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      Marilyn Monroe’s Famed L.A. Home Is Being Torn Down

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      It’s another sad day for fans of historic architecture and Old Hollywood lore alike. As first reported by the New York Post, the house located at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive in L.A.’s Brentwood neighborhood, a 1920s Spanish hacienda-style structure, may soon be demolished by its new owner.

      Despite its modest scale and unpretentious nature, the 2,600-square-foot bungalow gained worldwide fame in 1962 as the location of Marilyn Monroe’s sudden death. The walled and gated property was also the only house ever owned by the legendary actress, and in the six decades since the half-acre estate has become one of the city’s most famous local landmarks. Blogger Lindsay Blake previously published an in-depth post filled with numerous fascinating tidbits about the property, including how Monroe placed a plaque above the front door which read “Cursom Perificio” in Latin. Translation: “My Journey Ends Here.”

      Monroe’s Brentwood house is a sprawling single-story hacienda.

      Getty Images

      While the home’s exterior architecture remains incredibly alike how it appeared in 1962, the interiors have been significantly altered. Most notably, the kitchen and bathrooms have been modernized, and the estate’s formerly detached guest casita has been merged into the main house. Still, numerous original features — casement windows, terracotta tile floors, wood-beamed ceilings — happily hark back to Golden Age times.

      Out back, a brick patio spills out to a notably large swimming pool; beyond that, a grassy lawn is surrounded by mature trees, tall hedges and a citrus orchard. Out front, bountiful bunches of bougainvillea arch their way across the home’s façade, and there’s a two-car garage.

      The half-acre property sits just a quick jog south of Sunset Boulevard.

      Mercer Vine

      Teardowns have become increasingly commonplace in the area surrounding Monroe’s former home, as soaring property values and record-breaking sales entice developers to build ever bigger and fancier. That this particular property survived intact is a testament to the hacienda’s enduring charm, and to Monroe’s legendary status, of course.

      Back in 2014, Emerald Lake hedge fund manager Dan Lukas and his wife Anne Jarmain paid $7.3 million for the Monroe estate, and have lived at the property in the years since. Six months ago, however, the couple paid $13 million for a larger home in the same neighborhood.

      Mercer Vine

      Last month, Lukas and Jarmain quietly sold the Monroe house to a buyer who has not yet been publicly identified. That person paid nearly $8.4 million for the property, in cash, and almost immediately applied for a demolition permit. The L.A. Department of Building and Safety recently approved the request for a “plan check” of the proposed work, though an official permit has not yet been issued.

      But if similar situations in the recent past are any indicator of this property’s future, it seems likely that the Monroe hacienda will soon be added to a long list of historical real estate treasures that continue to be lost. More

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      4 Of The Largest Homes Currently For Sale In The World

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      These 4 homes are some of the largest homes currently for sale anywhere in the world! Home #1 –  This massive modern home is located in Casa De Campo, La Romana, Dominican Republic and is situated on over 2 acres of land. It was built in 2020 and features nearly 64,000 square feet of living space […] More

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      Jack Nicholson’s Daughter Is Selling Her Desert Retreat Next Door to a Storied Old West Movie Set

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      Jack Nicholson might have acted in a few Westerns during his lengthy career, but his eldest daughter Jennifer one-upped him a few years back when the former actress and fashion designer plunked down around $525,000 for a 10-acre estate straddling an authentic Old West town in Southern California’s unincorporated community of Pioneertown. Now that contemporary residence is up for grabs, asking $3.7 million.

      Sited amid the Morongo Basin in eastern San Bernardino County’s High Desert region, near the Mojave Desert and Joshua Tree National Park, Pioneertown originated back in the 1940s when actor Dick Curtis collaborated with fellow actor Roy Rogers and other investors to buy 32,000 acres of land to create an authentic 1800s-themed town. The purpose: to serve as a filming locale and tourist destination, along with a permanent residence for folks working in the entertainment industry, ranchers and desert-lovers alike.

      More than 50 films and TV shows were ultimately shot in Pioneertown during the ’40s and ’50s, including The Cisco Kid and Annie Oakley. And though production worked died down in the ensuing years—and plans for a 40-acre lake, golf course, shopping center and an airport never came to fruition—the spot is still alive and kicking, complete with the Pioneertown Motel, as well as the popular Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, which is known for hosting live music by noted artists ranging from Paul McCartney to Lizzo.

      An expansive wood-paneled dining room has decorative glass doors spilling out to the grounds.

      Ed Tyler

      As for Nicholson’s home, the rustic wood-sided and metal-roof structure was custom-built in 1990, and rests down a driveway guarded by double wood gates. Inside, two bedrooms and three baths are filtered across almost 2,000 square feet of two-level living space boasting high ceilings, clerestory windows, ornate light fixtures and a unique circular stained-glass window, plus passive solar design.

      The centerpiece is a spacious fireside living room, which flows to a wood-clad dining room and kitchen outfitted with stainless appliances. The primary bedroom has a loft, built-in shelves, a walk-in closet, and bath equipped with a clawfoot soaking tub and large shower; and outdoors, the succulent-laced grounds hold a pool flanked by a sundeck, as well as an attached two-car garage and separate storage barn.

      Per the listing, which is held by Frank Sullivan and Jimmy Quill of Coldwell Banker Realty, there’s even a 1,000-year-old Joshua tree on the property.

      Click here for more photos of Jennifer Nicholson’s High Desert house. More

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      Spy Novelist John le Carré’s Cliffside English Cottage Can Be Yours for $3.7 Million

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      Back in the 1960s, English author John le Carré found solace along the U.K.’s Cornish coast, where his longtime home is now up for grabs.

      The late spy novelist, best known for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Constant Gardener, both of which were adapted into films nominated for multiple Oscars, wrote many of his bestseller thrillers at Tregiffian Cottage, where he lived until his death in 2020 at the age of 89. Spectacularly situated on a cliff between the villages of Lamorna and Porthcurno, the two-story stone residence comprises four bedrooms and four bathrooms. And, best of all for espionage aficionados, Carré’s writing room is still intact.

      Late novelist John le Carré’s former home in Cornwall just listed for $3.7 million

      Savills

      Listed for £3 million (or roughly $3.7 million), the residence is actually three original fisherman cottages put together. The author and his wife purchased the estate some 60 years ago and combined it with the surrounding outbuildings to form a spacious and unpretentious 5,000-square-foot family home.  

      “My earliest memories are of playing in the garden at Tregiffian and adventuring along the coastal path to St Loy or Mousehole,” says le Carré’s son, Nick Cornwell, in a press statement. “The whole place is alive with butterflies, rabbits, swallows, foxes, and occasionally badgers. In winter, you bank up a log fire, and listen to the wind around the house, and feel as if you’re in a castle or a lighthouse. The storms are dramatic and beautiful, and when they’re gone, you get that wild horizontal sun. It’s a wonderful place to rest, or work, or just be yourself.” 

      Known as Tregiffian Cottage, the waterfront property sits on three acres atop a cliff

      Savills

      Inside the main dwelling, you’ll find comfortable living and entertaining spaces, an up-to-date eat-in kitchen, and a conservatory, which faces out towards Scilly Isles. Not surprisingly, there’s an impressive library that is decked out with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and showcases a window that’s believed to be part of a World War II fighter plane.

      Among the very le Carré features is a safe room befitting any number of the author’s fictional characters. Elsewhere, the compound also has an indoor swimming pool that’s discreetly tucked away inside one of the chalet-style outbuildings.  

      “In all, a hugely inspiring home,” adds Chris Clifford, who is marketing the property for Savills. 

      Click here to see all the photos of Tregiffian Cottage. 

      Savills More

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      Jessica Simpson Is Putting Her Longtime SoCal Home on the Market for $22 Million

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      Back in spring 2013, a little more than a year before she married former NFL player Eric Johnson, Jessica Simpson paid Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne $11.5 million for a nearly 2.5-acre spread in the guard-gated Hidden Hills community. Now the pop star-turned-billion-dollar fashion mogul is ready to part ways with the place she’s owned for just over a decade, asking $22 million.

      The impending sale might be due to a little something she told Bustle earlier this summer. According to the online women’s magazine, Simpson says she’s considering a move to Nashville to reboot her music career.

      The 43-year-old Texas native purchased the opulent digs from the Osbournes for $11.5 million shortly before her 2014 marriage to Johnson, with the couple extensively remodeling and expanding the premises during their tenure. As for the Osbournes, the reality show stars paid nearly $12.4 million for the house in 2007, then subsequently undertook a Martyn Lawrence-Bullard-designed makeover that was featured in the pages of Architectural Digest.

      The expansive home has its share of cozy spots geared specifically toward relaxation.

      Cannon Schmidt/The Salty Shutters

      Built in 2001, the sprawling Cape Cod-inspired structure is tucked away behind a gated driveway accessible via a secluded cul-de-sac, and features eight bedrooms and 13 baths in just over 13,200 square feet of multi-level living space introduced by a double-height foyer displaying a striking spiral staircase flanked by soaring walls of glass.

      From there, a gourmet kitchen is outfitted with top-tier Wolf appliances, a center island, walk-in pantry and an accompanying breakfast nook, and oversized sliding barn doors lead to an adjacent family room resting beneath a vaulted wood-beam ceiling and sporting a fireplace crafted from reclaimed brick.

      The resort-like backyard is entertainment-ready with an al fresco entertaining area that comes complete with a built-in barbecue station.

      Cannon Schmidt/The Salty Shutters

      Elsewhere are a fireside living room, formal dining room, wood-paneled study, recording studio and gym, plus a sumptuous master retreat decked out with a stone fireplace, private balcony, sitting area, dual walk-in closets, and a luxe bath equipped with a soaking tub and steam shower.

      Outdoors the resort-like grounds overlook picturesque city lights and mountain views, and host a grassy lawn, pool with a spa and separate shallow pool, and several spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. There’s also a four-car garage and guesthouse with its own kitchenette.

      The listing is held by Bret Harrison of Coldwell Banker Realty.

      Click here for more photos of Jessica Simpson’s Hidden Hills house.

      Cannon Schmidt/The Salty Shutters More

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      ‘The Mandalorian’ Creator Jon Favreau Adds Fourth L.A. House to His Portfolio

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      Two years ago, Jon Favreau spent nearly $25 million to buy a palatial house in Laguna Beach. But that doesn’t mean the the prolific Hollywood multi-hyphenate is abandoning his longtime main residence in Los Angeles, where he owns three side-by-side houses in the seaside town of Santa Monica.

      On the contrary, Favreau is again expanding his Santa Monica footprint. Records show he acquired his three current properties from three different sellers in three separate transactions: the first in 2002, the second in 2005 and the third in 2021, for a total outlay of $6.9 million. Now he’s added a fourth residence into the mix, splashing out an additional $6.8 million to buy the property adjoining his current estate.

      The $6.8 million residence was built in 2023 and never officially listed for sale.

      While all three of his first homes are Spanish- or Mediterranean-style structures built decades ago, this fourth one is different. Bulky, boxy and ultra-contemporary, the two-story smart home was completed just this year, and built on speculation. Unfortunately, the house was never on the market, so photos and details are scant. But aerial photos reveal there’s a patio and grassy lawns out back, plus a swimming pool and a detached garage and cabana.

      This latest acquisition gives Favreau a contiguous four-house compound that spans two-thirds of one flat acre, a lot of space for the tightly-packed town of Santa Monica.

      The four-house estate, set on a leafy street in prime Santa Monica.

      Favreau, 56, is perhaps best known today as an actor who’s starred in numerous Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbusters (Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Iron Man franchise), but he also directed and produced the recent remakes of The Lion King and The Jungle Book, and is the creator of The Mandalorian series on Disney+. The New York City native got his professional start in indie films during the 1990s; notable works included 1996’s Swingers and 2001’s Made. Per various reports, his net worth exceeds $100 million.

      Besides their expanded Santa Monica compound and relatively new Laguna vacation home, Favreau and longtime wife Joya Tillem also maintain a $5 million property in L.A.’s Venice neighborhood, which is reportedly used as offices for Favreau’s Fairview Entertainment production company. More

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      Ashley Benson Sells Her Historic Los Angeles Villa for $8.5 Million

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      Barely one month after she put it up for grabs, Ashley Benson’s Los Angeles home has officially sold. The 1930s Los Feliz residence, tucked away within the famously star-studded Laughlin Park gated community, went for $8.5 million — lower than the “Pretty Little Liars” star’s $9.5 million asking price, but far more than the $4.5 million she paid for the place back in 2020.

      Records show the buyers are Scott Parra-Matthews, the longtime CFO of major food wholesaler Vesta Foodservice, and his husband Jairo Parra-Matthews.

      During her ownership, Benson gave the property a big and very thorough remodel. In addition to bathing each room in vibrantly decadent colors, she also ripped out and replaced the entire kitchen, renovated the bathrooms and generally gave the whole place a new and very contemporary lease on life. And even the outdoors didn’t escape the magic Benson touch — the Orange County native added a high wall that surrounds the entire property, installed privacy hedges and even replaced the old swimming pool with a newer and sexier pool, complete with a big raised hot tub. “No money was spared during the recent remodel,” the listing proclaimed.

      Designed nearly a century ago by prolific L.A. architect Arthur Rowland Kelly, best known for also penning the Playboy Mansion, the nearly 5,000-square-foot house was modeled after the Mediterranean-style villas that lace the French and Italian Rivieras. Despite its age, Benson is reportedly only the Laughlin Park home’s fourth-ever owner.

      While plenty of original charm remains, those Benson upgrades are very bespoke. Some of the more unusual amenities include a hair salon, a speakeasy “VIP lounge bar” and a wood-paneled master bedroom with its own kitchenette and boutique-style closet. The master bath features separate greenhouse-like stations for the shower/tub area and the toilet, respectively, and other in-house upgrades include a dropdown projector screen and a state-of-the-art Control4 smart home system.

      The cul-de-sac property is atypical in that is surrounded on three sides by a roadway, meaning that outdoor space is somewhat limited, but there is a big and new stone patio with ample space for al fresco entertaining, plus a grassy patch of lawn. One extra-special feature: per this listing, this house is perched on a knoll at the very highest point of Laughlin Park, meaning it lords over all the neighbors and sports 360-degree views that encompass the Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Hills and Downtown L.A. skyline.

      Laughlin Park has long been a favorite haunt of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Current residents include Brie Larson, Natalie Portman, Angelina Jolie, Kristen Stewart, Ellen Pompeo and Will.i.am, though the enclave is perhaps most famous for having been home to Cecil B. DeMille, the American cinema pioneer, for nearly 40 years. More