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      Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi List Their Sprawling Beverly Hills Estate for $53.5 Million

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      Buckle up, buttercups, because they’re at it again … officially. Last year rumors ran rampant in Platinum Triangle real estate circles that veteran daytime chat show host Ellen DeGeneres and Arrested Development actor Portia de Rossi, two of showbiz’s most prolific buyers and sellers of high-end homes, were willing to discreetly show their 1933 English Tudor mansion in Beverly Hills to prequalified buyers undeterred by an asking price widely whispered to have been in the neighborhood of $58 million.

      Apparently there were no takers at that by-every-standard prodigious price because the elegantly proportioned and newly rehabbed manse is now on the open market with Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency with a considerably lower but still jaw-dropping $53.5 million price tag. Not counting carrying costs, improvement expenses and real estate fees, the house-flipping Hollywood power couple hopes to haul in an eight-figure profit on the deluxe estate they picked up not quite two years ago for $42.5 million from Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine and fashion model Behati Prinsloo.
      Set behind gates on just over an acre of park-like grounds, the sprawling manse has had an illustrious string of owners over the last couple of decades. In 2008 tennis icon Pete Sampras sold the estate for not quite $17 million — more than twice the $8.3 million he paid in 2002 — to “Will & Grace” co-creator Max Mutchnick and entertainment attorney Erik Hyman. The whole shebang was subjected to a sophisticated overhaul and photographed for Elle Décor before it was sold on to Levine and Prinsloo in a 2018 off-market deal valued at a tad more than $33.9 million. So the scuttlebutt goes, Levine and Prinsloo almost immediately caught an incurable case of real estate fickle. They quickly arranged a profitable off-market deal and sold to DeGeneres and de Rossi, for $42.5 million, in favor of an even more expansive compound in Pacific Palisades that they picked up for nearly $32 million from divorced Tinseltowners Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck.
      Listings indicate the lavish house was comprehensively renovated by DeGeneres and de Rossi and unsurprisingly incorporates state-of-the-art security, lighting and A/V systems. Between the three-story main house and detached guesthouse that is nipped away behind the kitchen and service wing atop the three-car garage with a huge private terrace overlooking the park-like grounds, there are a total of five bedrooms and nine bathrooms throughout its more than 10,300 square feet.

      Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s Beverly Hills mansion 

      A double-gated drive curves up to the front of the imposing, ivy-encrusted residence where an elevated porch and steel-trimmed leaded glass door lead to a fully paneled double-height foyer painted an eye-searing bright white that is, thankfully, offset by dark-brown reclaimed wood floorboards laid in an ever-classy chevron pattern.
      Realtor.com

      The living room stretches to fifty feet long and, like the foyer, employs bright white walls as a neutral backdrop for the home’s collection of artworks and designer furnishings. Steel-trimmed windows on opposite walls off the ballroom-sized space ensure plenty of light at all hours of the day, and the simple fireplace overmounted by a recessed flat-screen TV makes the room functional for both formal and casual entertaining.
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      The capacious dining hall, also painted white, features unusually minimalistic lighting and includes a large niche with wet bar, while a more intimately scaled libray/office features jet-black paneled walls and an angled fireplace trimmed in copper.
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      The family kitchen is spacious, modern and expensively up to date with bespoke flat-fronted wood cabinetry, a commercial-grade walk-in fridge and an industrial-sized range surrounded in shimmery stainless steel. A casual adjoining dining area overlooks the motor court.
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      A wide doorway allows for a relaxed relationship between the family kitchen and a cozily scaled TV lounge that flows through another wide doorway into a sunroom wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows.
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      Extensive service quarters behind the kitchen connect to the garage and include a separate, stainless-steel catering kitchen accented by white tile backsplashes.
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      Tucked down on the lower level, where it opens to the stone patio that surrounds the pool, a plush screening room is done up in a monochromatic steel-grey color scheme and offers a sumptuous, deep-cushioned sectional sofa, plus a separate concession area complete with lounge and powder room.
      Realtor.com

      Guest bedrooms are all en suite, and the primary suite privately occupies an entire wing of the upper level with two enviably big dressing rooms, a huge terrace and a spa-worthy bathroom. Brass and glass doors connect the main bath’s dressing area to a huge circular shower and bathing space housed in a whitewashed brick turret that overlooks the backyard.

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      A picturesquely lighted stone plaza outside the kitchen and sunroom includes an outdoor kitchen complete with pizza oven and a tree-shaded fire pit carved from a solid block of stone.
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      A graveled outdoor dining area framed by a quartet of carefully pruned, lollipop-like trees overlooks a lower patio with a classic Old Hollywood style oval-shaped swimming pool.
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      Thick hedges and mature plantings help to obscure the sunken tennis court that boasts lights for night-time matches and a raised pavilion for spectators. The grounds additionally include a tree-shaded glade with rolling lawns and lush gardens.
      Realtor.com

      DeGeneres and de Rossi are world famous for their frequent buying and selling of ultra-expensive real estate — often in and around the Montecito area, as well as in the more expensive zip codes across Los Angeles — and they rarely hang on to a home for more than a year or two. So, it’s not at all a surprise to property gossips that the perennially itchy-footed couple have chosen to sell their pristine Beverly Hills estate so soon after they bought it. It’s just what they do.
      Last year alone they made a heady handful of deals. They sold a historic Tudor home in the heart of Montecito to Ariana Grande for $6.75 million, nearly twice the $3.6 million they paid less than five months earlier; they flipped a $29 million Tuscan-style estate at a $2 million profit after less than a month of ownership; and they sold an ultra-luxe Bali-inspired compound for $33.3 million, a small fortune above the $27 million they paid not quite two years prior. Along the way they made a not-so-clandestine $49 million off-market deal to acquire a vast Montecito estate from Saturday Night Live alum turned multimedia host and conservative political commentator Dennis Miller, though few think they’ll hang on to it for long. We shall see. Stay tuned. More

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      in Luxury

      Home of the Week: Faith Hill and Tim McGraw’s Private Island in the Bahamas Lists for $35 Million

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      We’re not in Nashville anymore. Gin-clear turquoise water lapping on sugar-white sandy beaches. Palm trees gently swaying in the breeze. Clocks firmly set to “island time.” Only the sound of squawking parrots disturbs the tranquility.
      When country music power couple Faith Hill and Tim McGraw went looking for a slice of paradise to chill on in 2003, they found it in the heart of the Exuma island chain in the Bahamas.

      At the time, L’île d’Anges—or Angels’s Island— was a 20-acre chunk of uninhabited and undeveloped rock. Nine long years later, they had transformed it into a laid-back, easy-going family escape.

      The “best place in the world” is how the duo describes the island. “Every time we land the plane and walk on to the beach up to the house, we turn to each other and say “This is the best place in the world,” McGraw told Architectural Digest for a 2017 cover story.
      What you’ll see from the sea plane as you fly in.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Now, 17 years after snapping up L’île d’Anges, the two have decided to sell, listing it with international brokers Knight Frank with a $35 million asking. Potential buyers should take flip-flops for viewings.
      “It really is heaven on earth,” listing broker Edward de Mallet Morgan tells Robb Report. “Flying in by seaplane, seeing the color of the water and then having your toes in the sand is just the start of the tropical-living lifestyle that L’île d’Anges offers.
      The front entrance and lookout tower.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      “While there are a number of islands in the Bahamas for sale, it’s rare to have one totally turn key. The owners have kept it as their own five-star resort, ready at the drop of a hat for them to arrive.”
      The 6,500-square-foot main house sits high in the center of the island, just steps from sandy beaches on either side. Architecturally, it comprises eight separate pavilions, each connected by a series of breezy, open-air tiled walkways.
      Designed by Tennessee-based architects Bobby McAlpine and partner Greg Tankersley—they worked on the Hill-McGraw’s homes in Nashville and Franklin, Tenn.—the pair created a home designed for indoor-outdoor living.
      The pool terrace.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      As Hill told AD:” We wanted to feel connected to the outside. When the breeze comes through the room, it’s just life changing. It really is! It’s something for the soul.”

      That means full, side-to-side-opening glass windows in each of the four bedrooms and a massive full-width, glass-paneled, roll-up door in the main living area, with jaw-dropping views across the pool to the sea.
      The tucked-away primary suite opens to the elements on two sides and features soaring ceilings with dramatic cross-hatched beams. A huge private patio comes with its own outdoor soaking tub.
      The kitchen opens to the dining area.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      One especially cool feature of the home is its overflow accommodations. During the long, difficult build process, two large, yurt-style tents were erected on a beachside teak deck. The couple stayed here during site visits and decided to keep them.
      “Kids love them, as do the adults. Water is literally lapping at the front door,” explains Knight Frank’s Morgan. “And they’re pretty serious structures having gone through a couple of hurricanes.”
      The spacious chef’s kitchen is meant for entertaining.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      For outdoor fun, the island features 1.3 miles of ocean frontage—perfect for kayak or snorkeling adventures—while a private dock accommodates a few fishing boats and jetskis. Want to look for pirates of the Caribbean? The home’s Moroccan-style observation bell tower provides 360-degree views.
      Because L’île d’Anges has to be totally self-sufficient, the northern end the island is dedicated to generators and water desalination facilities. They’re serviced by a small staff who live on the island full time in three stylish cottages. Fuel and provisions come in by barge.
      The living room.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Of course, if you run out of Dom Perignon on any given visit, you could try calling your neighbor, magician David Copperfield, who owns Musha Cay, a quick speedboat ride away.
      As for getting to L’île d’Anges—also known less glamorously as Goat Cay—it’s a 90-minute flight from Miami to Exuma International or a 60-minute seaplane ride from Nassau.
      “The beauty of L’île d’Anges is that it’s available today and livable today,” says Morgan. “Many people dream of an island but don’t want to spend the next 10 years developing it.” Take a video tour of the island here. 

      The cozy family room.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The primary bedroom suite.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The primary suite has its own private patio with soaking tub.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The compound consists of eight living pavilions.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      It doesn’t get more private than this.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Inside one of the guest yurts.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The yurts sit right at the water’s edge.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Another of the estate’s pavilions.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The perfect place to toast the sunset.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      The home surrounds the outdoor space.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Angel’s Island.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

      Your jet skis await.  Photo: Brett Davis/Knight Frank

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      in Luxury

      Donald Glover Lists His Stylish Midcentury Manse in the LA Suburbs for $4 Million

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      For the last several years, multitalented showbiz polymath Donald Glover—the Grammy-, Emmy-, and Golden Globe-winning force of nature behind Childish Gambino and the hit FX series Atlanta, just to name two of his professional irons in the fire—has owned two lovely midcentury homes in the semi-remote hills of La Cañada Flintridge, the affluent suburban city that lies about 30 minutes (by car) due north of Downtown LA, tucked up above Pasadena. But apparently two is no longer better than one for Glover, who has hoisted the smaller house onto the open market with a nearly $4 million asking price.

      Blessed with stunning views of the Angeles National Forest from its hilltop perch, the one-acre spread was acquired by Glover nearly five years ago, in April 2016, for just over $2.7 million. Built circa 1953 by little-known Pasadena architect Keith P. Marston and recently refreshed by top LA designer Barbara Bestor—the same architect responsible for the dynamic recent overhaul of John Lautner’s epic “Silvertop” complex—the nearly 3,300-foot structure lies hidden behind big gates on a twisty, two-lane mountain road.
      The listing describes the house as a “sophisticated hillside hideaway” and “a prime example of organic modernism.” A cobalt blue front door pivots into the entryway; immediately to the left lies a kitchen that’s clearly been modernized but still retains its midcentury roots, with a built-in breakfast banquette and bespoke cabinetry. The kitchen’s floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opens to the blacktopped motorcourt, which is set down a long driveway and shaded by mature oaks.
      The kitchen has been modernized but still retains its midcentury roots.  Redfin

      A fireplace set into a towering white brick wall effectively divides the dining and family rooms, both of which are blessed with two sets of glass sliders opening on one side of the room to a grassy knoll with stunning mountain views, on the other to a secluded flagstone terrace with a firepit and ample space for al fresco dining. Also near the entryway are a powder room painted a trendy shade of forest green and a spare bedroom that’s currently done up as a wee living room.
      Further back in the low-slung structure lies a private family wing that consists of a closet-sized laundry room and a bedroom and tiny office that share a full bathroom. There’s also a master retreat, complete with a bedroom that opens to a private wooden deck and a stunningly redwood-walled bath with dual vanities and a glass shower that’s both skylit and open to the natural elements via yet another floor-to-ceiling glass slider—the listing categorizes this space as an “exotic spa-like bath.”

      Unusually, the home’s pool complex is set well away from the house outside the front door, behind a towering wall of foliage that separates it from the blacktopped driveway. In addition to the oversized pool, there’s an enclosed cabana with a full bathroom and living space, plus leafy gardens filled with lush subtropical foliage.
      The manse is blessed with stunning views of the Angeles National Forest.  Redfin

      Unusually, the home’s pool complex is set well away from the house outside the front door, behind a towering wall of foliage that separates it from the blacktopped driveway. In addition to the oversized pool, there’s an enclosed cabana with a full bathroom and living space, plus leafy gardens filled with lush subtropical foliage.
      Though he’s selling this particular property, all indications suggest that Glover and his longtime partner Michelle White will continue to reside in La Cañada. The couple still own another midcentury gem—this one larger and even more stylishly chic than the currently for-sale plate—that was acquired in 2018 for $4.2 million and recently renovated.
      Andrew Morrison of Redwood Real Estate Brokerage holds the listing.
      Check out more photos below:
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      in Luxury

      Johnny Depp’s $55 Million French Village Has a Bistro, Wine Cave and Skate Park. Now It’s Up for Sale—Again.

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      When Johnny Depp first listed his French estate back in 2015 and 2016, the asking price wavered between $25 million and $63 million, according to Variety, and the place never sold. Now he’s now preparing to re-list the property for about $55.5 million, according to news reports.
      It’s possible the quirky actor, known for his role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, is reading the times right. After months of being cooped up in private residences, who wouldn’t want to own an estate like this: It’s actually an entire village, complete with a bistro, a wine cave, a skate park and several houses. Once abandoned, the village sits in Provence’s Le Plan De La Tour, a small region about a dozen miles outside of the Côte d’Azur hot spot of Saint-Tropez. It’s loaded with charm, as well as bathrooms—count them, 14—and bedrooms (15), dispersed over six guest cottages and one main residence.

      The village church was converted into a guest cottage.  Photo: Courtesy of Gibson Sotheby’s

      Depp purchased the compound in 2001 for an undisclosed amount and went on to spend millions renovating the 19th-century buildings, according to Toptenrealestatedeals.com. All this was during the 14 years he spent in a relationship with French actor and singer Vanessa Paradis. The couple spent time there with their two children, Lily-Rose and Jack, enjoying the village’s two swimming pools, dining at the onsite bistro Depp named Chez Marceline and exploring the lush surroundings, featuring 300-year-old oaks, olive trees and vineyards, until their split in 2012. Depp is reported to have decorated the structures himself.
      The 4,500-square-foot main residence includes five bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths, while one of the six guest homes was originally the town’s church. The village also includes a covered wagon with a bath and kitchen, a full gym, a pirate-like lair and an art studio, along with outdoor dining in the town square. Square footage for the living spaces has been reported to be between 12,900 and 14,500 square feet.
      Depp is reported to have decorated the restored spaces himself.  Photo: Courtesy of Gibson Sotheby’s

      A cave suited to a pirate  Photo: Courtesy of Gibson Sotheby’s

      One of two pools on the property  Photo: Courtesy of Gibson Sotheby’s

      The lush grounds  Photo: Courtesy of Gibson Sotheby’s

      The once-abandoned village is just miles from the port of Saint-Tropez.  Photo: Courtesy of Gibson Sotheby’s More

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      in Luxury

      Finance Guru Dave Ramsey Selling Tennessee Home For $15 Million

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      Front Exterior

      American personal finance advisor, radio show host, author, and businessman Dave Ramsey has just listed his Tennesee home for $15,450,000. Located at 513 King Richards Court in Franklin, the stone & stucco home was built in 2009 and sits on over 14 acres of land. It features approximately 13,545 square feet of living space (not including garages) with 6 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, 3 staircases, an elevator, 8-car garage and much more. Outdoor features include a gated entrance, motor court with fountain, porte-cochere, balconies/patios and an infinity pool with spa. More

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      in Luxury

      Lakers Star Dennis Schröder Snags a Mansion in the LA Suburbs for $4.3 Million

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      Last November, German basketball superstar Dennis Schröder was traded to the Lakers following stints with the Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma Thunder. Records reveal the 27-year-old Braunschweig native — who is currently eyeing a potential contract extension worth tens of millions — and his wife Ellen Ziolo have now put down some SoCal real estate roots in the form of a $4.3 million San Fernando Valley mansion purchase.

      The sexed-up contemporary estate lies in Tarzana, set on a long and narrow lot behind forbidding black walls and gates. Built in 2017, the house offers a mostly wall-free floorplan with the dining, living, and family rooms merged into one open space. There’s a double-sided black marble fireplace, while the chef’s kitchen is “spectacular,” proclaims the listing, with an enormous SubZero fridge, custom cabinetry, and imported stonework. Two sets of Fleetwood doors open to a outdoor loggia with its own fireplace and full kitchen/BBQ.

      Dennis Schröder’s new Tarzana mansion 

      Six ensuite bedrooms are arranged throughout the main house, including an upstairs master retreat with dual private balconies, dual dressing rooms, and a resort-style bathroom decked out in exotic wood and stone. Other impressive home amenities include a home theater that seats 10 moviegoers, an office space, and a glass-walled wine cellar tucked underneath the curvaceous main staircase. Perhaps the most unusual features is a vast rooftop deck with its own BBQ, spotlights, and over-the-treetops views of the pancake-flat San Fernando Valley.
      But the main house is only the very first act of this real estate show; the .35-acre property is fully improved with a giant L-shaped lawn that passes by a large swimming pool/spa combo. Beyond that lies a two-story guesthouse with another ensuite bedroom and a second kitchen, plus room for a gym. Best of all, however — at least from Shröder’s perspective — is the concrete basketball court that lies at the far rear of the property, offering a secluded space to hone his professional game.
      Kobi Costa of Compass held the listing; Michael Henderson, also of Compass, repped Schröder.
      Check out more photos of Schröder’s new home below: More

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      Country Singer George Strait’s Adobe Mansion in Texas Hits the Market for $7.5 Million

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      Country crooner George Strait may have sung about all his exes living in Texas, but he can now also claim that some of those exes are homes. Most beloved among them is his newly listed San Antonio mansion, for which he and his wife, Norma, commissioned one of the Southwest’s most artistic architects to build. The 7,925-square-foot house sits on a hilltop surrounded by 12 very private acres and is priced at $7.5 million.

      Strait’s daughter-in-law, Tamara, has the listing and speaks eloquently about the property, which she visited many times since marrying Bubba Strait: “I love this house. When we first met they were still living there, but over time it was special to see Bubba’s old bedroom become our son Harvey’s bedroom.”

      While the home is part of the gated community of the Dominion Country Club—membership includes access to the golf course, tennis courts, pool, fitness facilities and restaurant—it’s also very much a scenic oasis with special handmade touches throughout the property, such as 14 hand-sculpted fireplaces, a copper-topped bar, custom tiles and sconces and even custom carved refrigerator doors. These artistic touches were the collaborative brainchildren of the Straits and the late artist and architect Bill Tull.
      The hand-plastered and hand-painted exterior is all-new.  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      According to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com, the Straits bought the land in the mid-1990s. Tull moved his entire crew from Arizona to San Antonio for the two years it took to build the home, beginning in 1995, with the then-14-year-old Bubba laying the first adobe brick. “Norma told me they interviewed many architects but when they first met with Bill, they knew,” Tamara Strait tells Robb Report. “He had a vision unlike the others. She said when he came to walk the property for the first time he could already see which part of the home would go where. And that vision remained true.” It included three bedrooms and six baths in the main residence with a detached casita that has another bedroom and bath, plus living room, kitchenette and one of those magnificent fireplaces.
      Inside the main home, the formal dining room, breakfast room and living room flow out onto the outdoor entertaining spaces seamlessly, perfect for hosting a grand party with live music. A separate bar area has a copper counter designed by Tull and some intentionally exposed adobe wall instead of the hand-plastered wall found in most of the house. Just around the corner from the bar is the home office. Flooring throughout is either poured concrete or long-leaf yellow pine. The spacious chef’s kitchen has tiled countertops, again designed by Tull, with a full suite of top-notch appliances that include double Sub-Zero fridges. Those doors were given an intricate and unusual, hand-drawn copper design treatment that was finished in silver. The wine cellar is just off the kitchen and down a few steps. The original sketches for Tull’s designs are all signed by him and remain with the house.

      The pavers were reclaimed from a dug-up road.  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      The Straits appreciated privacy and security—not only are there three gates (the first one guarded) to pass through before you get to the property, but there is also a walk-in safe in the mansion. “You can put your guns in there,” says Tamara, “because we do that down here in Texas, but also your jewelry and other valuables.” Other special rooms include a home gym with a private sauna.
      Second stories are unusual in adobe homes because of the massive weight involved in the construction of such walls, but this home has an upper level devoted exclusively to the primary bedroom suite. In addition to the bedroom, there are two entirely separate bathrooms and walk-in closets. And the soaking tub in Norma’s bathroom might have the best view in the house: You can see clear to downtown San Antonio. To her chagrin over the years however, George’s closet was the bigger one (a design mistake during construction), but she didn’t want to give up her view. More evidence of Tull’s artistry can be found up here in the custom stained-glass windows.
      The formal dining room  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      The outdoor spaces are no less spectacular, with the four-car garage including more exposed adobe and custom lighting on the exterior. The pavers used for the driveway, motor court and back patio were reclaimed from a dug-up road. After a hailstorm a few years ago, the entire exterior got a makeover, including a new roof, windows and re-plastering by hand and a paint job.
      The covered terrace includes another sculpted fireplace, an outdoor kitchen with grill, fridge, icemaker and more, but the centerpiece is the infinity-edge pool with glass tiles, which was completed at the end of last year.
      There are 14 hand-sculpted fireplaces on the property.  Saguaro ribs are used for the shutters and ceiling.  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      A full sports court—tennis plus basketball—is also on-site.
      Tamara says the Straits are selling because they wanted to be even further from the city, but “they still love that house. If Bill Tull weren’t deceased, I’m sure they would have engaged him again for a new home.”
      You can take a video tour of the space here, and check out more photos of the mansion below:

      The kitchen includes some of the architect’s special artistic touches, including the custom tiles.  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      The family room  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      The dining area opens to the living room  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      The stairs up to the primary suite  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      The primary bedroom  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      One of the home’s seven bathrooms, which includes a custom stained-glass window  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      The fitness studio  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      The newly refinished infinity pool with its gorgeous tiles  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      The view to San Antonio  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      The on-site sports court  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

      The mansion sits on a 12-acre hilltop parcel.  Photo: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com More

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      John Travolta Lists His 20-Bedroom Maine Mansion for $5 Million

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      Even before Kelly Preston passed away last summer, two years after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she and John Travolta began to change up their sprawling cross-country real estate portfolio. In 2017, the longtime Scientologists added a $3 million waterfront spread in Clearwater, Fla., the headquarters of Scientology, and in the fall of 2019 they plunked down another $2.65 million for a 7,500-square-foot Mediterranean residence in the celeb-favored and ever-more expensive LA suburb of Calabasas. And then, in early 2020, they sold the family’s long-time estate in a particularly prestigious pocket of the L.A.’s tony Brentwood neighborhood in an $18 million off-market deal to music manager (and next-door neighbor) Scooter Braun.

      The Gotti star, who co-starred last year in Kevin Hart’s series Die Hart, on the spectacularly flamed out mobile platform Quibi, also maintains a sprawling, airport-like residence at the Jumbolair fly-in community near Ocala, Fla., where the licensed pilot parks his fleet of planes, including a Boeing 707, in the backyard. However, the twice Oscar-nominated movie star has now decided to part with the family’s beloved getaway on the exclusive, ferry-accessed island enclave of Islesboro, Maine, putting the secluded waterfront hideaway on the market at $5 million.
      The hip-swiveling Saturday Night Fever icon first visited the semi-remote island more than 30 years ago with his longtime showbiz pal (and fellow Scientologist) Kirstie Alley, who has long owned a waterfront property at the south end of the island. Looking for a place they could put up their extended families over holidays, the then newly wedded Travoltas jumped at the opportunity to scoop up their idyllic 48-acre estate and its hotel-sized mansion in 1991.
      The manse measures 10,830 square feet.  Realtor.com

      At the end of a gravel driveway that passes under a canopy of trees and through stone pillars before it circles up around a perfectly conical pine tree, the shingled “cottage” was designed by the architecture firm Peabody and Stearns and built in 1904 for “the scion of a prominent banking family,” according to Architectural Digest, who featured the somewhat quixotic 42-room mansion in 1999 after it was done up for the Travoltas by classically trained decorator Christopher Boshears in a festively colorful, pattern-mixing manner than befits an elegant English country house.

      The foyer operates a little like a hotel lobby with intimate conversation areas and a fanciful bar, while a double-sided bubblegum pink damask sofa whimsically anchors the center of the vast living room in front of a rustic fieldstone fireplace.

      The margarine-hued dining room will comfortably seat more than a dozen around a polished wood pedestal table long enough to play shuffleboard.

      The estate spans some 48 acres.  Realtor.com

      A second-floor sun porch, one of two in the house, has serene views into the surrounding woods and features an explosion of pastel colors with tons of mismatched floral throw pillows and cozy lap blankets that allow for the comfortable enjoyment of sunny but crisply cold autumn afternoons and dewy spring mornings.
      Glass-fronted cabinets in the huge pantry are stocked with dozens of delicate teacups and vintage cake stands, while the sun-filled country kitchen is simply outfitted with butcherblock counters and expensively equipped with chef-grade equipment.
      The mansion’s 20+ bedrooms share just 7.5 bathrooms spread out over three floors. Large enough to accommodate a sitting and a private dining table, the main bedroom has a vintage-style bath of its own, along with a fireplace and private sun porch.

      The home comprises 20 bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms.  Realtor.com

      Fourteen guest bedrooms share just four bathrooms on the second floor, while the third floor was converted to Fantasyland children’s wing complete with a schoolroom and library, a diner, a theater space with a built-in stage, and four themed bedrooms: a Princess Room and Peter Pan Room among them, according to A.D.

      The rambling residence sits a good distance from the shore, but the property includes a stunning stretch of thickly wooded water frontage with a deep water dock on humorously alliterative Sabbathday Bay. The secluded estate also includes a carriage house, where the automobile (and airplane) collecting actor once kept a vintage 1977 Rolls Royce for joyriding around the island, and a swimming pool set in a sunny clearing below the back of the house.

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