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      in Luxury

      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nearly every inch of those square feet is a 1970s time capsule, with wood paneling galore, groovy wet bars, charmingly outdated wallpaper and a smattering of pastel colors setting the beat.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

    • 150 Shares179 Views

      in Luxury

      Julia Roberts Just Sold Her Charming San Francisco Home in a Flash

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      Back in the earliest days of 2020, just a month or two before the Covid-19 pandemic threw the entire world into chaos, Julia Roberts paid $8.3 million for a house in San Francisco, long one of her favorite haunts. Sited in the charming Presidio Heights neighborhood, the 1912 Victorian had languished on the market for nearly a full year, and endured a series of price chops before Roberts came calling.

      Nearly four years later, the Oscar-winning actress has sold the classically lovable house – and it appears she had the magic touch. After hitting the market in early October, the place sold in just 18 days for an impressive $11.3 million, about $500,000 under Roberts’ asking price but still $3 million more than she had paid. The all-cash buyer, shielded behind a mysterious LLC with a Silicon Valley address, has not yet been publicly identified.

      Behind gates, a brick walkway leads to the home’s column-ringed entry; inside are five full levels with a total of five bedrooms and five bathrooms in a generous 6,300 square feet of living space. Guests are greeted by a stately foyer with a grand staircase holding court near a light-flooded, fireplace-equipped living room.

      While the 111-year-old house has clearly been extensively modified over the years – and the interiors are distinctly contemporary, albeit in a relaxed and casual manner – the place is livable and unmistakably charming. And interesting or original features abound: the dining room features intricate coffered ceilings, there’s a nifty sunroom in one of the bedrooms, and the robin’s egg blue kitchen has stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge, plus premium Sub-Zero appliances and a convenient wet bar.

      Four of the home’s bedrooms are located on the second floor, while the primary suite takes up nearly all of the structure’s top floor. There are also two semi-subterranean lower levels – a primary lower level that includes a media room, mud room and the attached two-car tandem garage, and a “lower lower” level with a big bonus room. 

      Both lower levels have direct access to the backyard garden, which is compact but includes serene olive trees, romantic sitting areas and what appears to be a covered hot tub.

      Roberts, 56, still maintains many other homes. Among them are a penthouse in New York City’s West Village, a sprawling New Mexico ranch and an estate on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. But for many years, her primary residence has been a blufftop mansion on Malibu’s Point Dume. More

    • 150 Shares129 Views

      in Luxury

      Freshly Rehabbed, Architect Ray Kappe’s First Ever House Is Quintessential California Modernism

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      Widely considered one of California’s most influential modernist architects, Ray Kappe’s career spanned decades and inspired countless members of the current generation of architects and designers. And as a pioneer of the distinctive post-and-beam style that would come to define the architectural bent that became SoCal modernism, Kappe infused each of the numerous custom residences he designed with textures and materials he drew from L.A.’s natural landscape.

      That design sensibility that married Kappe’s homes with their natural surroundings is especially displayed in this suburban L.A. home, which happens to be his very first residential project ever completed. Built circa 1954 in the Glendale hills and surrounded by thick groves of native oak trees, the redwood-sided structure is locally known as the Gordon & Hildred Goetschel House after its original owners.

      Kappe’s first project is also the latest project by HabHouse, the L.A. based design firm that has built its reputation upon sensitive rehabilitations of architectural properties. In this instance, HabHouse reinstated or refurbished much of the home’s original detailing and also completely renovated the Kappe-designed swimming pool with modern-day equipment, plaster, tile and new coping. 

      The living room offers a floor-to-ceiling fireplace and walls of glass.

      if the HabHouse name sounds particularly familiar, it’s likely because this same crew was also responsible for a 1950 modernist gem in Brentwood, which recently sold in a bidding war to “Euphoria” actress Hunter Schafer. This property was also in high demand – the Glendale house sold before officially hitting the market, for about $2.6 million in an all-cash deal. Records indicate the buyer is a Salt Lake City-based woman who was once married to a wealthy tech entrepreneur.

      Framed by a wall of unpainted masonry block, the glass-walled pavilion is exquisite in its simplicity. Inside, natural light floods every corner of the hillside home, with the ancient trees casting shadows that stealthily move and grow throughout the day. 

      Other highlights include a fully redone kitchen with a distinctly retro vibe, an attached two-car garage and an 8,400-square-foot lot with backyard views of the Verdugo mountains. Back inside, there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms in a relatively cozy 1,700 square feet of living space.

      The backyard has mountain views framed by the treetops of ancient oaks.

      Kappe, who died at age 92 in 2019, designed 100 custom residences throughout his lifetime. He also founded the Southern California Institute for Architecture, widely regarded as one of the nation’s top architecture schools.

      Matt Adamo of Christie’s AKG held the listing; Nate Cole of Modern California House and Joseph Kiralla of Sotheby’s International Realty repped the buyer.

      Click here for more photos of 272 Mesa Lila, Glendale. More

    • 138 Shares159 Views

      in Luxury

      ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Screenwriter Scores Hilltop L.A. Home With Panoramic Views

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      Perched atop a knoll high above L.A.’s trendy and expensive Silver Lake neighborhood, this stylish Spanish Colonial Revival-esque home may appear to be a classic 1920s example, but it was actually built in the early 2000s. Although initially designed as a Tuscan-style villa, the roughly 4,000 square foot house underwent a dramatic refresh circa 2020 by its second owner, filmmaker/musician Robert Schwartzman, a member of Hollywood’s famed Coppola family.

      Schwartzman and his wife Zooey bought the house in 2019, paying $2.3 million, but their modifications caused the property’s value to soar. Over the summer, they flipped the place for a hefty $4.3 million to Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Peter Craig and his third wife, educator Cristina Esposito. 

      But it’s not hard to see the home’s attraction. Set high up and far back on its relatively generous 9,300-square-foot lot, the house lies completely out of sight from public view, shielded behind a detached two-car garage and a dense canopy of oak and eucalyptus trees. Behind a locked gate, several short flights of stairs lead up to a flat patio with a grassy lawn and dozens of native plantings.

      The formal dining room harkens back to the glory days of Old Hollywood, albeit with some chicly modern-day wallpaper.

      Inside the double-height foyer, the home’s Old Hollywood feel is especially pronounced – there are intricate iron details and terracotta tile floors that blend surprisingly well with the dark brown hardwood floors found on the staircase and throughout the rest of the home. From the foyer, an arched passageway leads directly under the staircase to the great room, which packs in a fireplace, casual dining space and an open kitchen with premium appliances and two islands, plus several sets of French doors leading to various outdoor patios.

      Other stylish home highlights include a bonus room/studio and a wine cellar, plus a formal dining room that connects via an arched doorway to a fountain-equipped terrace. All three of the residence’s bedrooms lie upstairs, where two guest rooms share a single bathroom; the primary bedroom features a sumptuous bath, two walk-in closets and a private, covered balcony with stunning city lights views.

      The house gets the full benefit of L.A.’s famous sunsets.

      Those vistas continue throughout the backyard, where various patios and terraces drink in unobstructed sightlines of Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Sign and the Downtown L.A. skyline. And while the property does not currently sport a swimming pool, the watery beauty of Silver Lake Reservoir is just a short jog away.

      Craig, 53, is the eldest son of Oscar-winning actress Sally Field. Originally a novelist, he made his screenwriting debut with the 2010 crime thriller The Town , which garnered critical acclaim. In 2022, he co-wrote the screenplays for both The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick, both major box office successes; the latter project earned him an Academy Award nomination.

      Click here for more photos of Peter Craig’s Silver Lake house. More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

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      Imagine Dragons’ Frontman Just Scored $16 Million for Kurt Russell’s Former Malibu House

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      Nestled near the eastern end of Malibu‘s Broad Beach, a Balinese-influenced tropical hideaway has sold for $16.7 million — under the $18 million asking price, but far more than the $11.3 million the house last fetched just three years ago, during the pandemic-gripped summer of 2020. The lucky seller was Grammy-winning vocalist Dan Reynolds, lead singer of internationally famous rock band Imagine Dragons; the buyers were low-profile businessman John Vojtech and his wife Luz Estela.

      Built in the late ’70s, the oceanfront mansion sports a Hollywood pedigree. For many years, it served as a vacation getaway for long-coupled actors Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who filled the home with numerous Buddhas and other eclectic furnishings during their ownership.

      After many years of attempting to sell the four-bedroom, 4.5-bath spread, Hawn and Russell unloaded the property in 2013 for $9.5 million. The non-famous buyer made very few alterations to the home and even retained some of Hawn and Russell’s furniture, including their campy four-poster bed in the master suite. That buyer eventually sold the house to Reynolds, who likewise made few changes and also retained Hawn and Russell’s bed.

      Behind high walls and gates, a stone Ganesha watches over a tranquil, bamboo-filled courtyard watched connecting the detached three-car garage to the 4,200 sq. ft. main house. Inside, a soaring foyer overlooked by a gallery steps down to a double-height living room with a stone fireplace and wet bar, and the adjoining dining room is filled with ornate furnishings that include a crystal chandelier, a decorative animal tusk and what appears to be an East Asian-influenced sculpture.

      The dining room opens to the gourmet kitchen, which is spacious and equipped with all the expected high-end stainless appliances. Upstairs, the master suite includes a fireplace, large closet, private ocean-view balcony and a bathroom hewn almost entirely from Chinese onyx. There are two additional guest suites in the main house, plus a Creston-operated media room and an oversized office.

      Directly above the detached garage lies a petite guesthouse with a bedroom, bath, kitchenette, and sitting area that does double duty as a gym. And in the backyard, an oceanside alfresco dining terrace is overlooked by the main home’s towering back wall of smoked glass. There are also various fountains, an outdoor fireplace, and private trails leading down to the beach — things that form the real estate dreams of so many Malibu beachgoers.

      Some of the nearby Broad Beach homeowners include Pierce Brosnan, Ray Romano, “Friends” creator Marta Kauffman, Dustin Hoffman and Mindy Kaling. More

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      Jennifer Aniston Lived at This L.A. Compound While Filming ‘Friends.’ Now It Can Be Yours for $2.5 Million.

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      A Los Angeles compound where Jennifer Aniston lived while shooting the Emmy Award-winning sitcom Friends is on the market, and honestly, we couldn’t be any more excited. 

      Originally built in 1936, the storied Laurel Canyon estate has played host to a fair share of prominent Hollywood figures over the years. Most notably, the hilltop spread was the long-time residence of actor-producer Beach Dickerson and later, author and celebrity matchmaker—to put it politely!—Scotty Bowers. Following Bowers’s passing in 2019, husband-and-wife houseflippers Corbin Bernsen and Amanda Pays took ownership and put the place through a massive renovation. Interestingly enough, Beach willed the Kew Drive dwelling to Bernsen, who was also his godson. 

      The quirky, celeb-pedigreed compound perched atop Laurel Canyon was just listed for $2.59 million.

      Sergii Dolgyi

      Dubbed “The Crown Jewel,” the city-view compound features a total of four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Occupying less than 6,000 square feet, the lot comprises multiple structures—a main house, an A-Frame guest cottage, a pool house, and a bungalow nestled into the hillside below the pool. The latter is nicknamed “El Nido de Nestor” after its former tenant, Oscar-winning Spanish cinematographer Nestor Almendros.  

      “What sets this property apart is its unassuming charm; it’s been dubbed the Crown Jewel of Laurel Canyon, yet it maintains the laid-back, funky vibe that draws buyers to this neighborhood,” says Compass agent Wendy Moore in a press statement. “Truly, it’s a one-of-a-kind gem.” 

      The circa-1930s home has a long ownership history and counts Friends star Jennifer Aniston as a former resident.

      Sergii Dolgyi

      Inside, the two-bed main pad has a lot going on design-wise and is almost as quirky as the Friends apartment itself. The space sports walls of glass in the living/dining room and black-and-white checkerboard flooring in the simply updated kitchen. Outside the living/dining room, brick and concrete terracing surround the swimming pool and spa.

      The city-view compound includes an A-frame guest house with a loft-style bedroom.

      Sergii Dolgyi

      From the photos, the pool house looks as if it doubles as a gym, while the one-bed “El Nido de Nestor”bungalow is currently set up as an office or a studio. Elsewhere, the rustic wood-clad A-frame guest cottage is decked out with its own kitchenette and a lofted bedroom.  

      According to property records, the abode last sold in 2020 for $2 million. Now, it’ll cost you just shy of $2.6 million to acquire The Crown Jewel. 

      Click here to see more photos of Jennifer Aniston’s former home. 

      Sergii Dolgyi More

    • 175 Shares189 Views

      in Luxury

      In a Leafy L.A. Suburb, This Revamped Midcentury Modern Is Primed for the Spotlight

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      Just a short commute north of Los Angeles lies the peaceful and quietly affluent town of La Cañada Flintridge, better known to locals as just La Cañada. Bordered by the Angeles National Forest and San Gabriel Mountains, the once semi-quaint town has become a refuge for upscale families seeking serenity, great schools and easy access to numerous hiking trails.

      Just steps from the forest, this stunningly restored midcentury modern is sure to make any number of moneyed buyers swoon. Originally built in 1958 and designed by architecture firm Burge-Roach, the single-story residence was recently overhauled by ASOM HOME, a design team led by Marieke Ochtman and Annie Segal, the latter the daughter of legendary L.A. tastemaker Fred Segal. With the project now officially wrapped, the house is on the market — asking just a smidge under $4 million.

      Ochtman and Segal focused on creating cohesive living spaces that blend original features with updated finishes. The five-bedroom, four-bath structure remains headlined by the strikingly glass-walled living room, which flaunts its original wood-beamed ceilings. Second up to bat is the essentially all-new kitchen, which services a great room anchored by an original circular fireplace.

      There’s also a formal dining room with a convenient wet bar, a primary bedroom suite with unobstructed views of the swimming pool, and numerous sliding doors opening to the tree-shaded yard, which spans just under half an acre. 

      Out back, the manicured grounds include a large, trellis-covered patio with a fire-pit and wooden decks ideal for outdoor entertaining. Near the far rear of the lot, the sparkling swimming pool is privately watched over and shaded by mature trees.

      Though it remains a low-key bedroom community seemingly a world apart from the hustle and glitzy bustle of Hollywood, celebrities have found their way to La Cañada in recent years. Current area residents include Donald Glover, Mario Lopez, actor Topher Grace and “Black-ish” star Yara Shahidi.

      Rob Kallick and Mary Regal of Compass hold the listing.

      Click here for more photos of this revamped midcentury modern in La Cañada. More