedrooms and nine bathrooms, plus four more powder rooms. There are 10 fireplaces dispersed across the mansion’s 43 rooms. The exterior features a three-story turret, a four-story tower, Gothic spires, and numerous high-pitched gables with carved timber fascia. 

    The 19th-century mansion could use a bit of spit and polish but still oozes with old-world craftsmanship and the fanciful, OTT elegance and gracious proportions of a bygone era. Lavish embellishments abound, including harlequin leaded and stained-glass windows, elaborate hand-carved woodwork, and hand-painted plaster ceiling accents. A separate wing on the second floor features hand-painted storybook murals.

    The fireside dining room will comfortably accommodate more than 18 for a sit-down meal.

    The grand oak staircase in the foyer, where portraits of Raphael and Soderland hang facing each other, is enhanced by dozens of newel posts topped by hand-carved animals; stacks of books and an eclectic array of comfy furniture take the stuffiness out of the stately, wood-paneled living room; and a classic Fortuny chandelier hangs from the red ceiling in the baronial dining room.

    Elsewhere, there’s a huge kitchen with marble counters and an industrial stove, a marble-floored music room, a small chapel, a solarium with floor-to-ceiling arched windows, and a cozy den with a groin-vaulted ceiling. Bedrooms are ample, each large enough to accommodate a roomy seating area, and each decorated in its own scheme.

    The estate includes a 12,000-square-foot stabling block.

    The back of the house overlooks a large, somewhat overgrown formal garden, and flanking the carriage house is a swimming pool and a tennis court, both in need of some TLC. A vast lawn stretches from the house to the equestrian facilities, which include a fenced pasture and a picturesque stabling block that wraps around a central courtyard. It, too, could use some fixing up.

    Tax records indicate Raphael, now in her late 80s, still owns a townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan that she acquired from Broadway composer and lyricist Jerry Herman in 1993. It had previously (and very briefly) been owned by billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz.

    Click here for more photos of Sally Jessy Raphael’s Upstate New York home. More

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    Designer Rachel Ashwell’s Dreamy Shabby Chic House Is Up for Grabs in L.A.

    If you’re a fan of the Shabby Chic aesthetic, then this particular listing is sure to set your heart aflutter. Owned by none other than Rachel Ashwell—the British-born mastermind behind the iconic decorating brand—the charming abode is now on the market in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles for the first time in 16 years, complete a practical amount of space, relaxed atmosphere, comfortable beauty, and naturally, plenty of white paint.

    The 64-year-old who originally coined the design term in the late 1980s—and went on to launch an eponymously named home furnishings company—is asking a tad under $7 million for the English country-style villa, which she purchased for $4.15 million back in October 2007.

    The home is sited on a large flat lot replete with fragrant beds of lavender, roses and herbs.

    Sited near the Santa Monica coastline, and just steps from Brentwood Country Mart, the creamy stucco and pale blue-shuttered structure was built way back in the early 1930s. Since updated and beautifully decked out by Ashwell in her signature style, the dwelling features four bedrooms and three baths in a little more than 12,500 square feet of open-concept living space adorned throughout with hardwood floors, vintage light fixtures, half-painted walls, and a mix of wood-paneled and glossy painted ceilings.

    Nestled amid a flat parcel of land spanning over a quarter of an acre, the two-story home is fronted by a pathway that leads through a trellised gate before emptying out at a covered porch, with a gated driveway tucked off to the side. Once inside, an entrance hall flows to a formal living room warmed by a brick fireplace boasting a wood-beam mantle, and a combined family room and dining area connects to a galley-style kitchen outfitted with a diagonal tile backsplash, open shelving, a farmhouse sink and newer stainless appliances.

    The classically updated kitchen sports a farmhouse sink and top-tier Viking range.

    Elsewhere on the main level is an office space and en-suite bedroom with its own entrance; and three additional bedrooms upstairs include two that share a bath, as well as a serene primary suite equipped with dual balconies, a wallpapered dressing area, and spa-like bath spotlighted by a pedestal sink, built-in soaking tub and walk-in shower.

    In addition to picturesque gardens and towering trees, the private grounds also host a grassy lawn surrounding a heated saline pool and spa, plus numerous spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. There’s also a separate structure dubbed “The Barn,” which is actually a converted two-car garage with a full bath that could easily be used as an artist studio, office or a guesthouse.

    The listing is held by Juliette Hohnen of Douglas Elliman.

    Click here for more photos of Rachel Ashwell’s Brentwood house. More

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    In the South of France, a Former Home of Charles de Gaulle Charges Onto the Market

    A hillside estate along the Côte d’Azur that was once home to Charles de Gaulle has hit the market for $30 million. The decorated military officer and statesman, who served as President of France from 1959-69 and died in 1970, occupied the property in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, between Nice and Monaco, shortly after WWII. Indeed, as the story goes, he wrote his famous speech about the liberation of France while staying here.

    The 1.2-acre spread sits behind imposing gates in the rocky foothills that rise above the charming seaside commune. Indeed, the house is just a block from the wealthy resort village’s main square, Place du General de Gaulle. Though he’d likely recognize the estate’s various Tudor-style outbuildings, it’s unlikely de Gaulle would recognize the main residence today, as it’s been transformed into a glass-walled contemporary villa that is now for sale with an asking price of $30 million. The property is represented by Andrea Wohl Lucas at Douglas Elliman.

    With its contemporary updates, it’s unlikely de Gaulle would recognize the Tudor home today.

    Just inside the gates, there’s a carriage house and a parking area. A cobblestone drive sweeps up the hill, through professionally lighted and landscaped grounds, to the front of the approximately 11,000-square-foot residence. An elevator services all three floors of the home, which has nine ensuite bedrooms and a total of 11 bathrooms.

    Glass towers, one of which houses a floating staircase, flank the glass front door. There are wood floors and floor-to-ceiling picture windows in a trio of reception rooms, including an enormous living room that overlooks the pool and a spacious formal dining room with built-in cabinets for linen and tableware storage. According to listings, there are two state-of-the-art kitchens on the main floor.

    Curtain walls of glass overlooking the mosaic-tile pool fill the house with natural light.

    All nine of the bedrooms are on the upper two floors, each with extensive storage, a dressing room, and a private bath. The principal suite spans nearly 1,000 square feet and includes two dressing rooms and a large bathroom, while a penthouse-level guest bedroom is housed within an all-glass aerie that opens to a private terrace with gorgeous coastline views.

    There’s a large terrace for relaxing and entertaining, a mosaic-tiled zero-edge swimming pool for cooling off, and meandering, impeccably maintained grounds that have a stunning lighting program. In addition to the main house, the property includes caretaker’s accommodations and several studios for guests or household staff. 

    Click here for more photos of 20 Avenue Déroulède. More