Luxury

Subterms

    More stories

    • 213 Shares199 Views

      in Luxury

      Retired NFL Star Derrick Johnson Puts His Lone Star State Home on the Market for $4 Million

      by

      Former Texas Longhorn and Kansas City Chief linebacker Derrick Johnson—known to his many fans simply as “DJ”—has officially hoisted his swanky estate in Austin’s exclusive Spanish Oaks gated community up for sale.

      The founder and president of the Defend the Dream Foundation, which serves low-income and inner-city youth, acquired the modern residence back in 2018. Now, six years later, the place has returned to the market with a nearly $4 million ask.

      Custom-built by Olson Defendorf in 2015, and designed by Geschke Group Architecture, the creamy stucco and brick structure features five bedrooms and five bathrooms in a little more than 5,400 square feet of multi-level living space boasting an office wing, a gym, movie theater and bar-equipped game room. Other posh amenities can be found amid the landscaped grounds, which span just over 1.5 acres and host a two-level swimming pool with a waterpark-quality slide, fire-pit, children’s playhouse and picturesque views of the surrounding Hill Country terrain.

      A covered al fresco entertaining area off the lower level overlooks a waterslide-equipped swimming pool.

      JP Morales/Compass

      Once inside, highlights include a spacious great room spotlighted by a living area adorned with a linear fireplace flanked by built-in shelving and a wall of glass doors spilling out to a covered al fresco entertaining terrace holding a built-in barbecue station with a Big Green Egg. An adjacent dining area connects to the gourmet kitchen, which is furnished with quartz countertops, an expansive eat-in island and top-tier stainless appliances.

      Elsewhere is a sumptuous master retreat flaunting a walk-in closet, as well as a spa-inspired bath outfitted with dual vanities, a soaking tub and separate shower; and rounding it all out is a motorcourt and attached garages with room for up to three vehicles, along with access to Spanish Oaks facilities ranging from a private golf club with a top-ranked, 18-hole course to a fully stocked fish camp.

      Glass-and-wood double front doors open into a great room showcased by a fireside living room.

      JP Morales/Compass

      Now retired, Johnson was originally selected as the 15th pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he earned four Pro Bowls, two All-Pro picks and Pro Bowl Defensive MVP during his 13-season tenure. The 41-year-old Waco, Texas, native then played for the Oakland Raiders for a short time before signing a one-day ceremonial contract to retire with the Chiefs in 2019 as the franchise’s all-time leading tackler. The former Nagurski and Butkus award winner also recently became the 25th Longhorn inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2023.

      The listing is held by Michelle Jones and Todd Grossman of Compass.

      Click here for more photos of Derrick Johnson’s Texas house.

      JP Morales/Compass More

    • 200 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      The Once High-Flying Founder of Bird Scooters Sold His L.A. Mansion at an $11 Million Loss

      by

      Travis VanderZanden has finally flown the very fancy coop—but he may also have flown a bit too close to the sun. Records show that after three years on and off the market, the controversial and once high-flying tech entrepreneur’s residential albatross in Bel Air has finally sold to a non-famous buyer for just $10.8 million—nearly $11 million less than the $21.7 million he paid comedian Trevor Noah for the contemporary house about 3.5 years ago.

      It’s probably not surprising that VanderZanden would be very motivated to unload his snazzy mansion. A former Lyft COO and Uber vice president, VanderZanden is the founder and former CEO of Bird, the once-popular and nationwide electric scooter-rental service that was valued at $2.5 billion during its 2019 heyday. By 2020, Bird had been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic; in December 2023, the company declared bankruptcy.

      But despite the huge amount of money it cost him, it remains unclear if VanderZanden ever actually lived in the Bel Air house. He bought the hilltop mansion in August 2020, paying $21.7 million. For much of the next six months, the place was undergoing renovations. But in April 2021, VanderZanden somewhat abruptly moved to Miami and his L.A. house was back up for grabs, listed at an optimistic $25 million. By early 2023, the property’s asking price had sunk to $18.9 million.

      Previously owned by Trevor Noah, the glassy house was vacant for much of VanderZanden’s 3.5 years of ownership.

      Sited atop a 1-acre promontory overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club golf greens, the spec-built house was completed in 2019 and first sold for $20.5 million to Noah that same year. Inside, the two levels of sun-drenched interiors span a total of about 10,000 square feet, with six bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms. Highlights include a stone wet bar showcasing a 500-gallon saltwater aquarium, a cigar room, a den with a marble fireplace, a movie theater and separate quarters for a live-in housekeeper or other staff member.

      A stylish catering kitchen is outfitted with a pair of marble islands, plus high-end Miele appliances, custom cabinetry and climate-controlled wine storage for up to 250 bottles. Upstairs, a 2,200-square-foot master retreat flaunts a bar, sitting room, dual showroom closets and marble baths, and an 800-square-foot balcony with dazzling views of the ocean and city lights.

      The family room sports walls of pocketing Fleetwood glass doors that disappear, allowing for easy access to an al fresco dining patio. Beyond, the mostly flat backyard hosts a sprawling lawn and 62-foot infinity pool with a transparent edge that seemingly hovers over the city far below. Topping it all off are a state-of-the-art Control4 home automation system, and fully automated Lutron shades for playing it cool. More

    • 213 Shares139 Views

      in Luxury

      A Fashion Designer Seeks to Sew Up a $6 Million Deal for a 19th-Century Townhouse in Brooklyn

      by

      Darryl Kerrigan, more familiarly known to the sartorially inclined as Daryl K, helped to define the lower Manhattan fashion scene during much of the 1990s with her effortless, rock-and-roll-inspired looks and signature stretch leather leggings that she first hawked from a tiny shop on East Sixth Street and then, until 2012, from a larger Bond Street boutique. 

      Like droves of downtown hipsters in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Kerrigan and her partner Paul Leonard, both born and raised in Ireland, decamped their “unfancy East Village loft” and moved to Brooklyn, where records show Kerrigan acquired a 19th-century townhouse in the Boerum Hill neighborhood in 2000. The townhouse is now on the market for $6 million, down from the $6.5 million that was initially asked for. Terry Naini and Emila Sultan of Brown Harris Stevens hold the listing.

      The State Street townhouse is fronted by a classic raised-stoop entrance.

      Stefano Ukmar for Brown Harris Stevens

      The handsome brick townhouse, part of the State Street Houses National Register Historic District, dates to the late 1800s and stands four stories atop a full basement with an embellished metal cornice and a classic raised-stoop entrance. Easily used as a single-family home, the property is zoned as a two-family residence, with a garden-level apartment below a spacious three-bedroom and two-and-a-half-bath triplex. (The upper-level triplex was available for rent last year, first at $22,500 per month and then later at $18,500 per month.)

      The upper three floors feature tons of period details, including the original staircase, crown moldings, and wood floors, with parquet throughout the parlor floor and wide planks on the upper levels. There are six vintage marble mantels, two of which can be wood burning. The classic raised-stoop entrance leads to a lengthy foyer, a 25-foot-long living room, and an eat-in kitchen.

      There are three bedrooms, plus a small study with a bay window; the primary suite occupies the entire top floor and stretches more than 42 feet end to end with numerous closets and a vintage-style updated bathroom. 

      The eat-in kitchen features original parquet flooring and a view into the rear garden.

      Stefano Ukmar for Brown Harris Stevens

      The garden-level apartment can be accessed from within the triplex unit but can also operate as an independent two-bedroom and one-bath rental or guest apartment with a private outside entrance, an open-plan great room and kitchen, and French doors to a 40-foot-deep garden.

      Kerrigan moved to New York in the mid-1980s and soon began designing costumes for Jim Jarmusch’s films, including “My Cousin Vinny,” starring Marisa Tomei. Though she closed her boutique back in 2012, she has collaborated with mainstream brands like Urban Outfitters, Calvin Klein, and Madewell. She also continues to sell her own designs through her Daryl K website.

      Click here for more photos of 324 State Street.

      Stefano Ukmar for Brown Harris Stevens More

    • 150 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Clippers Star Kawhi Leonard Faces a Loss on His Downtown L.A. Penthouse

      by

      After four years of ownership, Kawhi Leonard has decided to hoist his Downtown Los Angeles penthouse back on the market. And the two-time NBA champ apparently wants to get rid of the seasonal outpost pretty bad—per Realtor.com, he’s priced the swanky pad at $6.5 million, or around $200,000 less than he originally paid.

      Purchased by Leonard for a little over $6.7 million back in winter 2019, the same year the All-Star forward signed with the Clippers, the unit lies on the 43rd floor of The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live, just steps from the Crypto.com Arena. Since the Gensler-designed structure first opened its doors in 2010, the exclusive building has housed celebs the likes of former Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, Lakers guard Lonzo Ball and filmmaker Jason Blum, just to name a few.

      As for Leonard’s part-time dwelling, the place features three bedrooms and four baths in almost 4,300 square feet of “impeccably designed” living space adorned with a mix of hardwood and carpeted floors, two custom fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling walls of glass offering picturesque city lights views. There also are magnetic, wall-mounted iPads for controlling the window treatments, as well as Crestron and Lutron home-automation systems.

      A vestibule flows into a spacious living area displaying one of the aforementioned fireplaces, built-in shelving and plenty of room for a pool table, and an adjacent kitchen is outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances and an accompanying dining area. There’s also a chic master retreat boasting a luxe bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and steam shower.

      Topping it all off are plenty of building amenities courtesy of a substantial $5,880 monthly HOA charge, including a dedicated concierge, heated rooftop pool, spa, fitness center, valet parking and 24-hour hotel room service. Two parking spots also come with Leonard’s penthouse.

      Lest his fans be worried, it doesn’t look as if Leonard is planning to leave L.A. anytime soon—especially since he signed a massive three-year, $152.4 million contract extension in January. According to Yardbarker, it more likely stems from the fact that the Clippers are planning a move into the Inglewood-based Intuit Dome for the 2024-25 season. On the real estate front, the 32-year-old Moreno Valley native also still maintains a hilltop mansion in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood that he purchased for $17.1 million about three years ago. More

    • 175 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Ellen DeGeneres Just Sold Her $32 Million Montecito Estate to a Billionaire Mining Magnate

      by

      Robert Friedland seems determined to single-handedly keep Santa Barbara‘s ultra-high-end real estate market afloat. Five months ago, the multibillionaire mining tycoon—he’s the chairman of Ivanhoe Mines, and was also a business mentor of the late Steve Jobs—paid about $47 million for an oceanfront estate on Carpinteria’s prestigious Padaro Lane.

      Now Friedland has done it again—records show the charismatic 73-year-old was the buyer who just paid a lofty $32 million for a spectacular Montecito compound sold by Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. is located only about four miles northwest of Friedland’s new Carpenteria pad, but is not oceanfront.

      Today, the century-old estate is undoubtedly among the grandest compounds in Montecito, with 8-acres of manicured grounds.

      Jason Rick / Blake Bronstad

      While that $32 million sales price is still among the highest prices paid for a Santa Barbara-area home over the past year, it’s significantly less than the $46.5 million DeGeneres wanted. But it’s also nearly $10 million more than the former talk show host paid for the place less than one year ago, back in June 2023. As is her modus operandi, DeGeneres and her team of skilled contractors and designers gave the place a quick yet complete makeover, transforming it into a trendily minimalist and soothingly neutral retreat that embodies quiet luxury.

      Completed in 1919 and known as Pompeiian Court, the house and its 8-acres of manicured grounds are cloaked from public view behind an enormous iron gate and a quarter-mile-long driveway that culminates in a motorcourt surrounded by mature olive trees. Described as a “classic Roman courtyard residence” in the listing, the compound includes a rare single-story main house, plus four additional structures: two guesthouses, a poolside cabana and a petite building that currently functions as an art studio.

      Once overwrought, Pompeiian Court’s interiors are now chicly minimalist, albeit still sumptuous.

      Jason Rick / Blake Bronstad

      Other highlights include formal gardens, ancient oaks, towering eucalyptus trees and rows of Italian cypresses. Both the swimming pool and full-size tennis court are romantically hidden out of sight from the main house, and meandering pathways lace their way around the premises as they bypass fountains, secluded sitting areas and a chardonnay vineyard.

      In addition to his two new Santa Barbara-area mansions, 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’ve still got multiple other Santa Barbara-area properties, including a vast estate atop a Carpinteria blufftop and several smaller homes scattered around Montecito.

      Click here for more photos of Montecito’s Pompeiian Court. More

    • 138 Shares99 Views

      in Luxury

      Freddie Mercury’s Former London Mansion Can Be Yours for $38 Million

      by

      No, this isn’t just fantasy. The real-life home of late music legend Freddie Mercury has hit the market.  

      Garden Lodge, located in London’s exclusive Kensington enclave, is just listed for £30 million (US$38 million). The former Queen frontman, who died in 1991 at age 45 of bronchial pneumonia, left the Neo-Georgian-style estate and all of its contents to his friend and former fiancée, Mary Austin. In the roughly 30 years since Austin has been living at and looking after the property full-time, but is now ready to part ways with the hallowed home. 

      “This house has been the most glorious memory box, because it has such love and warmth in every room,” Austin said in a press statement. “It has been a joy to live in and I have many wonderful memories here. Now that it is empty, I’m transported back to the first time we viewed it.”

      The late Freddie Mercury helped create the garden at his home in London.

      Knight Frank

      The stately brick residence was originally built in 1907 by architect Ernest Marshall for artist couple Cecil Rea and Constance Halford and was at one time owned by Peter Wilson, a former chairman of Sotheby’s. According to Knight Frank, which is handling the sale, the Mercury bought the place on the spot in 1980 and later tapped interior architect and designer Robin Moore Ede to renovate the palatial pad.

      Internally, the residence sports the finest marble accents, rich wood floors, and tons of bright jewel tones. Most notably, the walls of the dining room are painted a citrusy yellow—the singer’s favorite hue. Other highlights include the double-height drawing room, where Mercury stored the grand piano that he famously used to compose Bohemian Rhapsody. The British singer also helped design the garden, which is dotted with large magnolia trees and sculpted plantings.

      “Ever since Freddie and I stepped through the fabled green door, it has been a place of peace, a true artist’s house, and now is the time to entrust that sense of peace to the next person.”

      Many of the walls in Garden Lodge have been painted using bold and bright hues.

      Knight Frank

      “The sale of Garden Lodge presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a significant property combined with a piece of cultural history, the beloved home of an icon,” added Paddy Dring, global head of prime sales and joint head of Knight Frank’s Private Office. “Having been carefully preserved with love and respect over the last three decades, we expect that the exceptional provenance of the property will be incredibly alluring to buyers across the world.” 

      Last year, Austin sold off a treasure trove of the star’s possessions during a Sotheby’s auction. At the time, Mercury’s belongings ignited a bidding frenzy, so prospective buyers might want to move quickly.

      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…

      Read More More

    • 138 Shares189 Views

      in Luxury

      Judd Apatow Drops $32 Million on a Sleek Beverly Hills Mansion

      by

      After recently selling their posh and longtime Los Angeles home for $27 million to heavyweight lawyer Brian Panish, records reveal Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann have now bought a smaller home, albeit an even more expensive one in an arguably even posher part of town. The empty nesters doled out nearly $32 million for their new place, a single-story stunner in the western reaches of Beverly Hills.

      Unfortunately for the seller—apparel mogul Maurice Marciano, cofounder of the Guess clothing brand—that sale price is roughly $3.6 million less than he paid for the house barely a year ago, when he bought it for a lofty $35.5 million.

      The single-level home features automated steel and glass walls and doors throughout.

      Mark Singer

      Originally built in the 1950s as a humble midcentury ranch-style structure, the house underwent a dramatic rebuild and expansion a few years ago. Today, invisible from the street behind locked gates and towering hedges, the glossy and decidedly bespoke showpiece is described as the “embodiment of architecture as art,” and features five bedrooms and seven bathrooms in a mansion-sized 9,300 square feet of living space. Set on nearly an acre of land near historic Greystone Manor, the trophy estate also features a dark-bottom swimming pool, grassy lawns and manicured gardens.

      Property highlights include a “floating” entryway seemingly cantilevered over moat-like water features, hand-combed limestone throughout, imported white oak floors, exotic marble slabs and a media room almost totally swaddled in cashmere. A recurring theme throughout the house is the dichotomy of its floorplan, which can be either cozy or totally open depending on the homeowner’s whims, with numerous walls of steel and glass that disappear and reappear at the touch of a button.

      The skylit kitchen offers two marble-topped island with plenty of storage space.

      Mark Singer

      All five of the property’s bedrooms feature ensuite bathrooms and their own “private gardens,” per the listing, and the primary suite additionally offers a sitting area and boutique-style dressing room. The kitchen is primed for grand-scale entertaining, with its dual marble islands and commercial-grade stainless appliances, and also on tap are a library, a gym and a formal dining room with silk ceilings and walls, plus its own temperature-controlled glass wine closet.

      In addition to garaging for up to five cars, the residence is fronted by a sizable cobblestone motorcourt. Out back, the park-like grounds encircle an outdoor fireplace flanked by its own lounge area, and there are multiple spaces dedicated to al fresco dining or sunbathing.

      Surrounded by mature trees, the park-like estate offers ample space for al fresco entertaining.

      Mark Singer

      Apatow, a super-prolific Hollywood director/producer (Bridesmaids, Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) and Mann continue to maintain a $9 million condo in New York City’s leafy West Village neighborhood. More

    • 213 Shares159 Views

      in Luxury

      A North Vancouver Home With a Touch of California Cool Is Up for Grabs at $2.8 Million

      by

      Though this particular residence wasn’t crafted by Joseph Eichler himself, the midcentury home in North Vancouver’s affluent Upper Lonsdale neighborhood has many of the late developer’s trademarks—most notably, a cool California modern design aesthetic providing a harmonious connection to the natural surroundings.

      Originally constructed by noted West Coast designer and builder Bob Lewis in 1956 for former judge Don Pool and his family, the post-and-beam dwelling has since been preserved and modernized by current owners Dean Eilertson and Jenni Gullett—a prop master and costume designer, respectively, who have worked on films and TV shows such as Tron, X-Men and The Good Doctor—and features four bedrooms and two baths in almost 3,200 square feet of living space adorned throughout with wood-paneled walls, exposed-beam ceilings and large windows overlooking the garden-laced grounds.

      “If somebody else was buying it, they were going to tear it down,” the couple said in a press statement. “We wanted to restore it. It’s a very serious discipline to take on a mid-century modern house and keep it in its zone. We’re not trying to renovate it to change the house. Of course, you’re going to change it so it’s more livable. But if you can keep it within the same feeling then you’re helping preserve the house.”

      Barbara Tili

      Nestled amid a heavily wooded parcel of land spanning a little over a quarter-acre, on a slope at the crest of a hill, the cedar-shingled structure is known as the “Parkland House” and is listed on the District of North Vancouver Community Heritage Register.

      A cathedral entry pavilion boasting reeded glass-panel sidelights fronts the two-story house, which is introduced via an entry foyer that flows to a spacious open-concept great room highlighted by a fireside living area and a door spilling out to a wood-clad balcony ideal for al fresco dining. Back inside, a dining space connects to a kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island and newer stainless appliances.

      Elsewhere on the main level is a family room, two secondary bedrooms, and a primary suite decked out with a bath sporting dual vanities, a soaking tub and separate shower; and rounding it all out is the lower level, which holds another bedroom with its own bath, a gym, mudroom, laundry room and access to an attached carport with room for two vehicles.

      The listing is held by Jason Choi and Trent Rodney of West Coast Modern.

      Click here for more photos of the “Parkland House.”

      Barbara Tili More