Subterms
Published on March 25, 2024
This Old Hudson
Authors
Demetrius Simms
Demetrius Simms is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. After starting their career in PR, they transitioned to freelance writing in 2020. Their work has now appeared in lifestyle and culture…
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Back in early 2022, after having picked up a $14 million spread in the steep mountains above Beverly Hills—and already owning a petite hideaway in the exclusive Malibu Colony gated community—Michael “Flea” Balzary decided to hoist his funky architectural digs tucked away in the La Crescenta foothills of Los Angeles onto the market for $9.8 million. Now, a little more than two years later, the Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist’s pedigreed property in the unincorporated community near Glendale has once again resurfaced for sale, per TMZ, this time asking a speck under $7 million.
That’s still a lot more than the $4.3 million Balzary paid contemporary artists Lari Pittman and Roy Dowell for the place in 2018, but it does include an 875-square-foot addition that was installed on the land in 2021, as well as a pool and cabin that were tacked on in 2020.
The seven-sided main home is wrapped around a central courtyard.
Lauren Engel/Cameron Carothers
Sited about 20 miles north of Downtown L.A., amid a “curated succulent garden” bordering the Angeles National Forest, the hilltop compound is sequestered down a lengthy driveway and features two primary dwellings—a glassy main house designed by L.A.-based architect Michael Maltzan in 2009, plus a 1950s home specially crafted by noted modernist architect Richard Neutra for his secretary Dorothy Serulnic and her husband George.
Also on the premises are a striking accessory cabin clad entirely in redwood, an outdoor movie pavilion, and sweeping mountain and city lights views from every vantage point. As for the main home, commissioned by Pittman and Dowell, it includes an impressive seven-sided structure wrapped around a central courtyard, along with the aforementioned recent Maltzan addition. Featured in Architectural Record, it’s garnered a trio of awards from the American Institute of Architects.
A curvilinear penny-tiled bathroom is a focal point of the primary house.
Lauren Engel/Cameron Carothers
Particularly standing out inside is a primary bedroom sporting a curvilinear penny-tiled bath, and the space also holds an office, a den and tons of built-in storage space; outdoors, a Johnston Vidal lap pool stretches 50 feet, while an open-air movie pavilion is outfitted with a wind screen and catering kitchen.
Known as the “Dorothy Serulnic Residence,” the original abode packs two bedrooms and a full bath into 1,350 square feet of restored living space boasting walls of glass and a stone fireplace. Neutra-designed built-ins can be found throughout—think a sofa system sporting a record player and concealed speakers, along with numerous desks, shelving systems, a dining room table, sliding breakfast nook and vanity.
“The property is literally your own midcentury space station right here in Los Angeles,” says Branden Williams of The Beverly Hills Estates, who shares the listing with Rayni Williams of The Beverly Hills Estates, and Sherri Rogers and Anthony Stellini of Compass.
Click here for more photos of Flea’s Los Angeles compound.
Lauren Engel/Cameron Carothers More
A sprawling 104-acre Missouri estate built by MLB legend and World Series MVP Cole Hamels has hit the market for $14.5 million. However, the vast spread’s massive residence has a curveball up its sleeve—it’s not quite finished yet.
According to Mansion Global, the pitcher, who retired last year, began construction on the mega-mansion in West Branson back in 2016 while he was playing for the Texas Rangers. Hamels and his wife later put the property up for sale in 2017 but ended up handing the spread over before it was completed to Camp Barnabas, a Christian summer camp for children with disabilities. The baseball player’s former home was later purchased in February 2021 by its current owners, Samuel and Simona Bodea, the owners of SS Express, an Arizona-based trucking company.
The former Missouri home of retired MLB pitcher Cole Hamels is up for sale.
Lighthouse Photography/ReeceNichols
“The current owners bought the home from Camp Barnabas and did major renovation work over the past three years,” listing agent Jim Strong of Berkshire Hathaway’s ReeceNichols told Mansion Global. Measuring a whopping 36,000 square feet, the stately compound features a main house and a separate guest dwelling. Since the Bodeas moved in, they’ve transformed the 14-bedroom, 15-bath main residence into a luxury event space to accommodate weddings or corporate outings. Currently, the couple resides in a five-bed, six-bath annex.
Among the updates made over the years by the Bodeas are adding underground plumbing, installing new electrical systems, and putting in a sinuous, tiered infinity swimming pool. On the main floor, the kitchen alone measures a commodious 2,000 square feet.
The property features a shaded boat dock with three slips.
Lighthouse Photography/ReeceNichols
“Everything in the home is automated, including the water,” Samuel told the listing site. “There are no taps or valves here, you just talk to the house and say, ‘Kohler, start a shower at 70 or 100 degrees [Fahrenheit],’ then jump in.” Of course, there are other custom touches too, including exposed beams, barrel ceilings, and wood-trimmed casement windows and doors.
As it stands, Samuel told Mansion Global that the estate is almost finished, but the new owners are welcome to pick up where he and his wife left off. “Someone could definitely still make it their dream home if that’s what they want,” Samuel said. “No dream is too big or too small for this place.“
Click here to see more photos of Cole Hamels’s former home.
Lighthouse Photography/ReeceNichols
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, dining, travel and topics…
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Marc Andreessen currently lays claim to more than $255 million worth of properties in Malibu, including a 13-structure Paradise Cove compound and an adjacent $34 million property, plus another $44.5 million home on nearby Escondido Beach. So, now that he spends a significant amount of time in the seaside SoCal city, it’s not entirely surprising that the tech/crypto/venture-capitalist billionaire has decided to hoist his longtime Northern California residence onto the market.
The asking price is a tad over $33 million, or roughly double what the co-founder of Netscape and venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and his wife Laura Arillaga—the only daughter of late Silicon Valley philanthropist and multibillionaire John Arrillaga—forked over for the place a little more than 17 years ago, back in early 2007.
Completed in the mid-1990s by custom builder Colin Whiteside, but extensively renovated over four years during the couple’s tenure, the gated 1.5-acre spread in the affluent Silicon Valley enclave of Atherton includes a main Tuscan-style mansion, plus a guesthouse and separate office/studio—for a total of five bedrooms and seven baths in a little more than 12,400 square feet.
The stucco and terracotta-roof structure is showcased by balconies and a terrace lined with carved balustrades.
Bernard André
A circular driveway fronts the primary residence, which is distinguished by an expansive terrace lined with carved balustrades and topped by balconies. Once inside, a foyer displaying herringbone-style cherry floors and a sweeping staircase greets and flows to three-story living space highlighted by an elevator to all levels, seven fireplaces, and high-tech home-automation, security and surveillance systems.
In addition to a living area boasting soundproof suede walls, automated window shades, a concealed projector and retractable cinema screen, other highlights include a formal dining room served by two kitchens outfitted with a suite of top-tier Bosch, Hestan, Kitchen-Aid, Miele, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, as well as a family room that opens to a covered terrace sporting a built-in barbecue, den with an adjoining office, recreation/media room, mirrored gym, and an upstairs lounge that connects to a sumptuous primary bedroom decked out with a private balcony, dual walk-in closets, and a luxe marble-clad bath spotlighted by a spa tub and curbless shower.
A hallmark of the residence is a commitment to media needs, complete with both visible and concealed screens in nearly every room.
Bernard André
Outdoors, the manicured grounds are laced with a mix of natural and synthetic grass lawns. specimen trees, gardens and fountains, and host an arbor-covered media lounge. As previously mentioned, the premises also contain a one-bedroom, one-bath guesthouse with its own kitchen and living area, and an office/studio with a kitchenette and full bath. There’s also a three-car garage with a fourth bay that’s been converted into an office and catering space.
Besides his Malibu and Atherton properties, Andreessen—whose net worth is currently estimated at $1.9 billion—also reportedly owns a $36 million vacant lot just outside Las Vegas.
Click here for more photos of Marc Andreessen’s Silicon Valley estate.
Bernard André More
About 3.5 years ago, Winnie Harlow celebrated the purchase of her very first house with an Instagram post that racked up hundreds of thousands of likes. But with her red-hot career continuing to soar, it’s perhaps not surprising that one world’s most in-demand fashion models is already moving on from her suburban Los Angeles residence. Newly up for grabs and offered at a hair under $3.7 million, the decidedly luxe home is sequestered in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Tarzana.
Back in September 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Harlow dropped millions—$3.3 million, to be exact—on that aforementioned Tarzana home, a spacious modern farmhouse-style new spec build with nearly 4,300 square feet of living space. The mostly flat property includes a relatively big backyard with covered patios, a barbecue center, fire-pit and a saltwater pool with waterfall features. At the far rear of the lot lies a a big grassy lawn that could easily accommodate a future sports court and small guesthouse, should the next owner choose to add them.
Built by a developer on speculation in 2020, the spacious residence is a quintessential “modern farmhouse.”
Google Earth
Behind gates, the residence features an attached two-car garage and front door that opens directly into a living room equipped with clerestory windows and a fireplace. Oak floors imported from Europe flow into the open dining room, which connects to a chef’s kitchen with stainless Thermador appliances, a walk-in pantry and breakfast nook.
Open to the kitchen area is the family room, which offers a linear stone fireplace and wet bar with a beverage refrigerator, plus a walk-in wine closet that’s fully temperature-controlled. Pocket sliding doors allow the indoor living area to effortlessly spill outside, and entertaining is a proverbial breeze — the entire property has surround sound technology, security cameras and smart-home technology for peace of mind.
All five of the bedrooms feature ensuite full baths, and the main floor also features a powder room. Upstairs, the primary suite offers high ceilings and balcony views of the entire backyard, plus is complemented by a luxe stone bathroom and dual closets with wall-to-wall custom built-ins.
A native Canadian, Harlow was discovered by Tyra Banks and catwalked to public prominence in 2014 as a contestant of the 21st season of America’s Next Top Model. The 29-year-old is now one of the world’s top social media influencers, with over 10 million followers on Instagram alone, and a runway/print model who has shot campaigns for Fendi, Nike, Swarovski, Marc Jacobs and Steve Madden, to name a few. She’s also appeared on the cover of Vogue, and starred in music videos alongside the likes of Beyonce and Eminem. More
Around 24 years ago, in December 2000, Jim Demetriades began piecing together a lavish compound with a single house that he and his then-new wife Nancy had picked up for $8.4 million. Never on the market before, the veteran tech entrepreneur’s incomparable spread dubbed “Villa Theos” has now popped up for sale in the desirable Beverly Hills Post Office area of Los Angeles, asking an impressive $85 million.
As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the gated collection of red brick and stucco structures cost tens of millions of dollars to assemble, and includes the since-renovated main home and several ancillary buildings—for a total of 13 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms in 28,000 square feet, all of it resting on two parcels of land spanning over 2 acres, and boasting choice amenities ranging from a bowling alley and nightclub, to a shooting range and subterranean man cave/bunker accessible via a tunnel.
“Jim and I really sat down and thought, ‘OK, if we could have anything we wanted—the sky’s the limit—what would we want?’ And we just went for it,” Nancy told WSJ.
The resort-like grounds are spotlighted by an infinity-edge swimming pool.
Anthony Barcelo
The result? A primary dwelling spotlighted by a formal living room flaunting a reclaimed wood-beam ceiling, wet bar and an antique fireplace imported from France, plus a luxe primary bedroom that comes complete with a separate fireside sitting room and dual baths. Surrounding it are multiple guesthouses and office spaces, along with a recently completed “coach house” featuring an Old West-themed nightclub sporting a disco ball, velvet couches and a custom 50,000-watt speaker system with subwoofers built into the ceiling.
But that’s not all! There’s also a 20-seat movie theater, bowling alley, shooting range, gym and classroom setup for the couple’s five children who are now grown, as well as a subterranean man cave/emergency bunker equipped with bulletproof doors and a 4,500-bottle wine cellar. Last, but definitely not least: the resort-worthy grounds, which overlook picturesque city lights and ocean vistas, and host some 140 fruit trees, several spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining, an infinity-edge swimming pool and even a chicken coop.
A 4,500-bottle wine cellar is one of the many amenities dotting the property.
Anthony Barcelo
According to WSJ, the Greece native and Pasadena-raised founder and CEO of Kairos Ventures—a venture-capital firm that invests in groundbreaking startups and research in the technology, and life and physical sciences arenas—and his former actress wife are selling because they are “faced with the prospect of becoming empty-nesters sooner than expected.”
The listing is held by Drew Fenton of Carolwood Estates and Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency.
Click here for more photos of Villa Theos.
Anthony Barcelo More
Social media savvy celebrity hairstylist and haircare entrepreneur Jen Atkin has traded in her chicly renovated home in L.A.’s suburban neighborhood of Tarzana for an impressive blufftop estate in the rugged hills of Malibu. where she and her husband, fashion photographer Mike Rosenthal, have splashed out about $8.1 million for a 5,000-square-foot, Tuscan-influenced mansion with supremely dramatic ocean views.
Atkin paid $4.5 million for the Tarzana place in early 2021 and just flipped it—in an off-market deal—for $6.2 million to Melissa Mowbray-d’Arbela, an investor and the ex-wife of former Canada Pension Plan Investment Board CEO Mark Machin. Built brand new in 2017, and set behind gates on about two-thirds of an acre at the head of a horseshoe driveway, the home incorporates a number of architectural genres, from a classic, low-slung California ranch house to a shingled and whitewashed East Coast traditional to the ubiquitously trendy “modern farmhouse” style that has proliferated across L.A. over the last handful of years.
Sited high above Pacific Coast Highway at the end of a narrow and winding road, the gated compound offers many resort-style amenities.
As for the Malibu compound, it was designed by acclaimed architect Marc Appleton, built new in the early 2000s and last sold in late 2021 for $7.7 million, per records. In addition to a two-story main house, which will no doubt be given a fashionable overhaul by Atkin, the 1.3-acre property also includes a detached two-car garage and a wee guesthouse/studio building, plus a large rectangular swimming pool, a full-size tennis court and wraparound patios ideal for grand-scale al fresco entertaining. The main house packs in four bedrooms and four bathrooms, nearly all of which are blessed with 180-degree coastline views—from the sunrise at Palos Verdes peninsula and Catalina island, to the sunset over Point Dume and Channel Islands.
Atkin continues to maintain a strikingly contemporary vacation home in Seattle, which was featured in a 2022 issue of Architectural Digest. Located on the shores of Lake Washington, that $4.6 million house was designed by architect Peter Cohan and offers five bedrooms and 4.5 baths in about 5,400 square feet.
The haircare mega-influencer, who the The New York Times once called “The Most Influential Hairstylist in the World,” and who boasts 5.3 million Instagram followers, has long cut and pressed the tresses of a loyal celebrity clientele who include Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, Chrissy Teigen, Gigi and Bella Hadid, and the entire Kardashian family. The Utah native, 44, is also the founder of uber-successful hair care product line OUAI, creator of a range of hair extensions and accessories, the author of the cheekily titled self-help memoir “Blowing My Way to the Top,” and the founder of the digital magazine ManeAddicts.com. More
Though she’s not quite a household name yet, Sayo Haraishi soon hopes to become a regular fixture on the racing circuits. Meanwhile, the aspiring driver has been keeping herself busy spearheading the revamp of a 1970s-era house in the posh Beverly Hills enclave of Trousdale Estates. Now the newly completed spread has just popped up for sale, asking a speck under $30 million.
Originally acquired by Haraishi back in August 2019 for $5 million, the existing property underwent an extensive four-year remodel by Los Angeles-based Montalba Architects—widely known for its work with Nobu Hotels and Soho House—and includes four bedrooms and five baths sprawled across 7,000 square feet of modern yet warm living space adorned throughout with a mix of hardwood and stone floors, high ceilings, custom millwork, designer lighting and clerestory windows. Walls of glass also provide sweeping city lights, hillside and coastline views.
The great room hosts a dining area, sunken living room and glass doors spilling out to the backyard.
Ryan Lahiff
Tucked away on a gated parcel spanning over a half-acre, the sleek architectural structure is described in the listing as a “seamless fusion of Japanese-inspired design elements and contemporary luxury.” A set of pivoting double front doors open into the open-concept great room, which is highlighted by a sunken living area centered between a massive linear fireplace with a floating hearth and built-in shelving, plus a spacious dining room adjoining a space that’s big enough to accommodate a large piano for entertaining guests.
A bookshelf-lined family room connects to the gourmet kitchen, which is outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier appliances, ample wine storage and an accompanying breakfast nook, and elsewhere is a private office, plus an inviting primary bedroom sporting another linear fireplace, a built-in desk, and showroom-style closet and dressing room, as well as a spa-like bath equipped with dual vanities, a teak-clad soaking tub and separate rainfall shower.
A Japanese soaking tub in the primary bathroom offers the feeling of bathing amid nature.
Ryan Lahiff
The amenities continue out to the landscaped grounds, where Zen-like courtyards are bolstered by bonsai and maple trees, a seating area is warmed by a fire-pit, and a curving infinity-edge swimming pool with a Baja shelf and spa is flanked by a sundeck—all overlooking those picturesque vistas. There’s also an attached two-car garage out front.
The listing is held by Ben Bacal of Revel Real Estate and Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker Realty.
Click here for more photos of Sayo Haraishi’s Beverly Hills house.
Ryan Lahiff More
