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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.

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      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.

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      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.

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      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.

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      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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      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.

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      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

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      Ellen DeGeneres Puts Her Palatial Montecito Estate Up for Grabs at $46 Million

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      Ellen DeGeneres has always preferred to update historic estates rather than buying land and building anew. Over the years, the former talk show host has remodeled numerous homes, and now she’s got the often challenging process honed to a science. Witness this spectacular estate in Montecito, which she and Portia de Rossi bought this June. In just four months, the couple and their skilled team have already given the 8-acre property a complete renovation and hoisted it back up for sale.

      That expertise won’t come cheap; the asking price is $46.5 million, more than double the $22.5 million DeGeneres and de Rossi originally paid. But the scale and historical nature of the estate ranks it among the grandest in all of Montecito.

      Built in 1919 and known as Pompeiian Court, the house and its grounds are hidden behind an enormous iron gate and a quarter-mile-long driveway that ends in a circular motorcourt surrounded by olive trees. Described as a “classic Roman courtyard residence” in the listing, the palatial main structure was fully remodeled circa 2000 before being re-transformed by DeGeneres into a minimalist and soothingly neutral retreat that embodies the current trend of quiet luxury.

      Quiet, refined luxury is now Pompeiian Court’s ethos.

      Jason Rick / Blake Bronstad

      In contrast to many of Montecito’s other historic mansions, Pompeiian Court is a rare single-story manor, with all of its rooms opening to a central courtyard laced with Roman columns and warmed by an outdoor fireplace. In addition to the main house, there are four ancillary structures scattered around the 8-acre property: two guesthouses, a poolside cabana and a petite art studio.

      The exquisitely manicured grounds include formal hedgerows and lawns, mature Italian cypresses, ancient oaks and eucalyptus trees. Both the swimming pool and full-size tennis court are privately tucked well away from the main house, and there are several large fountains and walking paths on the premises. There’s also a chardonnay vineyard.

      Robert Riskin at Riskin Partners Group holds the listing.

      Click here for more photos of Ellen DeGeneres’ latest residential project. More

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      ‘Euphoria’ Star Hunter Schafer Bought a Modernist Gem by Architect A. Quincy Jones

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      It’s no secret that the luxury real estate market is currently sluggish, particularly in Los Angeles, but the right vintage house can still win over the hearts of buyers. Witness this 1950 structure in the affluent Brentwood neighborhood, which sports less than 2,100 square feet of living space but still generated a multimillion-dollar bidding war.

      The winning bidder was “Euphoria” actress and prolific model Hunter Schafer, born nearly 50 years after the modernist structure came to life. Schafer paid almost $3.9 million for the 2,100-square-foot house, nearly $200,000 over the property’s last asking price and a hefty $1,847 per square foot.

      But it’s not hard to see the attraction. Constructed as part of Brentwood’s novel housing co-op known as the Mutual Housing Association, the home was co-designed by acclaimed modernist architect A. Quincy Jones and his occasional collaborator Whitney R. Smith. Situated on a narrow and semi-remote road high in the Brentwood hills, the property is hidden well out of sight from passersby, down a long and curving driveway far below street level.

      Classic midcentury hallmarks about, including exposed concrete blocks and terrazzo-like tile floors.

      Cameron Carothers

      Over the past few decades, neglect and a series of bad remodels left the Jones-Smith design a pale shell of its former self. Enter HabHouse, a real estate development firm committed to restoring architectural gems; the firm purchased the property last year, paying $2.3 million, and subsequently transformed it into magazine-worthy showstopper complete with midcentury hallmarks such as Douglas fir built-in cabinetry, redwood tongue-and-groove siding and exposed concrete blocks.

      The sloped-roof structure is fronted by an attached carport and an adjacent parking space that can accommodate two vehicles. Inside, an entry foyer steps down into a den that features a massive wood-burning brick fireplace as its focal point, and an adjacent living and dining area connects to a galley kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island and vintage-style appliances. Expansive walls of glass open to patios from almost every room, while framing treetop and mountain views.

      The open floorplan marries the Douglas fir-clad kitchen with the living and dining rooms.

      Cameron Carothers

      Sequestered in a wing by itself is a primary suite holding a closet and shower-equipped bath, plus two additional bedrooms that share a bath. Elsewhere in the house is another bath and a laundry room; and outdoors, the fenced backyard hosts a grassy lawn flanked by a sprawling patio ideal for al fresco lounging and dining, with a hot tub notched right into the middle. Per the listing, there’s also plenty of room to add a swimming pool. More

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      Reese Witherspoon Just Spent $17 Million on a Sumptuous L.A. Estate

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      Reese Witherspoon might not yet be a billionaire, but she’s currently the world’s richest actress, per Forbes, with a net worth widely reported to be north of $400 million. So it’s no surprise that while the media maven continues to reside mainly in Tennessee, she’s also now splashed out $17.5 million for a house in prime Los Angeles, on the Pacific Palisades Riviera.

      Designed by noted architecture firm Morgan, Walls & Clements, the same company behind the design of L.A.’s El Capitan theater, the roughly 7,500-square-foot traditional home was completed in 1933 for film writer/director Oliver H. P. Garrett and once owned by acclaimed TV producer Steven Bochco. Enveloped by towering eucalyptus trees and verdant hedges, the nearly 1.1-acre property is supremely private and suitable for a major celebrity.

      From the street, past a meandering brick pathway, guests are welcomed to the home via a teal front door and double-height foyer. Seamlessly connected to that space is a notably oversized great room with a brick fireplace and access via French doors to the backyard; branch off from the great room and you’ll find a chef’s kitchen equipped with its commercial-grade appliances and breakfast nook, plus a den equipped with its own wet bar and fireplace.

      Built in the 1930s, the multi-winged house has been renovated and modernized in the decades since.

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      Three of the home’s six bedrooms are located upstairs, but the spacious master retreat is actually located on the ground floor, where it flaunts a spa-style bathroom, walk-in closet and fireplace. Also on tap is a finished basement level equipped with a large games room and another bar area.

      Out back, the a sparkling pool is surrounded by a well-watered lawn, and there are multiple seating areas overlooking tree-shaded canyon views. The property is also only a short jog from the Riviera Country Club, where initiation dues reportedly top $300,000 and members include Larry David, Adam Sandler and Ari Emanuel.

      Witherspoon is known as something of a real estate maven, frequently buying and selling expensive homes in Nashville and on the posh Westside of Los Angeles. Thus, while her holdings are always subject to change, her property portfolio currently includes several Nashville properties, including her main residence — an $18 million compound in the Belle Meade area — and a $5 million home in L.A.’s Brentwood neighborhood. More

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      The One That Got Away: Inside Katy Perry’s Fight Over a $15 Million Montecito Estate

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      In October 2020, Katy Perry paid $14.2 million for a hillside estate in Montecito, the seaside enclave that has long been considered one of California‘s poshest neighborhoods. The purchase was widely reported, and the pop star and her fiancée Orlando Bloom promptly made the 9-acre compound their main residence.

      What went unreported at the time was that Perry’s scenic new estate was not the property she had really wanted to buy. Back in July 2020, court records now show, and following an extensive house hunt, the “California Gurl” entered into an agreement to pay $15 million for a different Montecito estate, this one significantly smaller but also much closer to Montecito’s trendy downtown area than the other. But what initially seemed a clear-cut transaction has since devolved into a messy three years of legal wrangling and lurid allegations.

      Perry paid $14.2 million for this Montecito tennis court estate in late 2020, but it wasn’t the house she really wanted.

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      In 2020, amid the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, wealthy residents from Los Angeles, San Francisco and other major cities fled to peaceful Montecito, sending real estate prices skyrocketing. In May 2020, Dallas-based entrepreneur Carl Westcott — the founder of 1-800-Flowers — paid $11.3 million for a 2.5-acre property sitting just a few doors away from Oprah Winfrey’s storied “Promised Land” complex.

      Within a month of his purchase, Westcott had already hired an agent to court potential buyers who wanted to buy his new home. One of them was Maria Shriver, who offered $13 million for the nearly 10,000 square foot house, which sports eight bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. Facing competition, California’s former First Lady subsequently upped her offer to $13.5 million. But Shriver was ultimately outbid by Perry, who ponied up the $15 million now in dispute. On July 14, 2020, Westcott signed the agreement to sell the house for $3.7 million more than he had paid less than two months prior.

      Almost immediately, Westcott appears to have had second thoughts about the deal. On July 22, 2020, according to a deposition, the 84-year-old contacted his real estate agent and asked about cancelling the contract, citing capital gains taxes and his girlfriend’s reluctance to move again. Two days later, an attorney hired by Perry’s business manager contacted Westcott, informing him that Perry and Bloom still wanted to buy the house and reminding him of his contractual obligation to complete the sale.

      The Montecito house at the center of the multimillion-dollar legal war has formal gardens, a guesthouse and sits on 2.5 acres of land.

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      In August 2020, Westcott sued Perry’s business manager, claiming through his attorneys that the real estate contract should be voided because “the combination of age, frailty from his back condition and recent surgery, and the opiates he was taking several times a day rendered [Westcott] of unsound mind.”

      Perry promptly countersued Westcott for millions in damages and has scoffed at his claims, noting that “[Westcott] was competent when he hired an experienced real estate broker, vetted the brokerage commission rate, arranged showings of the property, entertained multiple offers, sought alternative houses, and ultimately negotiated a highly lucrative sale.”

      For now, the Montecito estate’s property title remains in Westcott’s name, though the high-maintenance estate has reportedly been left vacant as the three-plus-year legal battle unfolded. In any case, a judicial decision on the matter could finally be reached as soon as November; the two sides are currently battling it out in a Los Angeles courtroom.

      And for whatever reason, this is not the first time Perry has faced a dispute with elderly people over pricey real estate. Back in 2014, Perry was involved in another legal tussle with several nuns after the local Archdiocese accepted her $14.5 million offer for a 22,000-square-foot convent in Los Angeles, which the singer intended to convert into a single-family home. Perry won that battle after years of wrangling, but ultimately lost interest in the property and declined to complete her purchase. More