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

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      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.

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      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

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      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

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      Bret Baier Is Looking to Flip His Amenity-Packed Washington, D.C., Estate for $32 Million

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      Now that Bret Baier has upgraded into a new $37 million mansion in the Sunshine State’s affluent Palm Beach community, the chief political anchor of Fox News Channel, and anchor and executive producer of the network’s Special Report program, has decided to put his residence the upper northwest section of Washington, D.C., back on the market, as was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

      The asking price is a speck under $32 million—or $32.5 million more than the Baier and his longtime wife Amy forked over for the 1.5-acre property a little more than five years ago, back in September 2018, before they spent a reported three years and $25 million to completely rebuild every inch of the existing premises in collaboration with developer Michael Banks and architect David Jones.

      Should the house go for anywhere near the hefty list price, it would set a record for the city, topping the sale of a circa-1810 mansion that traded for $24.5 million back in 2007.

      The limestone-clad mansion is fronted by a cobblestone motorcourt boasting a central fountain.

      Studio Trejo/Mid-Atlantic Drones for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

      Completed in April 2022, and Inspired by France’s Hotel Chateau du Grand-Lucé, the stately limestone and mansard-roof structure features five bedrooms and nine baths spread across 16,250 square feet of Thomas Pheasant-designed living space.

      A gated driveway empties out at a spacious cobblestone motorcourt bolstered by a marble fountain and flanked by a pair of three-car garages. Arched double doors beneath a portico entryway lead into the main level of the multi-level home, which greets with a soaring rotunda-topped foyer displaying a decorative Nero Marquina marble floor imported from Italy and curving floating staircase.

      A grand entry foyer is decked out with Nero Marquina marble flooring from Italy.

      Studio Trejo/Mid-Atlantic Drones for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

      From there, the fireside living room has a temperature-controlled wine display, seated wet bar and French doors spilling out to a terrace, and a formal dining room flaunts another fireplace, plus a bespoke wood-and-glass table that seats 14. A gourmet kitchen is outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier Miele, Wolf, and Sub-Zero appliances, and an adjoining breakfast nook that connects to a glass-lined family room.

      Upstairs, an opulent master retreat hosts a fireplace, sitting area, an expansive balcony, and dual walk-in closets and luxe baths. Additional en-suite bedrooms can be found on the third floor and lower level, which also has a wet bar-equipped lounge, game room with golf simulator, movie theater, gym, sauna and an indoor basketball court spanning two stories.

      A two-story indoor basketball court occupies the home’s lower level.

      Studio Trejo/Mid-Atlantic Drones for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

      Outdoors, the tired grounds were crafted by landscape architect Richard Arentz, and hold a 56-foot pool and spa, chipping and putting green, and numerous spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. There’s also a whole-home 72-kilowatt generator, as well as eight geothermal wells providing 20 tons of cooling capacity.

      Per WSJ, Baier visited Florida frequently during Covid and decided to move there full-time this past summer. He will continue to commute weekly to Washington, where he hosts his live shows, and look for a smaller place there. Baier—whose net worth is estimated at $72 million—also happens to own a second home in Palm Beach that he paid fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger $12 million for in 2022, according to the South Florida Business Journal.

      The listing is held by Daniel Heider and Jaclyn Mason of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.

      Click here for more photos of Bret Baier’s Washington, D.C., house.

      Studio Trejo/Mid-Atlantic Drones for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty More

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      Mary Berry’s Former U.K. Home Where She Filmed Her Cooking Show Just Listed for $4.3 Million

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      If you ever watched Mary Berry Cooks and wondered what it would be like to make a meal on the powder blue AGA range in the beloved chef and food writer’s cozy country kitchen, well, now you can.

      The former Buckinghamshire residence of the OG Great British Bake Off judge has hit the market with Savills, asking £3.5 million (or about $4.3 million). Better known as Watercroft, Berry purchased the property back in 1988 alongside her husband, Paul Hunnings. Together, the couple lived at Watercroft for about 30 years before they handed the place over to its current owners in 2019. Interestingly enough, it’s also where the beloved Queen of Cakes shot many episodes of her eponymous TV shows. 

      The spacious kitchen still has the powder blue AGA range featured in many of Berry’s televised cooking shows.

      Savills

      Altogether, the property offers about 9,000 square feet of space between the six-bedroom Queen Anne-style main house, detached two-bedroom guest cottage, coach house, and multiple outbuildings. Across the four-acre grounds, you’ll also find a tennis court, formal gardens, and a natural pond.  

      “Watercroft exudes character and charm with some wonderful period and historical features,” says Ben Dommett, head of Savills Beaconsfield, in a press statement. “Being the former home of a well-known food writer, chef, baker, and TV presenter, the kitchen is naturally kitted out with the very best appliances and fittings, including a rather famous AGA, along with a refrigerated larder.” 

      The Grade II-listed residence presides over four acres.

      Other than the kitchen, the main house comprises three reception rooms, including a wood-paneled dining room with an open fireplace and concealed cupboards. Additionally, there’s a drawing room with bow windows, a family room, and an office. 

      And don’t be surprised if Berry comes knocking on the door. “Since we’ve been here, Mary appears quite often if there’s something going on in the village,” seller Lucy Patten tells The Times. “She’ll come over and have a cup of tea. When we moved in, she hosted a party to introduce us to all of the neighbors. They are all very friendly.” 

      On your marks, get set, bid! 

      Click here to see all the photos of Mary Berry’s former home. 

      Savills More

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      A Prominent Attorney Is Seeking $33 Million for This Historic Montecito Gem

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      Back in 2004, Robert Lieff and his then-wife Susan paid $4.5 million for a historic residence in the seaside enclave of Montecito and then spent another $2 million on renovations. A year later, the couple divorced and the home went to Susan, with Lieff relocating to Napa and San Francisco to be closer to Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, the plaintiff law firm he founded in 1972 that’s widely known for representing landmark civil cases such as the Exxon Valdez oil disaster.

      Fast-forward a few years, and Lieff ultimately ended up repurchasing the place from his ex-wife for nearly $12 million in summer 2012. “I knew I would get this house back sooner or later,” he told The Wall Street Journal at the time. “I always wanted this house.” 

      But that was then; and now, over a decade later, Lieff and his current wife Gretchen have decided to put the Spanish Revival mansion dubbed “Los Sueños” (translated to “The Dreams”) up for sale, asking a hefty $33 million. The listing is held by Cristal Clarke of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties.

      A lengthy tree-lined driveway empties out at a motorcourt bolstered by a central fountain.

      Jim Bartsch

      Built and designed by noted Santa Barbara architects George Washington Smith and Lutah Riggs way back in the late 1920s for Rachael Ogilvy Douglas, daughter of a linen manufacturer, the dwelling was later owned in the ’80s by Joan Cohn Harvey, the widow of Columbia Pictures President Harry Cohn. During their tenure, the Lieffs restored the premises and updated a garden originally designed by landscape architect A.E. Hanson.

      Tucked away behind a lengthy gated and tree-lined driveway, on a parcel spanning just over 3 acres, the white stucco and terra-cotta-roof structure features seven bedrooms and nine baths in almost 11,000 square feet of living space adorned throughout with a mix of marble and hardwood floors, custom chandeliers and groin-vaulted ceilings. There’s also a four-story tower guesthouse, which has a spiral staircase that travels from a bottom living area up to a kitchen, bath and top-floor bedroom offering ocean views.

      A fountain-clad motorcourt greets, with the front door opening into an entry foyer that flows to an impressive central hallway displaying black-and-white marble floors, a soaring rib-vaulted ceiling, and fanlight-topped French doors spilling out to a red brick terrace nestled alongside a square pool flanked by sculptures. Back inside, a formal living room is adorned with a fireplace and trio of green-trimmed French doors leading out to a balcony, while the gourmet kitchen is outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances, a butler’s pantry and an adjoining breakfast nook.

      A striking wood-paneled living room has a fireplace and multiple doors opening to a terrace.

      Jim Bartsch

      In addition to a formal fireside dining room boasting checkered marble floors and handsome wood-paneled library/office, a hotel-like master retreat sports a fireplace, sitting area, and dual walk-in closets and baths; and outdoors, the manicured grounds are dotted with rose gardens, olive trees and an orchard, and host the aforementioned courtyard and pool, along with a tennis court and four-car garage.

      Lieff, 87, and his wife Gretchen, a former TV journalist, also own and operate wineries in the California cities of Napa and San Luis Obispo.

      Click here for more photos of Robert Lieff’s historic Montecito estate.

      Jim Bartsch More

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      This Cozy Montecito Cottage Once Owned by Larry David Can Be Yours for $7.5 Million

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      In the fall of 2021, “Curbed Your Enthusiasm” creator and star Larry David plunked down $5.7 million for a historic home in the Hedgerow neighborhood in the celeb-packed seaside community of Montecito, California, that he lickety-split sold just eight months later for $6.9 million. 

      Like David, the buyer appears to have also caught a case of the real estate fickle because the property popped up for sale earlier this year for $8 million and has since had the asking price reduced to $7.5 million. The listing is held by Tyler Kallenbach at Compass.

      Designed and built in 1929 in a French Normandy style by celebrated high-society architect George Washington Smith—a departure from the Spanish Colonial Revival-style homes for which he is most widely known—the stately if modestly proportioned home measures less than 2,900 square feet with four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms.

      The $7.5 million cottage faces a slender, hedge-lined lane.

      Blake Bronstad Photography

      Situated just a mile from the coastal village’s downtown district, the entrance to the home is along a narrow one-way lane. Vintage character abounds outside and inside, and beyond the simple, unassuming slate-blue front door, interiors bend toward elegant and cozy rather than grand. Bespoke finishes and expert craftsmanship work together with delicately patterned wallpaper and floral-patterned curtains to create a sophisticated yet comfortable and casual environment.

      The living room’s soaring, wood-beamed ceiling is anchored by a stone fireplace; chunky exposed wood adds rusticity to the adjacent dining room; and a spacious butler’s pantry connects the dining room to the kitchen. Guest bedrooms are ample, and guest baths are updated with vintage charm, while the primary bedroom offers a fitted dressing room and an unexpectedly large bathroom with a chrome-sided soaking tub.

      The updated kitchen is complemented by a spacious butler’s pantry.

      Blake Bronstad Photography

      The back of the house is encrusted in vines, and the one-fifth-acre spread’s various gardens include brick terraces and pathways, a built-in potting bench, numerous citrus trees, and a metal tea house.

      Tax records indicate the seller has already purchased another larger and no less charming house in the same neighborhood, while David went on to buy another, substantially larger Montecito home last year for $7.6 million. He also maintains residences in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades and on Martha’s Vineyard.

      Click here for more photos of 175 Miramar Avenue.

      Blake Bronstad Photography More