More stories

  • in

    MLB Star Justin Upton Puts His SoCal Farmhouse on the Market for $6.8 Million

    Justin Upton is officially on deck in Southern California, where he’s hoping to score a home-run real estate deal. As first reported by the Orange County Register, the former Anaheim Angels outfielder is asking a speck under $6.8 million for his sleekly designed Newport Beach spread, which is listed by Annie Clougherty of Compass.

    Records show Upton and his wife Ashley paid $4.7 million back in spring 2020 for the modern farmhouse-style digs, which were originally designed by architect Randall Coombs and later reimagined by Scottsdale-based DeCesare Design Group. Completed in 2019, the white wood-sided structure offers five bedrooms and seven baths in almost 6,000 square feet of living space boasting reclaimed oak hardwood floors, Lutron lighting and brass fixtures throughout, plus a striking floating staircase adorned with solid oak treads.

    An open-concept living and dining area flows seamlessly to an al fresco entertaining terrace.

    Alejandro España

    Resting amid a parcel spanning less than a quarter of an acre, in the desirable Dover Shores neighborhood near the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve, the three-story house is highlighted upon entry by a sunken living room with a fireplace. Barn doors slide open to reveal a cozy den, and a family room and dining area connect to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with lava stone countertops, a butcher block-topped eat-in island and Thermador appliances.

    Upstairs, a luxe master retreat comes complete with a fireplace, sitting area, private balcony, walk-in closet, and spa-like bath sporting dual vanities, a soaking tub and separate shower; and down on the lower level is a custom glass-encased wine cellar, as well as a surround-sound screening room flanked by a full wet bar equipped with a beer froster, ice maker, refrigerator and popcorn machine.

    The lower-level screening room has surround sound and an accompanying bar area.

    Alejandro España

    Outdoors, the turf-clad backyard hosts an expansive terrace ideal for al fresco entertaining with a built-in barbecue and fire-pit, and per the listing, plenty of room to add a pool. There’s also an attached three-car garage and moutcourt out front.

    Upton, 36, became a free agent in 2022. He began his professional baseball career in 2007 with the Arizona Diamondbacks after being chosen as the first pick of the 2005 draft right out of high school, and went on to join the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners. He’s been selected to four All-Star teams and won three Silver Slugger Awards.

    Click here for more photos of Justin Upton’s Newport Beach house.

    Alejandro España More

  • in

    Otis’s House From ‘Sex Education’ Can Be Yours for $1.8 Million

    Netflix’s Sex Education might be in its fourth and final season, but now fans can own a piece of the show’s history. For £1.5 million (or roughly $1.8 million), that is.  

    The real-life home used as the residence for teenage sex therapist Otis Milburn (played by Asa Butterfield) and his sex therapist mother, Jean Milburn (Gillian Anderson), has hit the market. Known as The Chalet, the dreamy U.K. property is located on four-and-a-half verdant acres in Symonds Yat in the Wye Valley, which sits right on the border of England and Wales and has been dubbed an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  

    The home where Otis and Jean Millburn live in the Netflix series Sex Education is up for sale.

    Knight Frank

    Prior to its stint on the cult-favorite British series, the red-and-white abode dates back to 1912, when it was built as a Norwegian-style fishing lodge. The current owner scooped up the hillside pad over 20 years ago, in 2002, and has since put the place through a massive renovation. Altogether, the 3,100-square-foot spread comprises five bedrooms and three bathrooms. Some of the more recent updates include new plumbing and electric systems, a new roof, and a custom-painted kitchen. The conservatory has also been enlarged.  

    “The fact that this property is so well known only adds to the appeal of what is an incredibly rare opportunity to own a spectacular home,” says James Toogood, office head at Knight Frank Bristol, in a press statement.  

    The Chalet in Symonds Yat is a 100-year-old former fishing lodge.

    Knight Frank

    In addition to the charming home, the property has two greenhouses, an orchard, and a summer house. Marketing material indicates there’s an old chapel at the top of the driveway that is also available to purchase by separate negotiation.

    For fans who fancy having morning coffee or reading the paper out on the terrace à la the mother-son sex therapist duo, there are plenty of spaces to do so. One of the lower decks is equipped with a Swedish wood-burning tub, while another sports a stone pizza oven. Also not fictionalized for the TV show are the oh-so-real river views.

    Click here to see all the photos of The Chalet.  

    Knight Frank More

  • in

    A Celebrity Doctor Just Paid $27 Million for a Bayfront SoCal Mansion

    He’s been labeled the “most popular psychiatrist in America,” with millions of followers on social media and 12 New York Times-bestselling books under his belt, and now Dr. Daniel Amen has the house to reflect that success. The 69-year-old mogul recently recently paid exactly $27 million for a bayfront mansion in Newport Beach, Calif., not far from the Costa Mesa headquarters of his Amen Clinics empire.

    Built on speculation by a developer, the Tuscan-style house spans nearly 9,500 square feet of living space and was completed in 2006. Later that same year, it was sold to auto tycoon Fletcher “Ted” Jones Jr., owner of the world’s largest Mercedes-Benz dealership by volume, and his second wife Kimberly.

    After the Joneses divorced about 10 years ago, records indicate Kimberly kept the lavish Newport marital home, though the waterfront property was on and off the market for much of the last seven years at prices fluctuating between $30 million and $32 million. At least two buyers’ offers were accepted during that time, but both deals eventually fell through before Dr. Amen stepped up to the plate.

    Most of the home’s Old World-style finishes are antique and imported. Numerous French doors open to covered terraces.

    Andrew Bramasco

    Sited on a third-of-an-acre lot, large for tightly-packed Balboa Peninsula, the estate is fronted by a detached four-car garage complete with an upstairs guesthouse. From the street, visitors heading to the main house must travel via a gated walkway that passes under the guesthouse before spilling into a tranquil courtyard accented by a large central fountain flanked by grassy lawns.

    Beyond that, the main house features antique finishes, imported stone from Italy, and a mixture of hardwood and limestone flooring. There’s a gourmet kitchen open to a bar seating area and a fireside dining area, plus a separate formal dining room with bay views.

    Open to the kitchen, this fireside dining area overlooks Newport Harbor.

    Andrew Bramasco

    Other amenities are not limited to an upstairs master retreat with dual bathrooms and dual private terraces, a movie theater with seating for 10 lucky viewers, and a backyard with an infinity pool and two ancient olive trees. In addition to a wine cellar, the house also boasts what the listing describes as a “subterranean wine room” with space for entertaining. But perhaps the property’s most notable features are its panoramic coastline views and a massive private boat dock, the latter capable of mooring two 60-foot yachts.

    Over the course of his 40-year career in psychiatry, Dr. Amen has built a majorly profitable business that now includes numerous books, dietary supplements, speaking engagements, television appearances and more than 200 employees. He was prominently featured on a recent episode of “The Kardashians,” and is perhaps best known for his usage of SPECT imaging for diagnostic purposes — the Los Angeles native’s clinics have performed some 200,000 of these $3,500 brain scans over 30 years.

    Andrew Bramasco More

  • in

    Patrick Swayze’s Former Los Angeles Ranch Hits the Market at $4.5 million

    The year after he was launched into silver screen notoriety in the notable 1983 films “The Outsiders” and “Uncommon Valor,” but still several years before he shimmied and dipped his way to leading man superstardom in “Dirty Dancing,” late actor Patrick Swayze acquired an equestrian ranch on the outskirts of Los Angeles that he named Rancho Bizarro. Swayze, a licensed pilot who died of pancreatic cancer at 57 years old in 2009, raised Arabian horses on the property.

    Newly listed for $4.5 million, the 4.5-acre spread in Sylmar is tucked into the rolling foothills that mark the northern boundary of the sprawling San Fernando Valley. Records show the current owner is an LLC linked to oil heiress (and climate activist) Aileen Getty, who purchased the ranch from Swayze’s widow, Lisa Neimi, in 2015 for $2.9 million.

    The late actor bought the 4.5-acre ranch in 1984 and owned it until the time of his 2009 death.

    Jeremy Spann

    At the time the property was last sold, it was in a state of neglect. It has, however, been transformed into a boho-chic equestrian retreat that’s a surprisingly quick commute to many parts of Los Angeles. The multiple structures include an updated three-bedroom ranch house that dates to the 1940s, a guest cottage, and a detached garage.

    The rambling main residence includes a wood-paneled living room with a fireplace and exposed ceiling architecture, while the kitchen is open to a dining room housed in a glass-roofed solarium. A huge room with a vaulted and beamed ceiling is outfitted as a gym. The primary suite, which spills out to a stone terrace, is kitted with a projector that drops from the ceiling at the end of the bed, a spacious bath with a jetted tub, and an expansive walk-in closet and dressing area.

    The equestrian estate includes an 11-stall barn and a lighted riding ring.

    Jeremy Spann

    A massive, river-stone-paved motor court stretches out between the main house and the detached garage. And, set away from the main house amid mature trees and surrounded by lawn, the cute-as-a-button guest cottage has a bathroom, fireplace, and bold, jungle-themed wallpaper on the walls and ceiling.

    Equestrian facilities include an 11-stall horse barn with a tack room, laundry room, and a couple of grooming stalls. A clubhouse, which includes a bathroom, is positioned to observe the professionally lighted and mirrored riding arena. There are a couple of resident goats, Cocoa and Caramel, as well as a couple of ducks named Baby and Johnny.

    Louise Leach and Juan Longfellow at Deasy Penner Podley share the listing with Brett Lawyer at Carolwood Estates.

    Click here for more photos of Patrick Swayze’s former ranch.

    Jeremy Spann More

  • in

    With a $76 Million Buy-In, Steve Wynn’s Former Lake Tahoe Estate Is Yours for the Taking

    Almost six years after it was last sold for $31 million, a luxe Lake Tahoe estate previously owned by Steve Wynn has returned to the market once again, this time asking a whopping $76 million. Built by the disgraced casino mogul in the early 1990s, the nearly 5-acre spread sits in the affluent Incline Village enclave of Nevada, replete with 210 feet of waterfront footage and a private beach.

    Should the place go for anywhere near that amount, it would set a record for the most expensive residential real estate transaction ever recorded in the Tahoe area—eclipsing the $48 million sell of a Zephyr Cove mansion back in 2013.

    Records show Wynn sold the “Old Forge” estate for $17 million in 1998. The current owners are Nora Lacey, founder of the biotech company Cell Marque, and her husband, Dr. Michael Lacey, who picked up the place in 2017 and then spent millions of dollars extensively renovating the premises. 

    A wood-paneled wine room is one of many snazzy amenities filtered throughout the home.

    Scott Chandler Productions

    Nestled on a stretch of Lakeshore Boulevard known as “Billionaires’ Row”— where residents include Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, former junk-bond king Michael Milken and tech billionaire Larry Ellison—the property features a main home and separate guesthouse—for a total of seven bedrooms and an equal number of baths in almost 14,200 square feet.

    In addition to a wealth of protective equipment installed by Wynn during his tenure—bulletproof glass on the front doors, a 9-foot fence around the perimeter and massive security system—other amenities include a movie theater, as well as gym, massage area and game/wine room. There’s also a four-car garage, plus a private deep-water pier, boat hoist, jet ski platform and two buoys.

    Steps lead from a hot tub-equipped terrace to a grassy back yard overlooking the lake and Sierra Nevada Mountains beyond.

    Scott Chandler Productions

    A lengthy gated driveway leads to the primary wood and stone-clad structure, which features a little more than 12,600 square feet of living space highlighted by a vaulted great room boasting a wet bar and walls of glass overlooking the lake, along with a family room anchored by a floor-to-ceiling fireplace, formal dining room, and gourmet kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances and a butler’s pantry

    Four bedrooms include a posh master retreat, which has French doors spilling out to a terrace sporting a hot tub, paired with dual walk-in closets and baths; and three additional bedrooms can be found in the 1,536-square-foot guesthouse.

    The waterfront spread features a private beach and deep-water pier.

    Scott Chandler Productions

    According to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the sale, the Laceys have decided to let go of the estate because they are downsizing their property holdings. The couple already has homes in the California cities of Los Altos and Newcastle, where they operate an orchard.

    The listing is held by Christine Perry of Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno.

    Click here for more photos of the Old Forge estate.

    Miles Minno Photography & Videography More

  • in

    Liquid Death’s Founder Has Dropped $10 Million on a Hilltop Malibu Mansion

    Canned water, wrapped in packaging that makes it look like beer? It may be unconventional, but it’s also proven wildly lucrative. In less than five years, Los Angeles-based Liquid Death has built a $700 million valuation from it, along with a substantial amount of hype. The Washington Post has called the viral brand “a mind-set,” while The New Yorker noted that the decidedly irreverent marketing — one of the company’s slogans is “Murder your thirst” — was designed to “appeal to punks who are ‘straight edge’ — eschewing drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.” In any case, the company has rocked the industry — it’s now the fastest-growing water brand in the country, per Forbes.

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, the brand’s founder Mike Cessario does not have a background in bottling water. He’s a 41-year-old marketing expert who previously worked for companies like Street League Skateboarding and VaynerMedia.

    A longtime Southern California local who has lived in the beach communities of Malibu and Manhattan Beach, Cessario has put some of that liquid success to residential use, paying $10.5 million for a hilltop house on Point Dume, one of Malibu’s most coveted neighborhood pockets.

    The Point Dume house includes oversized windows and honey-colored hardwood floors throughout.

    Built in 2001 and hidden behind gates and a long driveway on a 1.2-acre lot, the Mediterranean villa-style home packs five bedrooms and six bathrooms into nearly 6,800 square feet of living space. Highlights include towering ceilings, hardwood floors and large windows throughout; the kitchen offers commercial-grade stainless appliances and a built-in breakfast nook, while the living room and formal dining room both spill out to a wraparound deck kitted out with a fire-pit and a spacious al fresco dining area.

    Four of the home’s five bedrooms are located on the ground floor, all of them equipped with ensuite bathrooms. Upstairs, the enormous master suite encompasses nearly all of the home’s second floor, packing in a large bathroom and walk-in closet. Adjacent to the suite is a large bonus room that could be a executive-style private office, and the master also sports a private ocean-view deck with its own separate yoga studio.

    The primary suite includes a big deck with sitting areas and a separate yoga studio.

    Mike Helfrich

    Out back, the landlocked estate boasts some of its best attributes. The verdant grounds include a big swath of grassy lawn, a rectangular swimming pool and a separate jacuzzi set directly underneath a gazebo laced with bougainvillea.

    On one side of the house, a patio includes a fire-pit and fountain. And there’s also a manicured garden equipped with a whimsical bridge and open-air living room.

    Lush landscaping tightly hugs the 1.2-acre estate.

    Mike Helfrich

    The property also includes pathways and meandering trails that wind their way through lush, subtropical landscaping interspersed by native sycamore and oak trees. Hidden in a corner of the yard, obscured behind a giant palm tree, is an accessory structure complete with its own full bathroom and kitchenette that “could be a guest suite, office, cabana or studio,” per the listing.

    Best of all, the property is a brisk walk to the beach and enjoys views of the Santa Monica mountains, the ocean and a long strip of the famously scenic Malibu coastline.

    Mike Helfrich More

  • in

    A Midcentury L.A. Home Owned by a Contemporary Artist Hangs on the Market for $3.6 million

    Contemporary artist Paul Ruscolini, whose oeuvre includes text-based paintings and portraits rendered entirely with nail polish, has recently reduced the asking price of his creatively appointed midcentury modern home in L.A.’s secluded Lake Hollywood Estates neighborhood by almost 10 percent, taking it from a dollop under $4 million down to $3.6 million.

    Built in 1965 and sited on a quarter-plus-acre parcel that’s nipped down a pin-drop quiet cul-de-sac just below the Hollywood Sign, the private, low-slung home was updated and modernized in 1994 by avant-garde architect Michael Maltzan. Since then, it’s passed through several owners, including TV writer-producer Gary Janetti, whose credits include Family Guy, Will & Grace, and, most recently, The Prince, and celebrity stylist/TV personality Brad Goreski, a reality TV veteran recently seen on The Real Friends of WeHo and as a judge on Canada’s Drag Race. It was Janetti and Goreski, since married and settled into a $5.6 million home in Beverly Hills, who sold the almost 2,900-square-foot home to Ruscolini in 2012 for $1.8 million.

    One of the seller’s nail polish portrait paintings hangs amid custom built-ins in the home office.

    Todd Goodman

    A former fine art dealer, Ruscolini is also a keen collector who’s amassed a trove of works by a laundry list of blue-chip contemporary artists. And, throughout the house, sprinkled among works by Keith Haring, Ed Ruscha, Man Ray, Louise Nevelson, Damien Hirst, Robert Longo, and Andy Warhol, are bits and bobs of his own work. In the kitchen, with its long snack bar and plush blue velvet sofa for casual snacks, Ruscolini’s text-based painting, Untitled (Wink), makes a strong statement against an eggplant-colored wall, while a nail polish portrait of Kate Moss hangs in the study/home office. Other pop culture icons who have been rendered by Ruscolini in nail polish include Barack Obama, Katie Holmes, and Pink.

    Beyond the gated courtyard entry and koi pond, there is a mix of concrete and polished wood floors, an abundance of warm, natural materials, and numerous cleverly placed skylights that fill every room with natural light. The dining room has a full wall of open shelves, where Ruscolini displays a vast collection of green pottery, while the living room has a minimalist fireplace and two walls of glass sliders that connect the light-drenched room to the outdoor living and entertaining spaces.

    A massive floor-to-ceiling wall of glass slides open to connect the main bedroom to the backyard.

    Todd Goodman

    A wood-paneled hallway connects the public rooms to the home’s four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Red drapes add a touch of Hollywood glamor to the otherwise sedate, wood-paneled main bedroom, and the bathroom is a serene space with an egg-shaped tub and separate shower.

    Mature trees and lush vegetation encircle the property, providing privacy from (and for!) the neighbors. A graveled, partly tree-shaded patio is an ideal spot for relaxing, and there’s a great view of the Hollywood Sign from the slender strip of lawn at the far side of the swimming pool.

    Ready for its next art- and design-minded owner, the property is listed with Alyson Richards and Carl Gambino of Gambino Group at Compass.

    Click here for more photos of 2613 Lake Hollywood Drive.

    Todd Goodman More