Luxury

Subterms

    More stories

    • 138 Shares119 Views

      in Luxury

      Tom Ford Snaps Up a Posh London Mansion for $104 Million

      by

      Tom Ford is making headlines again, this time in the real estate arena, where he’s known as a regular buyer and seller of extraordinary homes.

      The billionaire fashion designer, who sold his eponymous label to Estée Lauder for $2.8 billion, has now broken a record for the priciest home sale in the U.K. this year after snapping up a London residence for a staggering £80 million ($104 million), The Times reported. The trophy dwelling, which is “believed to be a white stucco-fronted mansion,” is located in the city’s affluent Chelsea neighborhood near Hyde Park and the River Thames. However, further details regarding Ford’s new digs are still largely under wraps—other than it was last purchased for £16 million ($20 million) about two decades ago. 

      According to the British newspaper, the deal comes not long after Ford, the former creative director of Gucci, offloaded another of his residences, this one in tony Regent’s Park, for an impressive eight figures, and this latest transaction brings the value of his vast property portfolio to an eye-watering £270 million (or $351.6 million). One of Ford’s most notable holdings is Jackie Kennedy’s childhood summer home in the Hamptons, which he scooped up last summer for $52 million. The palatial East Hampton estate, known as Lasata, sits on a sprawling seven acres of land and features an eight-bedroom main residence, a guest house, a caretaker’s cottage, and a three-car garage. The Texas native bought the place from media producer David Zander, and before that, the big spread belonged to fashion designer and retail executive Reed Krakoff and his interior designer wife Delphine (who are currently selling another historic estate in New Canaan, Connecticut).

      So far, London has experienced a bit of a slump in the luxury real estate market in 2024 with a decline in high-end deals. It was previously reported that only 149 homes valued at £10 million (roughly $13.2 million) or more have traded hands in the past 12 months, compared with 192 in the prior period. In terms of who’s doing the buying, wealthy expats have been snapping up the city’s high-end properties thanks to favorable exchange rates. In fact, Knight Frank found that the percentage of U.S. buyers purchasing homes in London rose to 6.1 percent in the first six months of this year from 3.3 percent in the second part of 2023. 

      “There are obvious risks at the moment, but the super-prime market is still functioning, just at a reduced level,” Paddy Dring, global head of prime sales at Knight Frank, said in a statement. “It’s sometimes easy to forget just how attractive London is on the global stage.”

      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

    • 88 Shares109 Views

      in Luxury

      Incredible Historic Seafront Fortress In Italy (PHOTOS)

      by

      Listed with Lionard Luxury Real Estate LOCATION: Capraia, Tuscany, Italy SQUARE FOOTAGE: 16,000+ BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS: 25 bedrooms & 22 bathrooms PRICE: Available Upon Application This historic seafront fortress is situated on the island of Capraia, the northwestern-most of the seven islands of the Tuscan Archipelago in Italy. It was built by the Republic of Genoa starting in […] More

    • 175 Shares179 Views

      in Luxury

      Red Hot Chili Peppers Frontman Anthony Kiedis’s Former L.A. Home Lists for $5.5 Million

      by

      Over a decade after rocker Anthony Kiedis sold his home in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles for nearly $1.9 million, the Red Hot Chili Peppers founder and lead singer’s former residence has once again surfaced for sale. Known as Castillo de la Esperanza (Castle of Hope), the Mediterranean-style abode is now on the market for $5.5 million. The listing is held by Markus Canter of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties.

      Records show Kiedis paid around $2.2 million for the property in 2000. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer then wound up selling the residence three years later for almost $1.9 million to New York Times bestselling author J. Randy Taraborrelli, best known for penning celebrity biographies. He went on to offload the place in 2009 for $3.1 million to Desperate Housewives producer Kevin Murphy and his TV producer wife Noreen Halpern, who sold it in late 2023 for $4 million.

      The ornate living room is enhanced with a vaulted wood-beam ceiling and a stone fireplace.

      Danny Farrell/Ingenious Media Lab, courtesy of St. James + Canter, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services California Properties

      Perched atop a walled and gated parcel spanning roughly a half-acre in the Hollywood Knolls enclave overlooking Lake Hollywood, the stucco and terracotta-roof structure was originally built in the mid-1930s. Remodeled through the years, the estate features a main home and a guesthouse that was tacked on in 2016—for a total of six bedrooms and an equal number of baths in 6,300 square feet.

      As for the primary four-bedroom, four-bath dwelling, it’s fronted by a fountain-clad courtyard and boasts a little more than 4,000 square feet of two-level living space accented with a mix of hardwood and stone floors, high wood-beam ceilings, hand-laid Spanish tile, and vintage-inspired light fixtures, plus picturesque city lights, mountain, and valley views from almost every room.

      Among the highlights are a chandelier-topped foyer displaying a wrought iron-railed staircase and a spacious living room sporting a decorative fireplace and a cozy library area with built-in shelving. A 12-seat dining room resting beneath a curved ceiling and donning a stained-glass window opens out onto a terrace ideal for alfresco dining, while the sky-lit kitchen is outfitted with custom cabinetry, a center island, top-tier stainless appliances, and an accompanying lounge/breakfast nook.

      The two-story guesthouse offers versatile living spaces, making it perfect for a variety of uses.

      Danny Farrell/Ingenious Media Lab, courtesy of St. James + Canter, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services California Properties

      Elsewhere is a bar/parlor room, as well as an inviting primary suite that comes complete with a Juliette balcony, a walk-in closet, and a luxe bath flaunting dual vanities and a large shower. Outdoors, the landscaped grounds are laced with water-wise gardens and meandering pathways and host numerous terraces and patios. A curving pool and spa are flanked by a sundeck and a rustic pavilion used for entertaining.

      Also holding court on the property is a two-story guesthouse with two bedrooms, two baths, a kitchenette, a living area, laundry facilities, a wine cellar, and a gym. There’s also an owned array of solar panels, along with two separate entrances that empty out at a detached three-car garage and an adjacent carport with room for one vehicle.

      Click here for more photos of Anthony Kiedis’s former house.

      Danny Farrell/Ingenious Media Lab, courtesy of St. James + Canter, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services California Properties More

    • 175 Shares139 Views

      in Luxury

      Kanye West Reportedly Drops $35 Million on a Saudi Billionaire’s Former Los Angeles Mansion

      by

      Now that he’s offloaded his gutted Tadao Ando-designed home in Malibu to a California house-flipping firm for $21 million—a staggering $36 million less than he forked over for the oceanfront digs around three years ago—Kanye West is spreading his real estate wings to Los Angeles. The music mogul-turned-Yeezy fashion designer has just added another property to his portfolio, this one a glitzy mansion in the exclusive gated community of Beverly Park North.

      Though the deal was done off market, TMZ is reporting that West has doled out $35 million for his new villa, which is roughly $10.5 million more than its previous owner paid for the home back in early 2022. Originally built for Perfect 10 magazine founder Norm Zada in 2000 and designed by celebrity architect Richard Landry, the contemporary structure was also owned at one time by the late Sheikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel, a prominent Saudi banker who rose from humble beginnings to become one of the Arab world’s wealthiest men.

      Hidden away behind gates on a parcel of land spanning nearly seven acres, the residence is fronted by two separate motor courts with room for dozens of vehicles. Though current MLS images aren’t available, and it’s not known whether the previous owner made any improvements during their tenure, on-line listings show the place has 11 bedrooms and a whopping 18 bathrooms in roughly 20,000 square feet accessed via a soaring foyer flaunting a dangling chandelier.

      In addition to generous-size living areas drenched with light, other notable features include a kitchen outfitted with granite countertops, stainless appliances, and a breakfast nook, as well as a secluded primary retreat boasting a custom closet and a luxe bath equipped with a soaking tub and a window-lined spa. More amenities can be found outdoors, where the grassy grounds are spotlighted by not one but two pools and a sports court. There’s also a guesthouse and an entertainment pavilion connected to the main house by a steel-columned bridge, plus a hefty $3,300-per-month HOA fee.

      Per TMZ, Gigi Gharai of Coldwell Banker Real Estate represented the seller, with Jacob Greene of Douglas Elliman handling the deal for Kanye.

      West still maintains another L.A. property in Calabasas, where he operated his now-shuttered Donda Academy. More

    • 138 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Songwriter Ingrid Michaelson’s Chic Spanish-Style L.A. Home Lists for $4.3 Million

      by

      Now that Ingrid Michaelson is spending more time on the East Coast—specifically, creating music and lyrics for The Notebook on Broadway—the folk-pop singer and songwriter, whose catchy tunes can also be enjoyed on TV shows ranging from Grey’s Anatomy to One Tree Hill, is making plans to scoot out of her Los Angeles abode. The New York native and her actor partner, Will Chase, have just put their delightful Spanish Revival-style home in the Outpost Estates neighborhood of Hollywood Hills on the market for $4.3 million. Eric Lavey of Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing.

      “I started to realize that it was more of this beautiful, almost jewel that we never wore,” Michaelson told Bloomberg, which first reported on the sale. “And it’s such a gorgeous place. I just feel like someone should live in it.”

      The Girls Chase Boys and The Way I Am crooner acquired the 1920s home in spring 2019 for around $3.6 million, picking up the multi-level spread from High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale. Weighing in at 3,520 square feet and containing three bedrooms and four baths, the Charles E. Toberman-designed premises underwent an extensive renovation before Michaelson took up residence. Francesca Grace has since staged the interiors anew, complete with a white baby grand piano that belongs to Michaelson but could be sold with the house.

      A stylishly decorated dining room flows to the outside via rustic wood-trimmed French doors.

      William Myers for Sotheby’s International Realty

      The walled and gated structure stuns from the outset with a foliage-clad courtyard sporting a seating area nestled alongside a soothing water feature. An ornate wood front door opens to reveal an entry foyer holding original photographs of the home that have been passed down by the owners, as well as steps leading down to a spacious living room accented by the original dark hardwood floors, an attractive wood-burning fireplace, and the aforementioned piano. Several sets of wood-trimmed French doors spill out to a vine-laced dining pavilion flanked by an octagon-shaped fountain adorned with colorful mosaic tile.

      A dining room topped by an eye-catching matchstick light fixture allows the outdoors in via more French doors, while an adjacent kitchen updated with designer concrete tiles, cobalt blue cabinetry, a pricey La Cornue range, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, and an oversized apron-front sink is abutted by a cozy breakfast nook with built-in banquette seating.

      This inviting tiled and wrought-iron balcony is nestled amid the treetops.

      William Myers for Sotheby’s International Realty

      A wrought iron-railed staircase heads upstairs, where the primary suite boasts a seating area bolstered by large casement windows, along with a walk-in dressing room and a bath outfitted with dual vanities, a vintage-style soaking tub, and a rainfall shower. Two other bedrooms include one with a wall of integrated shelving and a black wave-shaped bed frame from the Francesa Grace furniture line, and another on the lower level that was used as a recording studio.

      Rounding it all out are the alluring grounds, which span nearly a quarter-acre and come with plenty of spots for alfresco lounging and entertaining while overlooking picturesque views of the Getty Museum, Capitol Records tower, and the downtown L.A. skyline. There’s also an attached two-car garage.

      Click here for more photos of Ingrid Michaelson’s Hollywood Hills home.

      William Myers for Sotheby’s International Realty More

    • 138 Shares199 Views

      in Luxury

      Rosie O’Donnell’s Former Waterfront Miami Beach Home Lists for $54 Million

      by

      A little over two decades ago, David and Linda Frankel paid comedian and talk show host Rosie O’Donnell $16.5 million for this sprawling estate directly overlooking Biscayne Bay on Miami Beach’s celeb-studded Star Island, off the coast of South Beach.

      Now the family of the recently deceased doctor and real-estate investor and his wife, a former Vogue editor and the sister of broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer, is returning the Mediterranean-style mansion to the market, The Wall Street Journal first reported. The asking price is a hefty $54 million, with the listing held by Liz Hogan of Compass.

      A fireside living area is lined with wood-trimmed French doors opening out to a covered veranda.

      Mike Ruiz/Legendary Productions

      RELATED: David and Victoria Beckham Drop $80 Million on a Waterfront Mansion in Miami Beach

      Tucked away on a parcel spanning over an acre, the stucco-and-terra-cotta-roof structure was originally built way back in 1923. O’Donnell acquired the property in the late ’90s for nearly $6.8 million from a so-called religious organization known as the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church. Per The Real Deal, she listed the place just days after The Rosie Show on Oprah’s TV network was canceled.

      Extensively renovated by the couple during their tenure, the premises include a main home fronted by a motor court centered around a towering banyan tree, along with two separate guesthouses—for a total of eight bedrooms and 11 baths in a little more than 11,100 square feet. There’s also a freeform pool with a slide and an air-conditioned four-car garage, plus a boathouse and a private dock sporting a 40,000-pound boat lift resting along more than 200 feet of waterfront footage.

      The palm tree-laced grounds host a pool and a private dock with a 40,000-pound boat lift.

      Mike Ruiz/Legendary Productions

      Other highlights include a spacious living area lined with wood-trimmed French doors spilling out to a covered veranda, as well as an elegant formal dining room and an updated kitchen featuring an expansive eat-in island, top-notch Miele, Viking, and Sub-Zero appliances, and an accompanying breakfast nook. A posh primary retreat comes complete with a balcony and an office, with the upper level holding another kitchen and a family room.

      While the 43 Star Island Drive home is the only one currently available in the pricey neighborhood, there have been many recent sales to high-profile individuals. In 2023, LoanDepot CEO Anthony Hsieh doled out $57 million for 27 Star, while rapper and record executive Rick Ross paid roughly $35 million for 37 Star. Ken Griffin also repurchased an almost one-acre lot he had previously owned at 14 Star from retired Yankees star Alex Rodriguez as part of a land-swap deal, giving the billionaire hedge funder a total of 6.5 contiguous acres on the Miami Beach island.

      Click here for more photos of Rosie O’Donnell’s former Miami Beach home.

      Mike Ruiz/Legendary Productions More