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      Rihanna’s Lavish London Mansion Just Sold for a Record $33.4 Million

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      A London mansion rented by Barbadian superstar Rihanna has just been sold for £27.5 million, or roughly $33.4 million. 

      According to Savills and Aston Chase, who were the appointed agents, the Diamonds singer’s 6,332 square-foot former rental on swanky St. John’s Wood Park was snapped up by a family from overseas for a record-breaking £3,500 (or about $4,250) per square foot. The Fenty Beauty founder lived at the palatial pad for about two and a half years when she was based in the U.K. between 2018 and 2020, reported The London Evening Standard. At the time, the multihyphenate billionaire mogul was leasing the place for a whopping £18,000 (or $21,870) per week.  

      “This sale is indicative of the surge in demand from Chinese buyers for super-prime homes in London,” explains Mark Pollack, co-founding director of Aston Chase, in a press statement. “As a result of an inability to travel during the pandemic many wealthy Chinese and Hong Kong residents are prioritizing a ‘Plan B’ in the eventuality of another unforeseen event leading to the Chinese government restricting movement.” 

      A London home once rented by Rihanna just sold for $33.4 million.

      Aston Chase/Tony Murray Photography

      The white stucco mansion, designed by renowned architect John Shaw Junior and built in 1844 by local builder William Holme Twentyman, first belonged to De Beers diamond tycoon Daniel Francis. The fully refurbished five-story home contains eight bedrooms, multiple reception rooms, a library, and an open-plan kitchen. An impressive 21-foot terrace that overlooks a sprawling rear garden. 

      A notable perk is the dwelling’s private gym, which features a weight room and exercise studio. While it’s not clear whether the new owner intends to expand the abode’s current wellness offerings, the property includes approved plans for an additional health spa with a swimming pool, a sauna, a steam room, and massage facilities. 

      The St. John’s Wood Park property features a fully equipped gym and approved plans for an extensive wellness complex.

      Aston Chase/Tony Murray Photography

      “Savills is delighted to have introduced the buyer and successfully sold this famous house on St John’s Wood Park in one of the biggest deals in St John’s Wood in 2023,” added Stephen Lindsay with Savills. “This is an extremely special house, the only one of royal architect John Shaw’s original villas on St John’s Wood Park to have survived into the 21st century. The substantial price achieved firmly underlines the value and quality of this unique trophy home and the enduring appeal of St John’s Wood with buyers from both the UK and from around the world.”

      Click here to see all the photos of Rihanna’s former London rental.

      Aston Chase/Tony Murray Photography More

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      Jennifer Lopez’s Lavish Bel Air Retreat Sells to the Neighbors for $34 Million

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      A little more than eight months after it first popped up for sale with an impressive $42.5 million ask, a sprawling Bel Air estate owned by multi-hyphenate entertainer Jennifer Lopez has officially traded hands for the heavily slashed yet still pricey sum of $34 million. But that’s still $6 million more than she paid actress Sela Ward for the place back in spring 2016.

      Property records reveal the buyers are Taiwanese businessman Walter Wang, president and CEO of 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. The couple, who regularly fund various philanthropic projects through their family foundation and Los Angeles-based companies, happen to have long owned two Bel Air homes just a few doors away from their big new spread.

      When combined with their additional $2.1 million and $3.9 million estates on the same street, this purchase gives the Wangs over 9 acres of land just minutes from the Bel Air Hotel, plus three homes—for a total of 18 bedrooms, 23 baths and more than 23,000 square feet of living space between them.

      Originally designed by architect Samuel Marx, and built in 1940, the Wang’s recently acquired residence was transformed during Lopez’s tenure into what the listing describes as a “one-of-a-kind multi-structure French Country refuge.”

      A double-height living room is decked out with a fireplace and curving wrought-iron staircase.

      Jeremy Spann

      Tucked away behind a gated driveway, on a nearly 8-acre parcel, the creamy stucco and wood-accented dwelling features nine bedrooms and 13 baths in a little more than 12,800 square feet of living space that opens throughout to expansive terraces. There also are plenty of snazzy amenities—a guest cottage, gym, 100-seat amphitheater, pagoda with fire-pit, putting green, an infinity-edge pool and spa, and a private lake with its own sandy beach, just for starters.

      Other standout features include a soaring wet bar-equipped living room boasting a fireplace and curving wrought-iron staircase, along with a formal dining room, wood-paneled library, and gourmet kitchen outfitted with a stone fireplace and cozy breakfast nook. A spacious family/game room has yet another wet bar, while the lower-level holds a plush movie theater, and an upstairs master bedroom wing comes complete with a fireplace, library/sitting room, and dual dressing rooms and baths.

      The amenity-packed grounds are spotlighted by a striking infinity-edge pool and spa.

      Jeremy Spann

      Lopez and her actor husband Ben Affleck—who sold his Palisades bachelor pad in October 2022 for $28.5 million—had planned to renovate and live in her Bel Air mansion after they were married a little over a year ago, per TMZ. But they went on to reside in a rental, before ultimately doling out $61 million in cash this past May for a massive compound in the Benedict Canyon neighborhood of Beverly Hills.

      Between them, the pair 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.

      The listing was held by Brett Lawyer of Carolwood Estates; Lea Porter of The Beverly Hills Estates repped the buyers.

      Click here for more photos of Jennifer Lopez’s Bel Air house.

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      On the Heels of Her Wedding, Frances Bean Cobain Buys and Sells Cozy San Diego Houses

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      Earlier this month, rock ‘n’ roll heiress Frances Bean Cobain married Tony Hawk’s son Riley in a small but highly publicized ceremony officiated by R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe. How legendarily ’90s-chic is that?

      Perhaps in preparation for her new marital status, Cobain has also been busy on the real estate front. Property records reveal the only child of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love is changing addresses in the San Diego area, having recently thrown down about $2.3 million to buy a single-level house in the coastal city of Oceanside. Shortly after that, as first reported by Realtor.com, the 31-year-old sold her Point Loma home of two years for nearly $2.5 million.

      Cobain’s purchased this Point Loma home in 2021 and recently sold it for $2.5 million.

      Google Earth

      Built in 1990, Cobain’s former home appears quite modest from the street, fronted as it is by a single-car garage and single-car driveway. But inside, the open-concept floorplan features more than 1,800 square feet of harmonious living space wedded together by new hardwood floors, crisp white walls and a freshly redesigned kitchen with stone countertops.

      Other highlights include three bedrooms, walls of glass doors that spill out to a wooden deck overlooking a heated swimming pool, AstroTurf lawns for carefree maintenance, and tropical landscaping that surrounds a fire-pit seating area and covered lanai. At the far rear of the 7,000-square-foot lot lies a detached two-car garage with discreet alleyway access.

      Cobain and Riley Hawk recently settled into this breezy Oceanside property, a 1920s ranch-style home surrounded by dense landscaping.

      Google Earth

      Cobain’s new house is only slightly smaller than her old place — weighing in at a still-very-reasonable 2,000 square feet — but offers five bedrooms and an impressively large lot with a half-acre of flat land. The property is also located in a more laidback and family-friendly area of town.

      Originally built in 1926 but fully revamped and expanded in recent years, the new Cobain-Hawk digs sport extensive “green energy features,” per the listing, including native landscaping, a new reverse osmosis water system, a solar energy system and EV charging stations. Other notable amenities are a saltwater swimming pool and a separate cedar hot tub, a loft-like room that would be ideal as an art studio, Italian porcelain floors and a kitchen with premium Sub-Zero appliances.

      Cobain, who controls the publicity rights to her famous father’s name and image, previously owned two multimillion-dollar homes in L.A.’s Hollywood Hills. Both those properties were sold off within the last few years, records confirm. More

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      Robin Williams’s Italian Renaissance-Style San Francisco Mansion Can Be Yours for $25 Million

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      The same year Robin Williams starred in Steven Spielberg’s 1991 movie, Hook, he shelled out a cool $3.2 million for an Italian Renaissance-style estate in San Francisco‘s exclusive Sea Cliff neighborhood. Now, the former home of the late actor/comedian and his then-wife, Marsha Garces Williams, is on the market for a whopping $25 million. 

      The 20-room villa was originally built by architect Earle B. Bertz in 1926 for Oliver J. Olson, president of the Olson-Mahony Lumber Company. Positioned on a sprawling 17,149-square-foot corner lot on El Camino Del Mar, the elegant home has views that stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, and Marin Headlands.  

      The former San Francisco home of late actor and comedian Robin Williams is for sale.

      Open Homes

      The couple, who tied the knot in 1989, divorced two decades later in 2010. Marsha has owned the house ever since. Before they split, they put the palatial six-bed, eight-bath property through a massive reno. “Marsha and Robin Williams took the house down to the studs and rebuilt it in the early nineties, updating all the major systems,” explained Compass agent, Steven Mavromihalis, in a press statement. “They expanded the home to its current 10,598 square feet on three levels. However, they took great pains to preserve the rare and valuable building materials used in 1926, which are simply no longer available in the construction of modern homes.” 

      The estate was renovated in the late 1990s by Robin and his then-wife, Marsha Garces Williams.

      Open Homes

      Inside, you’ll find tons of period details like ornate moldings, wide plank hardwood flooring, built-in cabinetry, and exposed beams. Leaning into the character of the original design, the house is adorned with carved archways, marble columns, patterned terra cotta tiles, and wrought iron. Of course, there are quite a few surprises, too, including a movie theater with a drop-down projector, a Prohibition-era bar that’s hidden behind wood wall paneling, and a secret passageway that connects the children’s bedrooms. “It is everything you imagine Robin Williams to be,” Mavromihalis told The Wall Street Journal.  

      Views extend over the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay to the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands.

      Open Homes

      Elsewhere, a chef’s kitchen is decked out with a La Cornue Range and custom cabinets by U.K.-based Smallbone Design Studio. The primary suite—which has killer views, by the way—has a similar contemporary feel and actually features a Japanese-inspired bathroom with built-in vanities, a platform tub, and walk-in shower. Additionally, there’s a one-bed guest apartment on the garden level of the home with its own separate entrance, along with a gym, a Finnish sauna, and a wine cellar.  

      Now that the Williamses three kids are grown, Marsha is selling and downsizing. “It’s a beautiful, happy house,” she told the WSJ. “We had many, many fantastic years of fun and play and joy there.”

      Click here to see all the photos of Robin Williams’s San Francisco home.  

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      One of Pasadena’s Largest Estates Relists for a Reduced $36.5 Million

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      When you run across a place that’s billed as “the largest single-family residence in Pasadena,” and has the added cache of having been altogether fashioned by not just one but at least three noted architects, you have an inkling that it’s going to showcase some fairly creative living space paired with one-of-a-kind details. And this sprawling structure resting just steps from the ultra-posh Langham Huntington hotel is not one to disappoint.

      To boot, almost three years after the so-called “Knoll House” first hit the market with an ambitious $48 million price tag, the trophy estate best known as the longtime home of the famed pastor and televangelist Gene Scott also has popped up for sale again, this time with updated listing photos, a new top listing agent and substantially reduced $36.5 million ask.

      A soaring atrium in the entertainment center is an ideal spot to showcase art.

      Paul Barnaby

      Originally built by Peter Hall in the early 1900s for heiress, art collector and philanthropist Virginia Steele Scott in collaboration with esteemed architect Myron Hunt, the dwelling was later expanded by equally prominent architect Gordon Kaufmann. It was purchased in the mid-’80s by Scott; upon his death from prostate cancer in 2005, his third wife pastor Melissa Scott inherited the lot. After sitting vacant for some years, the whole kit and caboodle was sold in 2011 for $7.2 million to philanthropist John Vidalakis, who spent seven years renovating and restoring the premises.

      Tucked away behind walls and gates, amid a secluded cul-de-sac, the property includes a 12,300-square-foot main house and separate 21,000-square-foot entertainment center spread across nearly 2.5 acres of land—for a total of seven bedrooms and some 21 baths in a little more than 32,600 square feet, all of it boasting glitzy amenities ranging from an authentic Tiki bar and 46-seat movie theater, to an art gallery and a 2,500-bottle wine cellar.

      The home’s Tiki bar comes complete with a lounge area.

      Paul Barnaby

      Inside the primary Colonial Revival residence, a grand foyer adorned with custom black-and-white marble floors flows to multi-level living space highlighted by formal living and dining rooms, along with an English pub, and wood-paneled library sporting a fireplace and wet bar. A family room connects to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with two islands, top-tier Miele and Wolf appliances, a butler’s pantry and an accompanying breakfast room, while a luxe master retreat boasts dual walk-in closets and baths.

      Connected to the main house via commercial-grade elevators and a “secret” underground tunnel is the three-story entertainment space, which was designed by architects Ladd & Kelsey in the ’70s, and includes conference rooms, lounges, a catering kitchen, an arcade, card room, gym and guest apartment, as well as the aforementioned movie theater, Tiki bar and art gallery space holding court in a two-story atrium.

      The backyard includes a pool and spa nestled alongside a covered pavilion.

      Paul Barnaby

      Rounding it all out: resort-inspired grounds showcased by a Zen garden designed by Kohei Owatari, pool and spa, bocce court and fire-pit, along with numerous spots perfectly suited to al fresco lounging and entertaining.

      The listing is held by Josh Flagg of Douglas Elliman.

      Click here for more photos of the Knoll House.

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      The Real-Life Connecticut Estate From ‘And So It Goes’ Just Listed for $8.6 Million

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      If you wish you could’ve been the buyer of Michael Douglas’s fictional Connecticut mansion from the 2014 movie And So It Goes, the real-life property is now on the market for one deep-pocketed fan to purchase.

      The Rob Reiner-directed flick follows Douglas’s character, Oren Little, a high-end Fairfield County real estate agent who’s trying to offload his priciest listing to date—his own Greenwich estate. Hoping for one last big sale before he retires, viewers get to see a lot of the residence as Oren hosts different showings.

      Interestingly enough, the just shy of $8.6 million asking price is right around the same as what Oren was hoping to get. Sadly, however, Diane Keaton, who co-stars as Leah Hartman, won’t be your neighbor. Joy Kim Metalios with Houlihan Lawrence has the listing. 

      The Greenwich, Connecticut, mansion that starred in the 2014 movie And So It Goes is for sale.

      Mike Cinelli/Jump Visual

      The ivy-covered Colonial, which dates back to 1930, was originally built by J. Alden and Quentin Twachtman, a brotherly 19th-century architect duo and the sons of American painter John Henry Twachtman. The brick-clad abode is positioned on roughly four acres and features a ton of outdoor amenities like a clay tennis court, a swimming pool, and an adjoining pool house. 

      Today, the 7,691-square-foot spread looks virtually unchanged from when it appeared on screen. You’ll find that everything from the smartly wallpapered dining room to the light fixtures, hardwood flooring, and French doors are intact. Several years prior to filming, the five-bedroom, eight-bath home underwent a renovation that included updates to the scullery kitchen, family room, and guest wing.

      The formal dining room features a fireplace, wood floors, and floral wallpaper.

      Mike Cinelli/Jump Visual

      Other highlights of the estate include a wood-paneled library, a slate patio, and, of course, the primary suite, which is decked out with a cozy fireplace, two bathrooms, and a large dressing room. And yes, Douglas did rest his head here.

      Click here to see all the photos of 131 Pecksland Road. 

      Mike Cinelli/Jump Visual More

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      43,000 Square Foot Hilltop Home In Turkey (PHOTOS)

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      Listed with  of Türkiye Sotheby’s International Realty LOCATION: Bodrum, Mugla, Turkey SQUARE FOOTAGE: 43,000 BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS: 22 bedrooms PRICE: Available Upon Request This hilltop home is located in Bodrum, Mugla, Turkey and is situated on over 4 acres of land. It features approximately 43,000 square feet of living space, 22 bedrooms, indoor & outdoor pools […] More

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      Kurdistan’s Barzani Family Sells Bowling Alley-Equipped Beverly Hills Mansion for $24 Million

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      Roughly a year after it first appeared on the market carrying a $30 million price tag, one of Beverly Hills‘ most visible residential tributes to Old-World decadence has sold for a still-hefty $24.6 million. The buyers are reportedly a family hailing from Mainland China.

      Located in the prime Beverly Hills Flats neighborhood and built new in 2016, the almost shockingly extravagant house last sold in September 2018 for $27 million to the Barzani family, a wealthy clan that has been the de facto ruler of Iraq’s Kurdistan region for generations. Spanning nearly 21,000 square feet of living space, he giant house sits behind gates on an unusually deep 0.72-acre lot, the property itself set mid-block on one of the most coveted streets in the Flats.

      Although the mansion was long connected to the Barzanis, It’s still not entirely clear which family member actually owned it. But by far the most obvious candidate is Mansour Barzani, the globetrotting son of Masoud Barzani, who was president of Kurdistan from 2005-2017. Mansour is also the brother of Masrour Barzani, Kurdistan’s current prime minister.

      The property took nearly 19 years to plan and complete, custom-built to exacting detail for a businessman who died soon after it was finished.

      Google Earth

      In any case, the 90210 manor is indeed a veritable monument to neoclassical opulence. Beyond the elaborate moldings and Louis XV-inspired furniture, there are two family rooms, a kitchen with top-of-the-line Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, a commercial-grade elevator, gym, a wood-paneled library and multiple imported fireplaces, per the listing. All of the bedrooms feature ensuite full bathrooms, and the property is outfitted with the most advanced security, lighting and sound systems on the market.

      There’s also a two-lane bowling alley, an indoor basketball court, a beauty salon and a primary bedroom suite with its own outdoor jacuzzi on a private terrace. The movie theater flaunts a fiberoptic starry sky, akin to a new Rolls Royce, and at the far rear of the lot lies a detached guesthouse. 

      Although this deal represents a $2.4 million loss for them, even before maintenance and closing costs are considered, the Barzanis likely aren’t hurting for money. According to investigative journalist Zack Kopplin, the family is worth billions today. Some critics have claimed that much of this wealth stems from the Barzanis’ virtual monopoly on the Kurdistan region’s telecom, real estate and vast oil resources. More