More stories

  • in

    A Snazzy Modern L.A. Farmhouse Sells to a 30-Year-Old Entrepreneur for $23 Million

    Over in the ritzy guard-gated community of Hidden Hills—a celeb-studded enclave inundated with the likes of Kris and Khloe Kardashian, Matt Stafford, Lori Loughlin, Jessica Simpson, French Montana and Tristan Thompson, just to name a few—an up-and-coming payments processing executive has just joined the residential fray, having doled out a cool $23.7 million for the keys to a newly built modern farmhouse-style mansion.

    Originally listed for a smidge under $25 million this past October, records show the sprawling San Fernando Valley spread went to Maverick Payments COO Benjamin Griefer, who was recognized as one of the Electronic Transactions Association’s 40 under 40 extraordinary payments executives by fellow members last year at only 29 years old. He and his wife Chantal snagged the place at a $1.2 million discount.

    Custom-built in 2023, the six-bedroom, eight-bath home features a little more than 13,100 square feet of two-level living space providing seamless indoor-outdoor environs throughout. Also on tap: a wealth of posh amenities, including a bookshelf-lined office space, soundproof movie theater, steam shower-equipped gym, an entertainment lounge with a seated bar and an attached garage that can accommodate up to four vehicles.

    Especially standing out on the main level is an open great room, which is highlighted by a spacious fireside living area sporting automated walls of glass spilling out to a covered terrace. An adjacent dining area connects to the gourmet kitchen, which is decked out with two islands and top-tier appliances. There also are formal living and dining rooms, the former holding a fireplace and latter boasting a temperature-controlled wine wall encased in glass.

    Upstairs, the sumptuous master retreat comes complete with a stone fireplace, separate sitting area that flows out to a private balcony and duo of “room-sized” custom closets, as well as a luxe bath brandishing a soaking tub, plus dual vanities and showers; and outdoors, the 1.4-acre grounds are laced with mature oak trees, and host an infinity-edge pool with an oversized Baja shelf and a spa nestled alongside an open-air cabana that’s ideal for al fresco dining with its very own barbecue station.

    The listing was held by Marc Shevin of Douglas Elliman; Nicole Tekiela and Dennis Chernov of The Agency repped the buyers. More

  • in

    Legendary Queen Drummer Roger Taylor Lists His Longtime L.A. Estate for $6.2 Million

    Don’t stop him now! After owning a Los Angeles residence for more than four decades, Roger Taylor wants to break free from his Spanish-style villa. The 74-year-old Queen drummer and backup vocalist has put the alluring Hollywood Hills home he picked up for a mere $352,000 way back in the early 1980s up for sale, asking just shy of $6.2 million.

    Tucked away behind a gated driveway and high hedges, amid one-third acres of land, the white stucco and brick-accented structure is topped by a terra-cotta roof, and has a motorcourt flanked by an attached two-car garage out front. Once inside, four bedrooms and five baths are filtered across a little more than 4,300 square feet of two-level living space that’s been “remarkably restored and lovingly maintained,” per the listing held by Greg Holcomb and Tim Durkovic of Douglas Elliman.

    A hand-carved wood door leads into an impressive entry foyer displaying a curving mosaic-lined staircase, which flows to a formal living room boasting a vaulted ceiling, black marble fireplace, and two sets of French doors spilling out to a brick terrace holding an al fresco dining area and a fire-pit. From there, a “lodge-like” den comes complete with a particularly eye-catching stone fireplace and wine closet, while a dining room sporting built-in shelving adjoins an all-white kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island and high-end appliances.

    A stone fireplace in the den is flanked by a door to a clandestine wine closet.

    Christopher Amitrano

    Elsewhere in the house is an upstairs master retreat warmed by a fireplace, and hosting a private balcony, walk-in closet, and spa-inspired bath equipped with dual vanities, a freestanding soaking tub and large steam shower. There’s also a bedroom that’s currently being used as an office, as well as a guest suite with its own entrance, kitchenette and family room; and rounding it all out are the garden-laced grounds, which are spotlighted by a lagoon-style pool and pathway leading to a hillside spa.

    Born in the United Kingdom, where he maintains his primary residence, Taylor is probably best known for co-founding Queen with the late Freddie Mercury and Brian May in the early ’70s. He’s been voted the eighth-greatest drummer in classic rock music history in a 2005 listener poll conducted by Planet Rock, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 2001. Most recently, he and collaborating Queen frontman Adam Lambert launched the LGBTQ+ club Wild New Bar in West Hollywood. 

    Click here for more photos of Roger Taylor’s Los Angeles house.

    Christopher Amitrano More

  • in

    ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star Scheana Shay Just Snapped Up an All-New L.A. Home

    Despite the wide-eyed dreams of Hollywood fame that initially drew them to Tinseltown, it’s no secret that the drama-fueled stars of Vanderpump Rules—likely one of reality television’s guiltiest of guilty pleasures—love the prototypically suburban San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. Over the years, numerous cast members have bought widely publicized valley houses, all of them virtually identical in look and size.

    The latest cast member to join the valley fray is OG star Scheana Shay, who records reveal has pumped out $2.5 million for a nearly 4,000-square-foot home in the increasingly upscale Sherman Oaks neighborhood.

    Trimmed with a mix of wood and stone, the spacious but relatively unassuming house was built in 2016 and last sold that same year for $1.7 million. Dapperly dressed, the place is styled in the ubiquitous “modern farmhouse” architectural bent that mixes familiar and comfortable architectural design motifs with modern amenities. Like so many other structures built in this style over the last decade all across Los Angeles and beyond, the home’s airy, open living spaces are ideal for large-scale entertaining and a relaxed indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

    Built in 2016, the house sits on a relatively tight lot shaded by tall hedgerows.

    Google Earth

    The front door opens into a combination foyer, living room and dining room with wide-plank oak hardwood floors, a fireplace and traditional moldings. A central staircase ferries folks upstairs, where four of the home’s five bedrooms are located. Sure to star on a future season of Vanderpump Rules, an photogenic gourmet kitchen is arranged around a large island with a spacious butler’s pantry and commercial-grade stainless appliances. In the adjoining family room area, French doors open to patio with ample room for al fresco dining.

    Each of the four guest bedrooms sports an ensuite full bathroom, as does the master retreat, which additionally offers a fireplace, balcony and a sumptuous walk-in closet. While it’s not particularly big, the backyard is nicely hedged for privacy and manages to squeeze in a pool/spa combo and a couple patches of grassy lawn.

    Other home highlights include state-of-the art technology, including a full-house sound system, an alarm system and multiple surveillance cameras.

    Shay, 39, is a Southern California native. In addition to her now decade-long and doubtlessly lucrative role on Vanderpump Rules, the Azusa Pacific University grad also hosts a weekly podcast, Scheananigans, and owns an eyelashes brand. Now married to second husband Brock Davies, Shay continues to maintain a second home in Palm Springs. More

  • in

    ‘The Good Place’ Star Jameela Jamil Seeks $7.2 Million for Her Hollywood Hills Mansion

    Scarcely one year ago, Hollywood actress Jameela Jamil and her longtime partner James Blake dropped an impressive $6.4 million to buy a hulking mansion sited atop L.A.’s famed Mulholland Drive, directly overlooking the entirety of Hollywood.

    The English couple—she famous for her roles in films and TV show projects such as “The Good Place,” “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law,” and most recently, “Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin,” he a Grammy-winning musician—are already moving on from their still-relatively-new Hollywood Hills home, having flipped the place back up for sale with a $7.2 million ask. Rick Ojeda of Carolwood Estates holds the listing.

    Clinging precariously to the side of a nearly sheer cliff, the house appears to be a relatively humble, single-story structure from the street, but it drops down mullet-style to four full levels out back, encompassing a nearly 7,000 square feet of mansion-sized living space. There are a total five bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms on tap, per tax records.

    Built in the late ’80s and styled as a Mediterranean-style villa, the hillside home was recently given a contemporary renovation.

    Google Earth

    Originally built in 1989, the home’s dated architecture was given a thorough contemporary makeover by Dalinger Designs just prior to Jamil and Blake’s purchase. Today, the hillside structure is described in the listing as “Villa de Vistas, an extraordinary Contemporary Mediterranean compound … with an earthy flair.” And indeed, the home’s views are unquestionably extraordinary, with walls of glass spanning the entire back of the residence and framing unstoppable vistas of nearby canyons and distant city lights.

    A convenient elevator ferries residents and guests throughout all four of the home’s level. The front door opens into a vast main living area with a wood-paneled kitchen—naturally complete with commercial-grade stainless appliances—and an adjoining fireplace-equipped living room and indoor/outdoor living space. Just below that, a 2,000-square-foot master retreat is loaded with amenities, boasting a fireplace, lounge area, spa-style bathroom and a walk-in closet bigger than many studio apartments.

    Below the master are various guest bedrooms, all of them equipped with ensuite full bathrooms. The home’s lowest level is recreation-themed, sporting a movie theater, gym and a wellness center with a sauna. Out back, a pool and spa overlook the aforementioned views. Other amenities include state-of-the-art home automation and surveillance systems, plus a three-car garage and a lounge space that could be converted into a recording studio, per the listing.

    In addition to their for-sale Hollywood Hills manor, Jamil and Blake also own a spacious second home in Georgia, down in the Atlanta suburb of Fayetteville. More

  • in

    Richard Perry and Jane Fonda’s Onetime Beverly Hills House Can Be Yours for $11 Million

    Jane Fonda once said she knew this tasteful Beverly Hills beauty was a house where she could live very happily as soon as she and Richard Perry drove through the gate for the very first time. The couple went on to pay late film and TV director John Rich $7.3 million for the place in summer 2012, and Fonda even held a party there to celebrate her 75th birthday.

    But life happens. After eight years together, the Oscar-winning actress and her music-producer partner wound up splitting and putting the home up for sale in January 2017 for a little less than $13 million. Finally purchased a year later by an unnamed Irish celebrity for a substantially reduced $8.5 million, and leased out in the years since, the modern residence in the Trousdale Estates neighborhood has now returned to the market, this time asking a speck under $11 million.

    An inviting living room is centered around a stacked-stone fireplace.

    Jeremy Spann

    Built in the early 1960s, and subsequently updated, the two-story structure is fronted by a gated motorcourt flanked by an attached three-car garage. Tucked away on almost an acre of land overlooking ocean and mountain vistas, the four-bedroom, six-bath abode features a little more than 7,100 square feet of open-concept living space boasting bamboo floors, vaulted ceilings and double-glazed walls of glass providing seamless indoor/outdoor environs.

    The many highlights include an entry foyer displaying a staircase and glass-encased elevator, plus a window-lined great room anchored by a dining area and sunken living room equipped with a stacked-stone fireplace stretching to the ceiling and an adjacent wet bar. A family room sits next to the gourmet kitchen, which is outfitted with an eat-in island, verde quartz countertops, high-end Miele and Wolf appliances, and a breakfast room with sliding glass doors leading out to an al fresco dining terrace.

    A meditation garden sporting a fountain is the ideal place to relax.

    Jeremy Spann

    A fireside master retreat on the main level is spotlighted by a separate sitting area and an office space, as well as dual walk-in closets and luxe baths; and the lower level holds a gym, a seated bar, lounge area and screening room clad with cork floors. The amenities continue out to the tree-laced grounds, which host numerous patios, a solar-heated swimming pool surrounded by a sundeck, fire-pit and serene meditation garden bolstered by a fountain.

    The listing is shared by Jonathan Nash of Carolwood Estates and Tyrone McKillen of Official.

    Click here for more photos of Richard Perry and Jane Fonda’s former Beverly Hill house.

    Jeremy Spann More

  • in

    Music Titan Irving Azoff Just Dropped $11 Million on the Beverly Hills Estate Next Door

    Music mega-mogul Irving Azoff and his longtime wife Shelli are apparently feeling very crowded in their neck of the Beverly Hills woods. Two years ago, the pair plunked down an impressive $21.5 million on the house immediately next door to their longtime 90210 estate, which they’ve owned since 1985. The couple are in the process of demolishing that recently acquired house and combining the property with their main residence.

    But a 3.2-acre slice of Beverly Hills just isn’t quite enough breathing room. Records show the Azoffs have now paid an additional $11.6 million to buy yet another house, this one a half-acre estate immediately adjacent to the other two properties they own.

    Back in 2013, the Azoffs moved out of their longtime Beverly Hills home and subsequently demolished the existing structure. They’re recently completed the construction of an all-new, ultra-contemporary residence, a decade-long project reportedly plagued by delays and cost overruns. (Back in 2015, the Azoffs headed to arbitration to resolve a financial dispute with Malibu-based architect Scott Mitchell, whom they had hired to oversee their new home’s creation. A court judgment subsequently awarded them more than $2.1 million.)

    As for the Azoffs’ new real estate acquisition, the half-acre estate includes a 7,200-square-foot mansion built circa 1926, per tax records. The red tile-roofed, Spanish Colonial-style structure was recently renovated and includes a mixture of hardwood floors and carpeting, numerous sets of French doors and an updated kitchen with a bulky center island and commercial-grade stainless appliances.

    Although it seems likely that the Azoffs may opt to demolish the house, the current structure also would make a sumptuous guesthouse or lavish staff quarters, with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms on tap. The lushly landscaped property also offers an outdoor fireplace, large swaths of grassy lawn, a rectangular swimming pool and even a full-size tennis court.

    The giant Azoff estate now spans nearly four acres and includes three large houses, at least one of which is slated for demolition.

    Google Earth

    With the addition of this new property to the Azoffs’ already grand estate, their as-yet-unfinished new compound has swollen to nearly 4-acres of land in one of the best pockets of Beverly Hills. Directly across the street is Ari Emanuel’s $28 million estate, and only one block away is the $165 million main residence of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.

    Azoff, who is frequently described as the most powerful man in the music industry, maintains an impressive stable of other homes, including a Malibu property and a 17,000-square-foot contemporary vacation mansion in La Quinta’s guard-gated Madison Club. More

  • in

    Scoot McNairy Drops Millions on a 1920s Gothic Chateau

    Though he already owns a 25-acre ranch in his home state of Texas, John Marcus “Scoot” McNairy has now settled into another residence in the South Pasadena city of Los Angeles. Records reveal the ever-busy TV and film actor—probably best known for his roles in Argo, 12 Years a Slave, Gone Girl, True Detective, Godless and Narcos—acquired the whimsical French chateau-inspired home back in June 2023 from husband-and-wife real estate team George Sokolow and Matty Hurtado-Sokolow, paying just over $3.2 million.

    Reportedly built way back in the mid-1920s for Dr. Elwood Webb at a cost of around $20,000—and previously occupied by L.A.-based fashion designer Cesar De La Parra, who sold the place to the Sokolows for $1.9 million in 2006—the updated home features five bedrooms and six baths filtered across nearly 5,800 square feet of multi-level living space adorned with white oak hardwood floors, coved ceilings, built-ins, ornate millwork and eight fireplaces.

    Resting on a gated and ivy-covered parcel of land spanning almost a half-acre, the stately red brick and mansard-roof structure is fronted by a two-car garage topped by a slate-floored guesthouse with its own bedroom, bath, kitchen and pot belly gas stove. There’s also an artist’s studio equipped with a bath.

    An arched entryway leads into a soaring atrium-like foyer topped by a glass ceiling and displaying a wrought iron-railed staircase and statued water fountain. From there, a fireside living room has picture windows and a private balcony overlooking sweeping views of the Colorado Street Bridge and San Gabriel Mountains. Other highlights include a study embellished with vintage built-ins, formal dining room boasting parquet floors and French doors spilling out to a Juliette balcony, and remodeled yet old-world kitchen outfitted with custom cabinetry, marble countertops, a center island, high-end appliances and access to a wood deck ideal for al fresco dining alongside a waterfall.

    Upstairs is an office/sitting room, along with two en-suite bedrooms separated by a sky-lit mezzanine balcony; and all the way down on the lower level is an entertainment space that comes complete with a restored ballroom sporting eight sets of original French doors leading out to a large balcony, plus a family room, wet bar and cedar-lined wine cellar. Rounding it all out: lushly landscaped grounds hosting meandering pathways and an additional waterfall that empties into into a spa.

    In addition to his newly acquired South Pasadena getaway, McNairy—who has appeared in ads for TX Whiskey and also works as a producer—has long maintained a primary residence in Brenham, Texas, about 100 miles east of Austin, which he picked up back in 2010 after he relocated from Los Angeles. More

  • in

    Steve Wynn Relists Palatial Beverly Hills Mansion at a ‘Discounted’ $75 Million

    Steve Wynn just can’t seem to catch a break on either coast. Last month, the legally blind octogenarian casino tycoon yanked his posh New York City penthouse off the market, despite having slashed the asking price from $90 million all the way down to a heavily discounted $65 million. Wynn paid a staggering $70 million for the Ritz-Carlton duplex more than a decade ago and was therefore willing to lose millions on the deal, but still a buyer failed to surface.

    Things aren’t going any better in California, where Wynn recently placed his uncommonly lavish Beverly Hills mega-mansion back on the market, asking $75 million. He bought the 2.7-acre estate about five years ago, in summer 2015, paying about $48 million for the premises after a much-publicized, years-long search for an L.A. home. The sumptuous spread subsequently underwent a multimillion-dollar remodel that involved all-new landscaping and updated interiors.

    In early 2020, Wynn debuted the palatial property on the market, asking $135 million. Four years later, the house remains unsold and the ask has precipitously dropped by an eye-popping $60 million—a 44% nosedive from what the 82-year-old originally wanted.

    Originally offered at $135 million, Wynn’s 90210 mega-estate is now listed at a heavily discounted $75 million.

    Google Earth

    Today, the International-style mansion spans about 27,000 square feet of living space. Built by Guess co-founder Maurice Marciano in the early 1990s, with architecture by William Hablinski, the house offers 10 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms and an elevator to assist in navigating the mammoth structure. There’s a professional screening room with stadium-style seating, a gym, wine room, four family/guest bedroom suites and a lavish master with dual bathrooms, closets, dressing rooms and a private office.

    An estate of this magnitude requires a full-time staff, so the main house also offers separate staff wings—one with three bedrooms and a kitchen for the domestic help, another with an additional three bedrooms and kitchenette for a private security team.

    Other amenities include a decadent living room with views of the city lights, a formal dining room with fireplace, and a “reception” room with crimson-red walls and a convenient wet bar. Outside, there are formal gardens, manicured hedgerows and a carefully curated assortment of mature trees. There’s also a lighted tennis court with an air-conditioned seating house and kitchenette. Elsewhere, a rectangular swimming pool is tucked into a private corner of the lot, directly beside a convenient pool house with another kitchenette and changing facilities. Wynn’s park-like landscaping was designed by Robert Truskowski; the interior decor is by Roger Thomas of Wynn Resorts.

    Even if Wynn were to suddenly get lucky and sell both his Beverly Hills estate and New York penthouse tomorrow, he still owns at least two other lavish homes—in Idaho’s scenic winter resort community of Sun Valley, Wynn has a 25,000 sq. ft. mega-compound of a ski chalet. And in 2019, the billionaire paid about $43 million for an oceanfront estate on Florida’s perennially fashionable Palm Beach.

    Wynn’s priciest home, however, is his floating “mansion” Aquarius—a 302-foot, $215 million superyacht with a helicopter landing pad, a beauty salon and a 30-person crew. More