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      Formula 1’s Jenson Button Puts Colorful Rental Villa up for Sale in Palm Springs

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      Seeking a potential income opportunity—specifically a 1930s Spanish-style rental property that’s been revamped in keeping with the iconic style of The Beverly Hills Hotel and Jayne Mansfield’s “Pink Palace,” plus a little bit of Barbie DreamHouse thrown in for good measure? Look no further! A vacation villa owned by former Formula 1 champ Jenson Button and his wife Brittny has just popped up for sale in the California desert city of Palm Springs, at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains, asking $2.1 million.

      Per records, the U.K.-born racer and his interior designer wife Brittny purchased the place in fall 2021 for $1.7 million from filmmaker and screenwriter Josh Evans, son of actress Ali McGraw and the late movie producer Robert Evans. They subsequently reworked the premises for use as “The Mesa Bungalows,” with rates currently starting at $900 per night via Natural Retreats.

      A neon sign out front welcomes guests to the four-bedroom rental villa.

      Natural Retreats

      Built way back in 1937, the two-story structure offers four en-suite bedrooms with their own separate entrances and five baths in 2,200 square feet of retro-inspired living space adorned throughout with varying shades of pink and green accents. There also are palm-laced grounds sporting a kidney-shaped pool and spa, white iron gazebo and tiered water fountain.

      Other highlights include a kitchen outfitted with a mint-green gas stove, an eat-in island and a butler’s pantry, along with an adjoining dining area that connects to a living room spotlighted by a vaulted wood-beam ceiling and floor-to-ceiling fireplace; and elsewhere is a primary bedroom boasting a bath equipped with dual vanities, a freestanding soaking tub and large glass-encased shower, as well as a guest bedroom with access to a sundeck.

      The kitchen is decked out with a mint-green gas stove and pink refrigerator.

      Natural Retreats

      A couple of additional guest bedrooms spill out to resort-like grounds spanning over a third of an acre, and hosting the aforementioned pool and spa flaunting a cascading waterfall. There’s also an upper-level patio, which is ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining with a pergola holding a kitchen and barbecue setup, an inviting fireplace and a custom wood daybed shaded by colorful metal palm leaves.

      An upper-level patio is the ideal spot for relaxing with a frond-covered day bed and cozy fireplace.

      Natural Retreats

      After having one of the most successful careers in Formula 1 history—earning 15 wins, 50 podium finishes and a 2009 World Championship—and then taking a turn at the Super GT series, Jenson Button returned to the Nascar driver’s seat over the summer after taking a sabbatical. He also recently joined with actor Keanu Reeves to release the documentary The Impossible Formula 1 Story, which is now airing on Disney+. 

      In addition to their Palm Springs home, the Buttons also maintain a primary residence in Calabasas. Earlier this year, the couple offloaded a Spanish Colonial-style getaway in the historic El Mirador neighborhood of Palm Springs for $2.1 million; and in 2022, the pair netted a total of $9.3 million on two properties they sold in Palm Springs and Santa Monica.

      Listed by Joseph Babineaux of Windermere Real Estate Desert Properties, the turnkey property is being marketed as a short-term vacation rental investment opportunity or private desert getaway.

      Click here for more photos of “The Mesa Bungalows.”

      Natural Retreats More

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      Bob Dylan’s Grandson Buys a Hollywood Hills Retreat for $3 Million

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      Last year, Bob Dylan sold the rights to his entire back catalogue of music in a landmark deal worth “north of $200 million,” according to multiple reports. So it’s not entirely surprising that the entire Dylan clan is now flush with cash, or at least flusher than before—and that includes Pablo Dylan, the 27-year-old aspiring rapper-turned-folk-rocker son of Bob Dylan’s son Jesse and actress Susan Traylor. A few weeks ago, Pablo paid nearly $3 million for a house in a particularly star-stocked part of the Hollywood Hills.

      Perched high above street level and privately shielded from view behind giant bougainvillea plants and a big driveway gate, the single-story Spanish hacienda was built in 1950 but recently underwent a renovation. Arguably the standout is the skylit kitchen, which was fully remodeled and now sports high-end Sub-Zero and Viking appliances, plus a built-in wine cooler and custom cabinetry. Tile or hardwood floors flow throughout much of the rest of the 2,600-square-foot residence, including into the large living room and a casual breakfast area with French doors opening to the garden.

      Dylan won a bidding war for the remodeled 1950s house, paying $250,000 over the seller’s asking price.

      The main house offers just two bedrooms, though both are spacious and well-equipped with walk-in closets and ensuite bathrooms. But the listing notes that the home’s fireplace-equipped office could function as a third bedroom, and there’s an additional bedroom and bathroom in the detached guesthouse, which was likely once a garage. As it stands now, the property does not appear to have covered car parking, but the gated motorcourt is large enough for two or three cars and there is street parking available in the neighborhood.

      Outside, the quarter-acre property’s grounds are undeniably lovely, with flowers and a grassy lawn surrounding a saltwater swimming pool. While there is no city lights view available here, the place is commendably private and outfitted for entertaining, complete with a barbecue center and multiple terraces for al fresco dining or lounging. Tall trees shade much of the property from the occasionally oppressive SoCal sunshine.

      Like many homes in this particular neighborhood, Dylan’s new digs have a bit of celebrity history. From 2012-2015, according to records, the house was owned by “The O.C.” actor Ben McKenzie. Other nearby current homeowners include actors Will McCormack and Kim Raver. As for Dylan himself, he’s not new to the Hollywood Hills; he grew up at his father’s longtime estate in the woodsy Laurel Canyon enclave. More

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      ‘Fargo,’ ‘Ted Lasso’ Star Juno Temple Scores a Gated Hollywood Hills Compound for $2.8 Million

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      English actress and indie film darling Juno Temple has certainly come a long way since she appeared as a teenager in minor supporting roles in 2006’s Notes on a Scandal, a British drama starring Judi Dench and , and in the 2007 hit Atonement, starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley. Fifteen-plus years and dozens of films later, the 34-year-old is now a bonafide Hollywood celebrity, with a prominent starring turn on the recently-premiered fifth season of FX’s Fargo.

      It was Temple’s Ted Lasso role that arguably served as her mainstream breakthrough, but she’s been on the fringes of big stardom for years. And after several years of , in her own words, Temple has bought a Los Angeles home to serve as her stateside base.

      Tucked away in a semi-remote pocket of the Hollywood Hills, the Mediterranean-flavored house was built in 1995 but recently underwent a contemporary renovation. Temple paid about $2.8 million for the keys, roughly $80,000 more than the seller’s asking price, an indication that she faced some competition for the property.

      The 3,600-square-foot house has four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.

      Google Earth

      The listing notes that the house offers “a level of privacy that is hard to find.” Fully gated and tucked into the very back of a steep canyon, at the end of a little-known cul-de-sac, the roughly 6,000-square-foot lot is smallish but ideal for a celebrity, cloistered behind big trees and tall hedges. The property also offers an unusual amount of parking for the tightly-packed Hollywood Hills, with a three-car garage and long driveway with space for four additional cars.

      In addition to the garage, the three-story home’s lowest level contains a guest bedroom suite ideal for use as maid’s quarters and a bonus room that could be a wine cellar or a meditation area, per the listing. Upstairs, the main floor features generously scaled living spaces, including a high-ceilinged living room with a fireplace, a kitchen with premium appliances and French doors leading to an outdoor living area with an AstroTurf lawn.

      On the home’s top floor are the remaining three bedrooms; the spacious primary suite overlooks the outdoor plunge pool and offers a walk-in closet, plus a bathroom with its own linen closet and a jacuzzi tub. The remaining two bedrooms share a large bathroom, and both flaunt treetop views of the neighborhood.

      Because the property backs up to a large nature preserve, the backyard feels much larger than its stats suggest. Per the listing, a semi-private pathway adjacent to the lot leads to acres of wildflowers and abundant hiking trails, perfect for a nature lover. More

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      Tom Petty’s Widow Just Spent Millions on a 1920s Spanish-Style Hacienda in L.A.

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      It’s hard to believe six years have passed since 66-year-old music legend Tom Petty unexpectedly died after slipping into unconsciousness at his Malibu home. Since then, Dana York — the Michigan native who was Petty’s wife for the last 16 years of his life — has continued living at the same Malibu estate, though it appears that residential situation could be changing. A trust linked to the Petty family recently paid $6.6 million for a luxury home in L.A.’sLittle Holmby neighborhood, an affluent enclave near UCLA and the bustling Wilshire Corridor.

      Originally built in the 1920s, the Spanish Colonial Revival-style home was recently renovated by its longtime owners, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” executive producer Alec Berg and his wife Michele Maika Berg. The Bergs put their stylish hacienda on the market for $6.25 million, and it appears York fell hard for the keys, as she paid $350,000 over the asking price.

      From the street, most of the roughly 4,600-square-foot house is hidden behind tall hedges and trees. But past a gated courtyard entryway, the five-bedroom, 6.5-bath stunner offers decorative tilework throughout, a wrought iron staircase, lustrous hardwood floors stained a deep brown, arched doorways, and antique French paned windows throughout. But the kitchen is all-new, featuring state-of-the-art luxury appliances and a big island, while the executive office boasts convenient garage access. Rounging out the main floor are a fireplace-equipped living room, a powder room and maid’s quarters.

      Upstairs are the four family bedrooms, the primary suite equipped with an original fireplace and dual bathrooms, plus a bonus room that could be another office or a gym. Views drink in the lush backyard, which is awash with tropically-inspired landscaping. Also out back is a convenient lap pool and a separate hot tub, plus plum and nectarine trees; an outdoor kitchen services a stone patio and multiple terra-cotta terraces.

      There’s also a state-of-the-art security system with multiple cameras monitoring the premises, a detached guesthouse and a full outdoor kitchen with a built-in barbecue center.

      It remains to be seen if York purchased this Little Holmby estate was purchased for her personal use or for her adult son Dylan Epperson, who was recently married. Epperson’s current main residence, also owned by York, is a significantly smaller bungalow in Pacific Palisades. As for York, her longtime main residence is a Mediterranean-style mansion directly overlooking Malibu’s bustling Pacific Coast Highway, originally purchased by Tom Petty way back in 1998. Earlier this year, York sold Petty’s separate Malibu “recording studio,” an oceanfront cottage on Escondido Beach, for $10.3 million to Canadian hotel mogul Salim Sayani. More

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      Michelle Pfeiffer Pays $10 Million for a Sophisticated L.A. Estate on the Palisades Riviera

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      It’s no secret that Michelle Pfeiffer and her television producer husband David E. Kelley have a thing for the posh Westside of Los Angeles. The couple has bought and sold a number of homes there over the past few years, frequently at eye-popping prices. Two years ago, they inked a widely publicized deal to sell a Pacific Palisades mansion for $25 million to the ex-wife of a major TikTok investor. And way back in 2005, they sold a palatial Brentwood home for $18 million to its current owner—Disney CEO Bob Iger.

      Now the serial house flippers are at it again; records indicate they’ve ponied up $10.6 million to acquire a house located in a particularly prime pocket of the so-called Pacific Palisades Riviera. The 7,600-square-foot mansion happens to sit right next door to Bill Cosby’s longtime L.A. home, and it’s also sugar-borrowing distance from the lavish estates of Steven Spielberg, Sugar Ray Leonard and Dan Castellaneta.

      Built in 1993, the Mediterranean-inspired mansion last sold in 1995 for $2.8 million to legendary winemaker Al Scheid, who died in the house earlier this year. Kelley and Pfeiffer were eager to secure the keys to their very beige new castle, as they paid some $130,000 over the Scheid family’s initial asking price.

      The flat 0.38-acre lot is defined by the exceptionally tall trees that ring its perimeter; they dominate the front motorcourt, which is double-gated and features an attached three-car garage. Arched double front doors open into a grand formal entryway highlighted by a sweeping staircase. To the right of the foyer lies a fireplace-equipped living room brightened by multi-pane windows.

      Many of the other rooms are pleasingly luxurious ’90s decorative throwbacks, including the family room—with its granite-topped wet bar and burled hardwood floors—and the kitchen, which spills out into “an informal secondary family room,” per the listing. Upstairs are four of the home’s five bedrooms, all of them decked out in wall-to-wall carpeting. The supersized primary suite features a fireplace, dual closets, a sitting area and a private balcony overlooking the grassy yard.

      Out back, a vine-draped loggia hosts an outdoor dining patio, while terracotta tile steps lead down to rectangular swimming pool shaded by manicured hedgerows and multiple palm trees.

      Pfeiffer and Kelley also have ties to this smaller Palisades home, currently for sale at $7.4 million.

      Open House Foto

      Records also indicate that this is not the only Pacific Palisades property Pfeiffer and Kelley currently own. They’ve also got a far smaller and older house elsewhere in the neighborhood, which happens to be currently up for grabs at $7.4 million. The couple quietly bought that 1940s place in late 2021, paying $6.9 million. More

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      Fashion Designer Gigi Caruso Spends $9.5 Million on a Dreamy California Home

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      She’s just 23 years old, but Gianna “Gigi” Caruso is already the CEO and founder of a successful clothing company with the sort of finger-on-the-collective-pulse clout many more established apparel moguls would kill to have. Founded in 2017, Caruso’s Gigi C swimwear line is a pricey hit, with her $200 bikini sets having racked up a host of celebrity fans that include Eva Longoria, January Jones, Selma Blair and Elizabeth Banks. And it’s no wonder that the brand’s continued growth, coupled with its owner’s chic personal style, has turned Caruso a popular social media influencer.

      Of course, it’s also worth noting that Caruso is the only daughter of Rick Caruso, the high-profile real estate developer and onetime L.A. mayoral candidate who has built and owns some of the country’s most successful shopping malls. The elder Caruso’s personal net worth tops $5.3 billion, per Forbes.

      So it’s hardly a surprise that Gigi Caruso can afford some very nice things. The recent USC grad recently forked out $9.5 million for a stunningly refined house in prime Pacific Palisades, the seaside neighborhood well known for the upscale, and Rick Caruso-developed, Palisades Village outdoor shopping area.

      The 100-year-old heritage olive trees arguably upstage the elegant house itself.

      Built in 2007 but extensively renovated in 2019, the contemporary quasi-Spanish-Mediterranean villa was in demand, with Caruso ponying up $30,000 over the asking price just to secure the keys. Gnarled, century-old olive tees line the long private driveway, which is guarded by an electronic gate and butts up against an attached two-car garage. Also on tap outside are tranquil gardens and a private studio space ideal for the at-home artist.

      Inside, the long and narrow house packs a generous seven bedrooms and seven baths into nearly 6,000 square feet of sun-drenched living space. Medium brown hardwood floors neatly contrast against the pale decor, a neutral palette filled mostly with whites and some pops of light gray.

      The main floor features numerous sets of French doors and multiple fireplaces.

      On the main floor are dual fireplaces and a dizzying number of open living and dining areas, plus two guest bedrooms and a fashionably updated chef’s kitchen. Upstairs is the primary suite, where a private balcony overlooks the lush backyard, along with four additional family bedrooms.

      Out back, the 0.33-acre lot is defined by its oversized swimming pool, which neatly connects the main house to a detached casita. Guests will enjoy dining al fresco amid the manicured gardens, along with a built-in bbq center and a separate lounge area with a fire pit overlooking impressive canyon views.

      Privately surrounded by hedges and eucalyptus trees, the backyard is a resort-style sanctuary.

      Records reveal the seller home’s was James Barker, a trucking mogul and private equity veteran who recently paid $16.5 million to upgrade into a significantly larger and more lavish estate elsewhere in the Palisades. As for Caruso, she’s certainly not new to the area. Her parents have long owned one of the largest properties in L.A.’s Brentwood Park community; Vanity Fair recently described the palatial Caruso family estate as “a creamy Italianate compound of rolling grasses, waterfalls, a pond, a rowboat, a tennis court, and an outdoor bar.” More

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      An MTV Founder Snaps Up a Stunning 1970s Time Capsule in Santa Monica for $8 Million

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      Looking for a real estate throwback? Check out this fun and funky—but still remarkably luxurious and searingly expensive—house on the Westside of Los Angeles. Situated mid-block on what has long been considered one of Santa Monica‘s most prestigious streets, the property boasts panoramic views that sweep from the mountains to the sea. Neighbors include Paul Attanasio, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, and Steve Jobs’s sister Mona Simpson.

      The well-positioned house just sold for $7.9 million to John Sykes, a veteran entertainment industry executive who co-founded MTV and has been iHeartMedia’s president of entertainment enterprises for over a decade. Sykes, 68, is also the former president of VH1 and the current chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.

      Built in 1941 and expanded in the late 1940s, the offbeat traditional-style house sold in 1972 for just $150,000. Those lucky buyers held onto the property for 50 years, selling it last fall for exactly $9 million to a non-famous L.A. family. But unfortunately for them, that family appears to have had a change of heart — nine months later, the house was back on the market, asking $9.5 million. After a big price reduction, Sykes came along and negotiated an even deeper discount.

      The 1970s-throwback interiors will have you hooked on a feeling.

      Inside, there are five bedrooms and five baths in just under 4,000 square feet. And nearly every inch of those square feet is a 1970s time capsule, with wood paneling galore, groovy wet bars, charmingly outdated wallpaper and a smattering of pastel colors setting the beat. Dozens of oversized windows scattered throughout the house flood the place with natural light, while sliding glass doors allow ocean breezes to waft inside and back out.

      Speaking of outside, the backyard definitely dates to a bygone era but is remarkably well maintained — much like the home itself. The generous half-acre lot includes grassy lawns, mature palm trees, a towering hedge wall for privacy, and a large swimming pool encircled by a patio sure to delight sunbathers and entertainers alike. Also on tap are rose gardens, flowering bunches of bougainvillea and an attached two-car garage.

      Per the listing, “the property yearns for one to bring it back to all of its glory or reimagine the lot,” so it seems likely the estate will be altered considerably in the coming months and years.

      No word yet regarding what exactly Sykes and his wife Laurie plan to do with their new West Coast outpost, or whether they plan to eventually make the spread their main residence, but records reveal the couple has long owned a compound that sits less than 50 yards from the beach in New York’s posh East Hampton neighborhood.

      Click here for more photos of John Sykes’s new Santa Monica house. More