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    Sculptor Alma Allen’s Former Joshua Tree Hideaway Just Listed for $3 Million

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    American artist Alma Allen is known for his large-scale outdoor sculptures, and the low-slung house he built in collaboration with Los Angeles-based architect Sophie Smits on a rocky hilltop out in Joshua Tree, California, could be considered one of his most impressive works to date. The sprawling property that abuts the famed Joshua Tree National Park is now listed for sale on the open market for the very first time, asking a speck under $3 million.

    Records show that the self-taught sculptor snapped up the 14-acre property back in 2005 and offloaded it in 2017 in an $875,000 off-market deal to architect David Davis of Rottet Studio and his husband Brad Wilson, CEO of the Ace Hotel Group. Since the tastemaking couple picked up the isolated desert retreat, they’ve put the place through a sensitive renovation that honors the artist’s original designs.

    The desert compound sits on 17 acres abutting Joshua Tree National Park.

    Brian Rawlins/Desert Views Photography

    The compound includes a funky, low-key trio of structures sprinkled across a plateau at the top of a remarkably steep driveway. Modest in size, the residence comprises two shingle-clad pavilions that are sandwiched between a pair of hand-built stone walls and separated by an enclosed courtyard.

    The home was updated in recent years at the hands of artist and designer Cannon Hudson, who helped Davis and Wilson with a total overhaul that included adding bedrooms and bathrooms as well as installing smart built-ins and unfussy, high-quality finishes. Allen’s presence is still evident throughout the light-filled rooms via his custom-designed cabinet pulls and signature metalwork. 

    One pavilion holds an open living and dining area and a simple timber-crafted kitchen with open shelving. A bank of sliding glass doors opens one side of the room to the serene, protected courtyard, while a wall of glass on the opposite side gives a cinematic sweep of the harsh high desert landscape. This part of the house also holds the main bedroom and bath, plus a half-bath and a laundry room. Venture across the courtyard and the second structure contains two spacious bedrooms, two more bathrooms, and a media lounge.

    The humble materiality of the living room let’s the desert view take center stage.

    Brian Rawlins/Desert Views Photography

    A few steps from the front entrance to the house, you’ll find a steel Quonset hut that used to double as Allen’s studio space, and across the driveway, two as-yet undeveloped shipping containers are joined in an L-shape.

    “This exceptional house epitomizes the unique intersection of art, architecture, and the natural environment: essences that define Joshua Tree today,” notes the listing, which is being held by Chris Menrad and Keith Markovitz of TTK Represents of Compass, along with Clayton Baldwin of Kinetic Properties. 

    Click here to see more photos of the Joshua Tree compound.

    Brian Rawlins/Desert Views Photography

    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, entertainment, dining, travel to…

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      Sylvester Stallone Halts Plans for a Sea Barrier Around His Palm Beach Home After Neighbors Pitch a Fit

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      Sylvester Stallone is the talk of the town after pissing off his Palm Beach neighbors. The 78-year-old actor decamped from Hollywood to South Florida almost five years ago, snapping up a $35 million mansion with a private dock on the Intracoastal Waterway. The on-screen tough-guy recently ruffled more than a few feathers after it was revealed he wanted to install a sea barrier around his palatial estate to prevent seaweed and other debris from washing up on the private beach in his backyard, Bloomberg reported.  

      “It’s unbelievable to me that you can have your house, your things, your boat—the place that’s your sanctuary—and you can have some guy sit there for 10 months and do his laundry in front of me and there’s nothing you can do about it,” he pleaded to the Palm Beach Town council. In addition, Stallone mentioned in the application that he wanted to protect his residence from garbage that often gets dropped into the water. According to the news site, Stallone even raised the issue with incoming president Donald Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago property is about eight miles down the road.  

      Stallone ponied up $35 million for the waterfront estate that includes a private stretch of sugary sand.

      Apple Maps

      The plan would require him to lease a chunk of underwater land from the state where the barrier would be built, rising 18 inches out of the water. However, Stallone’s lawyer stepped in during the proceedings and declared that the proposal has been officially withdrawn after council members and local residents voiced their concerns about the actor’s infringement on public waterways. “It’s tough being so famous, and we have lots of celebrities and important people who live here, but you’re the only Rocky and Rambo, so it’s tough. I think we simply must object to this particular one,” said council president Bobbie Lindsay.  

      Stallone acquired the 13,000-square-foot lakefront compound back in December of 2020. Altogether, the sprawling estate has seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, plus a gym, a library, a swimming pool, and a family room with a wet bar, Realtor.com reported.

      In February, the Italian Stallion declared that he would be leaving California permanently to live full-time in the Sunshine State. Indeed, he’d already sold his Golden State home in the celeb-packed Los Angeles suburb of Hidden Hills to musician John Fogerty in October 2023 for $17 million. Celebrity pedigree aside, what made headlines is the fact that the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman flipped the residence six months later with a $4.3 million bump in the asking price. The year before, Stallone sold his longtime home in the ritzy Beverly Park enclave for $58 million to Adele, who has since ripped most of the house down to make way for an all-new custom home. And, earlier this month, the Tulsa King star splashed out $25 million—in cash!—for a recently rebuilt and glamorously apointed home in East Hampton for his three daughters, Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet. 

      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, entertainment, dining, travel to…

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      ‘Queer Eye’ Star Bobby Berk Just Listed His L.A. Design HQ for $2.8 Million

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      Bobby Berk announced his exit from Netflix’s Queer Eye earlier this year, and now the celebrity interior designer is parting ways with the Los Angeles estate that served as his firm’s home office. 

      The 43-year-old reality star shelled out a cool $1.375 million for the Hollywood Hills residence back in 2019—a departure from his former glass-box space in the historic Pacific Electric Building. Berk personally designed the Spanish-style property himself, which was built back in the 1970s, during the pandemic and is seeking $2.75 million for his one-time headquarters.

      “I wanted to find a space where I could really showcase our designs and products in a residential interior setting,” Berk told Architectural Digest in spring 2023 regarding his decision to forgo a more traditional office. “The front of this house is completely set up as if it’s an actual home. It has a dining room, the kitchen, and living room. There’s a little library office that we use if somebody needs to take a Zoom and they don’t want to do it in front of everybody.” 

      The kitchen has a marble island and matte black cabinets.

      Sara Ligorria-Tramp

      Altogether, the renovated digs measure roughly 3,000 square feet and feature four bedrooms and three full bathrooms. If you’re a fan of Berk’s work on the big screen, the place embodies his signature, statement-making aesthetic. Think tons of light oak wood and lots of earth tones, plus splashes of black, brass, and swaths of marble. Other architectural details include exposed beam ceilings, new skylights, three custom fireplaces, and arched windows.  

      According to AD, Berk took down the walls on the second floor to create one big communal workspace. However, it previously held a trio of bedrooms. Downstairs, the first level of the house is equipped with a stunning chef’s kitchen with a massive white Calacatta Extra marble island, brass cabinets, and top-of-the-line Dacor appliances. You’ll also find a butler’s pantry, two ensuite guest bedrooms, a living area, and a formal dining room with a chic wet bar.  

      The second floor served as Berk’s workspace.

      Sara Ligorria-Tramp

      Berk made plenty of updates to the outdoor area too, he revealed to Domino. In fact, the overhaul of the backyard included installing large inset pavers to the patio, adding brushed concrete, and building a new hilltop pergola and alfresco kitchen. Interestingly, the pad isn’t far from Berk’s own home above Lake Hollywood, which definitely made the commute easier. According to records, the TV host dropped $2.3 million on the three-bed, two-bath spread in 2020. 

      Nadine Guyaux of Redfin holds the listing.

      Click here to see more photos of Bobby Berk’s design headquarters.  

      Tessa Neustad

      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, entertainment, dining, travel to…

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      Billionaire Heir to the Hyatt Hotel Fortune Lists Bel Air Home For $195 Million

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      Exterior Listed with KURT RAPPAPORT (310) 995-3214 of westside estate agency inc. LOCATION: 1261 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, California SQUARE FOOTAGE: 50,000 BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS: 16 bedrooms & 27 bathrooms PRICE: $195,000,000 This modern mega home is owned by Anthony Pritzker, a member of the Pritzker family and an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune. He […] More

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      Billionaire Heir to the Hyatt Hotel Fortune Lists Beverly Hills Home For $195 Million

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      Exterior Listed with KURT RAPPAPORT (310) 995-3214 of westside estate agency inc. LOCATION: 1261 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, California SQUARE FOOTAGE: 50,000 BEDROOMS & BATHROOMS: 16 bedrooms & 27 bathrooms PRICE: $195,000,000 This modern mega home is owned by Anthony Pritzker, a member of the Pritzker family and an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune. He […] More