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      Extreme Guitarist Nuno Bettencourt Strums out of Viewtastic Hollywood Hills Retreat

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      Nuno Bettencourt needs more than words! In this particular scenario, the veteran Portuguese-American musician is seeking a fairly substantial chunk of change for his longtime residence that just popped up for sale atop the Beachwood Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles.

      The 57-year-old lead guitarist of the iconic Boston rock band Extreme—who also regularly tours with pop superstar Rihanna—is asking just under $4 million for the contemporary architectural-style spread, or around $1.8 million more than he paid for the place a little over a decade ago, back in spring 2013.

      Built back in the early 1990s, but since updated, the home features five bedrooms and six baths filtered across a little more than 5,500 square feet of open-plan living space boasting dark hardwood floors, high vaulted ceilings, skylights and an elevator, plus stellar views of the Downtown L.A. skyline, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood Sign, Lake Hollywood and Pacific Ocean beyond.

      Some of the most spectacular scenery in Los Angeles is available from almost every vantage point.

      Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios

      Nestled on roughly a third of an acre of land, the multi-story gray stucco structure is fronted by a trio of glassy side-by-side garage bays, with the front door opening into a soaring living room flaunting an attractive wood-encased fireplace, seated wet bar and sliding glass doors spilling outside.

      Other main-level highlights include an office space, a cozy den and formal dining room, along with a gourmet kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island, high-end stainless appliances and an accompanying breakfast nook; and upstairs, a spacious master retreat is decked out with a sitting area, private balcony, walk-in closet and dressing area, as well as a spa-inspired bath equipped with a soaking tub, separate shower and sauna.

      The studio where Extreme recorded its latest almost Six has been converted into a guesthouse.

      Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios

      The outdoor setting definitely steals the proverbial rock show, complete with an upper-deck oasis hosting a pool and spa nestled alongside a sundeck and an open-air cabana. There’s also a guesthouse that was previously used as a recording studio.

      Extreme achieved its greatest success with the 1990 album Pornograffitti, which peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and went on to earn a double-platinum certification. The album featured the hit singles Hole Hearted and More than Words, the latter of which remains one of the most popular rock songs of all time with more than a half-billion streams and upwards of 633 million YouTube views.

      The group recently released its first studio album since 2008; Six was recorded at Bettencourt’s home studio and landed at No. 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, with 12,500 copies sold during the first week.

      The listing is held by Cindy Lorimer and Peter Lorimer of PLG Estates.

      Click here for more photos of Nuno Bettencourt’s Hollywood Hills house.

      Cris Nolasco/Nolasco Studios 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

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      An L.A. Estate With a Star-Studded Past Hits the Market for the First Time in Two Decades

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      Owned by The Wallflowers frontman Jakob Dylan in the 1990s, and also a onetime outpost of veteran actress Renée Zellweger—who acquired it around the same time she won a 2001 Golden Globe award for her role in Nurse Betty—this celeb-pedigreed pad in the Nichols Canyon area of the Hollywood Hills was originally built six decades ago, but has since been “completely redone.”

      Last sold in 2003 for roughly $2.5 million to United Talent Agency partner and former Johnny Depp agent Tracey Jacobs, the ivy-laced estate has returned to the market once again, this time asking nearly $5 million. The listing is held by Josh Flagg of Douglas Elliman.

      Tucked away behind walls and a lengthy gated driveway—on almost an acre of land flanked by properties owned by Beverly D’Angelo and Seth Rogen—the single-level abode has three bedrooms and four baths in 3,400 square feet of living space, all of it adorned with dark hardwood floors and wood-beam ceilings.

      A chandelier-topped library lined with bookshelves flows to a family room resting beneath a vaulted wood-beam ceiling.

      Paul Barnaby

      Among the highlights is a living room spotlighted by a fireplace, custom built-ins and French doors spilling out to the backyard. A formal dining room sports another fireplace, a library has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and the family room connects to a gourmet kitchen outfitted with marble countertops and top-tier appliances.

      Elsewhere is a sumptuous primary bedroom flaunting a sitting area, cedar walk-in closet, and marble-clad bath equipped with a fireplace, heated floors, dual vanities, a soaking tub and steam shower; and outdoors, the oasis-like grounds host a pool and spa surrounded by a sundeck, plus an al fresco dining area with a built-in barbecue. There’s also a detached two-car garage out front.

      A backyard laced with mature trees is enhanced with a waterfall-fed pool and sundeck.

      Paul Barnaby

      In case you’re wondering, Jacobs is upgrading her residential circumstances. The industry stalwart recently ponied up $10.3 million for Rihanna’s Tudor-style house in the mountains above Beverly Hills.

      Click here for more photos of Tracey Jacobs‘ Hollywood Hills house.

      Paul Barnaby More

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      ‘Clerks’ Filmmaker Kevin Smith Lists Ben Affleck’s Former Hollywood Hills Home

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      Indie filmmaker Kevin Smith is best known for making indie films set in his native state of New Jersey. These include the cult favorite Clerks franchise (1994–2022), Mallrats (1995), and Chasing Amy (1997). And he remains deeply tied to the Garden State, where he’s long owned a comic book store in Red Bank and where he recently bought the historic Atlantic Moviehouse in the coastal community of Highlands.

      But, for the last two decades, he and his wife, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, have lived in Los Angeles, in a rambling mansion in the Hollywood Hills that he bought from his buddy and frequent collaborator Ben Affleck. Now looking to downsize, the couple has listed the property for sale for just under $6 million. The listing agents are Brock Harris and Lori Harris of Brock & Lori at Keller Williams Realty Los Feliz.

      The three-story home was built in the mid-1990s and is characterized by swooping curves.

      Gavin Cater

      Smith told Mansion Global that he and his wife first saw the 8,144-square-foot house at a Fourth of July barbecue in 2001, instantly “admiring how beautiful the home was.” Affleck, then at the height of his early fame as a leading man, had bought the house just a few years earlier but, according to Smith, had soured on it because it sits right up next to the street, making it too visible to paparazzi.

      Since they loved it so much, Affleck suggested they buy the house for the same price he paid in 1998. And, in early 2003, they did, shelling out $1.62 million for the three-story home that’s notched into a steep hillside. Notable for its verticality and curved façade, the five-bedroom, eight-bath home was built in 1993 and features nearly 12-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, custom-crafted ironwork, and a combination of hardwood and terra cotta tile flooring. An elevator services all floors, including the street-level three-car garage.

      A sculptural bar anchors one end of the living room.

      Gavin Cater

      There’s a sculptural wet bar in the fireside living room, and the kitchen, with two stainless-steel-topped islands, wooden cabinets, and designer appliances, features a curved wall of windows with a leafy, over-the-treetop view of the surrounding hills. Other rooms include a dedicated dining room and a library where Smith recorded his SModcast podcast, as well as the Vegan Abbatoir podcast he co-hosted with his actress and musician daughter, Harley Quinn Smith.

      Three of the four guest bedrooms are ensuite, while the primary suite is described in marketing material as “reminiscent of a Parisian apartment.” The spacious suite includes a living room with fireplace, a raised bedroom area, an adjoining study/office, two walk-in closets, and a sophisticated bathroom with a sauna. 

      Huge potted plants envelop a secluded patio warmed by an adobe fireplace.

      Gavin Cater

      A plant-filled patio with a chunky, tile-accented adobe fireplace runs along a slender gap between the house and a retaining wall, while the rooftop swimming pool and spa are bathed in sunlight.

      The home was used during the pandemic as a set for the TBS reality competition series Celebrity Show-Off, on which Smith placed as runner-up. Now empty nesters, the couple have downsized to a recently renovated home in nearby Studio City.

      Other Hollywood heavy hitters who have called the Outpost Estates neighborhood home include Dolores del Rio, Bela Lugosi, and Gore Vidal, along with Charlize Theron, Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, Winona Ryder, and David Lynch.

      Click here for more photos of Kevin Smith’s L.A. home. More

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      in Luxury

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

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      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

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      The ‘God Is a Bullet’ Producer Is Selling His All-New East Coast Traditional House in L.A.

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      Back in spring 2020, Michael Mendelsohn doled out $1.7 million for an early 1900s residence in Los Angeles. He then took it down to the studs, and spent the next three years completely remodeling and expanding the place.

      Now the Tinseltown producer—probably best known for the movies Reservoir Dogs, Lord of War, Cut Throat City, and most recently, God is a Bullet starring Jamie Foxx—has decided to try his hand at selling the newly reborn East Coast Traditional-style digs in Hollywood Hills with a significant jump in price, asking a speck under $4.3 million.

      Tucked away behind walls and gates, on less than a quarter-acre parcel within walking distance of Runyon Canyon, the wood-sided structure features a little more than 3,500 square feet of modern living space on two levels accented throughout with marble finishes and herringbone wood floors.

      Per the listing, held by Angel Kou of The Agency and Taryn Keyser of Compass, there’s also a separate guesthouse with its own living area, kitchen and bath that could easily serve as an office or a studio.

      A gourmet kitchen connects to a fireside family room, which has glass doors opening to a terrace.

      Especially standing out on the main level is a gourmet kitchen decked out with an eat-in island, top-tier Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, and a walk-in pantry. An adjoining family room displays a fireplace flanked by built-in shelving, along with glass doors spilling out to a covered terrace ideal for al fresco entertaining with a built-in barbecue. Elsewhere is a living room boasting a brick fireplace, an office space and a chandelier-topped dining room.

      Five bedrooms include an upstairs master retreat outfitted with a fireplace, private balcony and walk-in closet, plus a luxe bath equipped with dual vanities, a freestanding soaking tub and glass-encased shower. Outdoors, the secluded backyard hosts a herb garden, as well as a sparkling pool and spa lined with waterfalls on one side and a sundeck on the other.

      Click here for more photos of Michael Mendelsohn’s Hollywood Hills house.

      The Luxury Level More

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      Halsey Buys the Beatles Sound Engineer’s Magical Los Angeles Hideaway

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      Halsey recently put her extravagant estate near Calabasas up for sale, asking $12 million. Previously owned by One Direction’s Liam Payne and sprawling across some five contiguous acres, that property has since sold for $11.6 million to an anonymous buyer.

      The “Without Me” singer appears to have radically altered her living situation; records confirm she’s paid $2.5 million to buy a small but stunning bungalow in L.A.’s musician-loved Laurel Canyon neighborhood. Nestled into the base of a rugged hill, the 1929 cottage was recently updated and heavily revised by Lauren Caris Cohan, a filmmaker and chief creative officer for the fashion brand Reformation. Before that, the 1,117-square-foot residence was long owned by music industry legend Geoff Emerick.

      Emerick, best known as an audio engineer for The Beatles, helped produce some of the most iconic albums in rock history — “Revolver,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Abbey Road.” And Emerick’s talents proved immensely popular with other industry folk, as he later worked with Elvis Costello, Kate Bush, The Zombies, and Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles group Wings.

      Walled, gated and set high above the street, the Laurel Canyon home is admirably private. A quaint stone-and-brick staircase leads to a hand-carved front door; inside, the two-bedroom structure includes a surprisingly large living room with a soaring ceiling, original oak hardwood floors, intricate iron detailing and an original wood-burning fireplace.

      Mixed in with all those vintage features are plenty of modern amenities, too. Most notably, the kitchen offers new Italian terracotta floors, top-of-the-line Bertazzoni appliances and brass fixtures. Elsewhere are two bathrooms, both slathered in Japanese ceramic tile, and a spacious rooftop deck with built-in seating and a gas fireplace.

      Out back, the half-acre lot is shaded by mature trees and is visually spruced up by a Mediterranean-style garden awash in lavender and bougainvillea. Those lush pantings surround multiple terraced patios ideal for al fresco entertaining, a petite plunge pool and even an outdoor shower.

      Halsey, 28, is new to the Laurel Canyon area but not to the Hollywood Hills. From 2017-2020, she lived in the nearby Beachwood Canyon neighborhood, where she owned an updated midcentury home situated almost directly below the famed Hollywood Sign. More

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      This One-Time Hollywood Hills Home of Celebrity Photographer Herb Ritts Can Be Yours

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      A lofty Hollywood Hills villa that Herb Ritts once called home just popped up for sale high above the Sunset Strip, asking a click under $8.4 million; and it’s every bit as sublime as the late photographer’s images capturing the likes of Olivia Newton John, Madonna, Cindy Crawford and many more notable personalities—complete with museum-quality furnishings, plus sweeping views of the Griffith Observatory, city lights and ocean beyond.

      “The property presents a peaceful tranquility to be experienced while living in a midcentury art-deco work of art,” says Ernie Carswell, who holds the listing with Spencer Daley, both of Douglas Elliman. “For purists, there is nothing finer.”

      The Hollywood Hills home is fronted by a walled and gated court entry boasting an organic vegetable garden.

      Brian Kaplan

      Ritts acquired the 1936-built premises at the start of the 2000s—shortly before his death in 2002 at age 50—and then undertook an extensive remodel and expansion that added a cabana entertainment room with a full kitchen and bath that could easily serve as a guest suite if needed, as well as an additional bedroom and bath for staff that could be accessed via its own entrance.

      Per Carswell, there have been four owners since Ritts’ tenure, all of whom meticulously maintained the residence; and the current owners even added high-tech amenities and security features, such as armored windows and “James Bond-level” surveillance, he says.

      Resting atop a promontory, amid a secluded cul-de-sac parcel spanning almost a half-acre, the white stucco structure is fronted by an attached two-car garage, and offers a total of five bedrooms and six baths in a little more than 4,200 square feet of two-level living space boasting dark hardwood floors, high ceilings and steel-case French doors spilling out to a wraparound balcony. There also are plenty of original museum-quality furnishings by the likes of Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier, Serge Mouille and Pierre Jeanneret that are all available for purchase.

      Furnishings crafted by French designers ranging from Jean Prouvé to Pierre Jeanneret are available for purchase separately from the home’s sale price.

      Brian Kaplan

      A walled and gated courtyard entryway centered around an organic vegetable garden leads to the main level, which features a living room/library sporting a concealed motorized screen, projector and surround sound for movie nights. Other highlights include a wet bar-equipped den, formal dining room with built-in banquette, and galley-style kitchen decked out with custom cherry wood cabinetry and high-end Sub-Zero and Viking appliances, plus a breakfast nook on one side and lounge with a wine fridge on the other.

      All of the bedrooms can be found on the lower level, including a spacious primary retreat displaying a private balcony, walk-in closets, and a tiled bath spotlighted by dual vanities, a fitted tub and glass-encased shower. As for the outdoors, the private grounds are laced with specimen trees, and host a black-bottom pool flanked by a sundeck and an al fresco dining patio; and, per the listing, the sale also comes with architectural plans for a two-story ADU/guesthouse to be built on the property, as well as permits for a Tesla Solar Roof that can provide off-grid power for the entire house.

      Click here to see more photos of 8724 St. Ives Drive. More