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      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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      ‘Yellowstone’ Actress Puts $1.8 Million Price on Contemporary Los Angeles Home

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      Actress and Hollywood royal Jen Landon, the daughter of late actor Michael Landon and most recently seen as Teeter on the last few seasons of the smash hit TV series “Yellowstone,” has put her airy, eco-friendly two-story townhouse in a premium pocket of L.A.’s Venice Beach community on the market at $1.8 million.

      Landon, whose first acting gig was at five years old on her father’s series “Highway to Heaven,” has owned the two-bedroom and two-bath residence, according to records, since 2010, when it was acquired for $975,000. Records also show the neighboring townhouse was purchased at the same time for $925,000, for the benefit of Sean Landon, another of Michael Landon’s nine children and Jen’s half-brother.

      A double-height ceiling adds drama and volume to the 1,900-square-foot townhouse.

      Jessica Alexander

      Secreted behind a secured gate and slender courtyard lined with bamboo, the 1,900-square-foot townhouse stands two stories atop a garage that accommodates four cars, two for this unit and two for the neighboring unit. Throughout are bamboo floors; a double-height ceiling over the dining area adds drama volume; and strategically placed frosted windows provide privacy from the near-set neighbors while still transmitting tons of natural light.

      The compact kitchen, exposed to the dining area, is equipped with designer appliances, a small pantry, and PaperStone countertops, while the main-floor guest bedroom has a leafy view, and the guest bathroom features custom tile work and bespoke built-ins.

      The primary suite leads to an exterior staircase to the private rooftop terrace.

      Jessica Alexander

      A lofted area above the dining room holds the main bedroom, which is large enough to accommodate a spacious sitting area, a fitted walk-in closet, a laundry area, and an ensuite bathroom with intricate mosaic tiling.

      The townhouse is topped by a roof terrace with open, over-the-rooftop mountain views; it was designed and plumbed to accommodate planting beds for growing herbs and vegetables. At the back of the property, where the garage opens to an alleyway, the townhouse is emblazoned with a mural that depicts a wolf sitting under a Bodhi tree.

      Close to both the famously funky Venice Boardwalk and the trendy shops and eateries along Abbot Kinney Boulevard, the property is listed with Katie Crain and John Podhur of Compass.

      Click here for more photos of 540 1/2 Vernon Road.

      Jessica Alexander More

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      The Creator of ‘Friends’ Just Bought a $23 Million Malibu Home With an Oceanfront Basketball Court

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      It’s good to be Marta Kauffman. The veteran television writer and producer, who’s probably still best known for co-creating the über-successful sitcom “Friends,” has paid $23.6 million in cash for an oceanfront home on Malibu’s coveted Broad Beach. Complete with a basketball court and detached guesthouse, the compound is sited on a nearly 1-acre double lot, a rare amount of space for the neighborhood.

      And it gets even better: Kauffman’s new home is right next door to a $16 million house she’s owned since 2006. When coupled together, the two properties give her nearly 1.3 acres of land and more than 7,000 square feet of living space right on one of Malibu’s most popular and pricey beaches.

      Kauffman now owns one of the largest and most impressive compounds on Broad Beach.

      Google Earth

      The latest Kauffman acquisition was sold to her by Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, who acquired the double lot in two separate transactions more than 20 years ago, paying about $6.4 million in total. He then spent another small fortune making upgrades and additions to the premises, including remodeling the Cape Cod-style main house and installing that aforementioned basketball court, before putting the place up for grabs at nearly $25 million earlier this year.

      Previously, the walled and gated estate had been offered as a beachfront rental, asking as much as $150,000 per month.

      Several sets of sliding and French doors throughout the house provide easy access to a backyard deck.

      Open House Foto for Sotheby’s International Realty

      Interior highlights of the four-bedroom main house include a spacious chef’s kitchen with premium appliances, a light-filled dining/family room combo that spills out to an oceanfront patio, and an upstairs master retreat with ocean views and a private balcony.

      Also on tap are grassy lawns, well-tended gardens, a sandy beachfront sitting area and a huge wooden deck, complete with a jacuzzi and fire-pit, that’s primed for entertaining. But perhaps the property’s most unusual feature is the one-bedroom guesthouse, which lies directly below the detached two-car garage and includes its own bathroom and laundry room.

      The spacious backyard has ample room for large-scale entertaining.

      Open House Foto for Sotheby’s International Realty

      Kauffman, who also co-created the Netflix series “Grace and Frankie,” now lays claim to one of the most impressive estates on Broad Beach. When combined with her longtime home next door, the 67-year-old’s holdings include two oceanfront homes, two detached guesthouses and garage parking for five cars. Smack-dab in the middle of the compound is the sports court, where some of her lucky “Friends” will be able to shoot hoops while watching the sun set over the ocean waves.

      Ari Attanasio of Sotheby’s International Realty held the listing; Ellen Francisco of Coldwell Banker Realty repped the buyer.

      Open House Foto for Sotheby’s International Realty More

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      Elizabeth Perkins Has Her Los Angeles Home on the Market for $2.7 Million

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      About a year after Elizabeth Perkins took on the role of desperate, unhappy suburban housewife Celia Hodes in the cult favorite, late 2000s series Weeds, which garnered her three Emmy nominations, the veteran actress purchased her own suburban home in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley that’s just popped up for sale for $2.7 million.  

      Sitting on a corner lot of about one-fifth of an acre and partly concealed by mature trees and a tall hedge, the almost 3,400-square-foot Sherman Oaks home was built in a Spanish Mediterranean Revival style, with chalk-white stucco walls and a red clay tile roof. A secured, grassy courtyard entrance leads to the front door of the five-bedroom and four-bath family-friendly home.

      The living room showcases an elaborately tiled fireplace.

      Todd Goodman / LA Light for Sotheby’s International Realty

      Interior spaces feature dark, rich wood trim and casings, hardwood and travertine flooring, decorative wainscoting, soft arches, and vaulted and coved ceilings, while the home’s two fireplaces, one in the living room and the other in the main bedroom upstairs, have been colorfully tiled in hand-cut and hand-painted ceramic and glass tile work. 

      Complementing the adjoining living and dining rooms at the front of the house, a great room at the back incorporates a family room that spills out to the backyard, a spacious kitchen arranged around a granite-topped island, and an informal dining spot set into a bay window overlooking the pool and backyard.

      One of the smaller bedrooms is on the main floor, making it suitable as a home office or nanny suite, and the primary bedroom is on the second floor and offers a private balcony, a sleek bathroom with an oversized shower, and two walk-in closets.

      A large covered patio overlooks the swimming pool.

      Todd Goodman / LA Light for Sotheby’s International Realty

      A spacious ramada offers plenty of space for relaxing out of the heat of the sun in the backyard, and cumulous plumes of foliage provide privacy from the neighbors. There’s a fire bowl in one corner, and the kidney-shaped pool, surrounded by lawn, is trimmed in flagstone.

      The veteran actress, whose dozens of film and TV credits include Big (1988), The Doctor (1991), Sharp Objects (2018), and, most recently, Minx, and her husband, Argentinian-born cinematographer Julio Macat,” whose handiwork includes the 1990s film franchise Home Alone, purchased the then brand-spanking-new home in 2006 for not quite $1.5 million, according to tax records.

      The listing is held by Michael J. Okun of Sotheby’s International Realty, Sherman Oaks Brokerage.

      Click here for more photos of Elizabeth Perkins’s home.

      Todd Goodman / LA Light for Sotheby’s International Realty More

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      Marilyn Monroe’s Iconic L.A. Home Was Bought by the Billionaire Heiress Next Door

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      Earlier this month, news of the pending demolition of Marilyn Monroe’s famed Los Angeles home went viral. Since then, onlookers have wondered who would pay more than $3,000 per square foot — already a very high price for the neighborhood — only to tear down the local landmark.

      The property quietly changed hands in August, when it sold to a mysterious trust (“Glory of the Snow 1031 Trust”) that paid about $8.4 million, in cash, for the place. The trust’s trustee is Andrew Schure, a Philadelphia-based businessman.

      Many speculated that the new owner was a greedy developer, or a high-flying tycoon looking to build a custom dream home on the half-acre lot. But the real story is a little more complex.

      This week, the L.A. tour bus service Esotouric uncovered a very big clue to the owner’s identity. Recent photos reveal the wall and hedge between Monroe’s home and the much larger house immediately next door have been removed, an indicator that the two properties are being linked together to create one large compound.

      The house next door is owned by a notably wealthy heiress named Brinah Milstein, who is married to Roy Bank — a former reality television producer and Philadelphia native. Milstein acquired her current Brentwood home, a 2006-built mansion that spans some 6,000 square feet of living space, in 2016 for about $8.2 million.

      The acquisition of Monroe’s house gives Milstein more than 1-acre of prime Brentwood land.

      Google Earth

      Milstein, 42, is a daughter of the late Carl Milstein, a powerful businessman who was one of Cleveland’s most prominent real estate developers. In the 1970s, he served prison time for bribing a federal housing official; he also founded Associated Estates (AEC), which became one of the largest owners and managers of apartment buildings in Ohio.

      In 2015, AEC was sold for $2.5 billion. Today, some of Brinah Milstein’s siblings are executives at Milstein Asset Management, a single family office with a portfolio of assets and investments worth “billions of dollars.”

      In addition to her two-property, $16.6 million Brentwood compound, records indicate Milstein recently bought an oceanfront vacation home in Newport Beach, Calif., paying $8.2 million.

      Milstein’s $8.2 million vacation home in Newport Beach.

      Google Earth

      It’s still unclear what Milstein and Bank plan to do with the Monroe property once the house is torn down, though it seems destined to became one piece of a larger estate. Clearly, the vacant lot would have more than enough space to accommodate a full-size tennis court, a guesthouse, gardens or garages for additional parking.

      But for folks upset by Milstein’s plans, all hope is not yet lost. Last week, the L.A. city council unanimously voted to consider the house for historic preservation, prompting the building department to revoke Milstein’s demolition permit. Beyond that, immediate neighbors of the Monroe house have told Robb Report that they’ve spoken directly to Milstein, who they claim has already changed her mind about tearing down the iconic home.

      Neighbors say Milstein may have changed her mind about tearing down Monroe’s hacienda.

      Mercer Vine

      Some vocal critics have derided all the hullabaloo about Milstein’s demolition plans. They point out that the Monroe house is just another Spanish-style hacienda, one of thousands in L.A., and that it has been remodeled multiple times since Monroe’s death, leaving the 2,600-square-foot structure an imperfect blend of 1920s throwback and 2000s modernity. Why does it matter that one of Hollywood’s most famous stars lived and died there decades ago, they say.

      But “imperfection is beauty,” Monroe once noted. So maybe her little slice of Brentwood imperfection will stick around to see another year.

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      Kaley Cuoco Is Buying and Selling L.A. Houses

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      Kaley Cuoco is shuffling her Los Angeles property portfolio once again. A little over three months after her contemporary mansion in a semi-remote part of Agoura Hills popped up for sale with a $7 million ask, she’s already picked up the keys to a nearly 2-acre spread tucked away in a gated Westlake Village community, on the outskirts of L.A.

      Records show the veteran TV and film actress—probably most known for her role as Penny on The Big Bang Theory, as well as Based on a True Story, The Flight Attendant and those ubiquitous Priceline commercials—has doled out $6.4 million for a modern ranch-style home that was built new in 2023, and features five bedrooms and seven baths in almost 7,000 square feet of mostly single-level living space.

      Meanwhile, the Agoura Hills place she purchased in a bidding war from actor Taylor Lautner in spring 2022 for $5.25 million is still up for sale. After having undergone four price cuts since it first hit the market in early June, it’s currently listed for $5.75 million.

      As for her newly acquired residence, the main level is highlighted by a formal dining room accented with a decorative wood wall, plus a gourmet kitchen decked out with a central island, top-tier appliances and a casual breakfast nook. An adjacent wet bar-equipped family room has a floor-to-ceiling fireplace flanked by glass doors spilling outside.

      Elsewhere are an office and three en-suite bedrooms, which include a sizable master retreat displaying a fireplace, walk-in closet, and luxe bath outfitted with dual vanities and a soaking tub. Two additional bedrooms can be found in the basement, which also has a climate-controlled wine cellar and movie theater/game room; and outdoors, the grassy grounds host a covered patio and plenty of room for equestrian facilities should Cuoco wish to indulge her love for horses. There’s also an attached four-car garage and a motorcourt out front.

      In addition to her for-sale and just-purchased houses, the California native also owns a 40-acre horse ranch in a secluded area of Ventura County, along with a Studio City townhouse she picked up in late 2015 for just $720,000.

      The buyer was represented by her real estate agent father, Gary Cuoco of Re/Max Gold Coast; Jordan Cohen of Re/Max One acted on behalf of the seller. More

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      A $20 Million Malibu Home Has Sold to a High-End Supermarket Chain Owner

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      There’s apparently great wealth in wellness. A company linked to Josephine Antoci, who with her husband Tony owns the health-oriented and über-expensive Erewhon supermarket chain, has just paid $20 million for an oceanfront house on Malibu’s Broad Beach.

      Over the past 10 years, Erewhon — which recently opened its 10th location in the greater Los Angeles area — has evolved from a single-location health foods store into a see-and-be-seen organic Mecca with locations in nearly every posh L.A. neighborhood, and a favorite haunt of Tinseltown’s rich and famous. Today, the chain is perhaps best known for its $20 smoothies, of which there are a wide assortment of only-in-Tinseltown flavors, including “Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie.”

      As for the Malibu home, it’s a 1950s ranch-style structure sited on more than half an acre of oceanfront land, complete with an impressive 73 feet of beach frontage. With six bedrooms and six bathrooms in nearly 3,700 square feet, the recently renovated residence includes hardwood floors throughout, walls of glass, soaring ceilings with exposed wood beams and a covered balcony upstairs.

      Other amenities include a long and gated driveway, a snug kitchen with new appliances and butcher-block countertops, a breakfast bar, a fireplace-equipped living room and a guest suite with its own separate entrance.

      Nice as the upgraded house is, it still isn’t good enough for everyone. Just last year, nursing home mogul Lee Samson bought the place for $19.6 million and immediately sought to demolish the existing structure. The current listing notes the property transferred to its new owner with “plans and renderings for a new Richard Landry-designed home of approximately 10,000 square feet,” although it is unclear what Antoci’s ultimate intentions are.

      For unknown reasons, Samson apparently changed his mind about building a new Broad Beach dream home, opting to abandon the project before construction began. But the 76-year-old still owns a giant Richard Landry-designed mansion in prime Beverly Hills.

      The Antocis are longtime Malibu residents who own another oceanfront home elsewhere on Broad Beach. The couple, who sold a minority stake in Erewhon to New York-based private equity firm Stripes Group in 2019, also recently completed construction on a $30 million, all-custom mansion in L.A.’s exclusive Brentwood Park neighborhood. More

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      Olivia Wilde Has Quietly Sold Her Charming Hacienda on L.A.’s Eastside

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      During their nearly decade-long relationship, Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis accumulated a small portfolio of impressive homes, including a mansion-sized townhouse in Brooklyn and a renovated Spanish hacienda in L.A.’s Silver Lake neighborhood.

      Property records indicate those real estate trophies were divided up following the demise of the two actors’ coupledom, with the Brooklyn townhouse going to Sudeikis and the Silver Lake property being transferred to Wilde’s sole control. And given that Wilde recently bought a multimillion-dollar new home in Studio City, it’s probably no surprise that the “Don’t Worry Darling” director has quietly sold the Silver Lake house. Though it was never on the market, records show the stylish place sold for $4.2 million to a non-famous entertainment attorney and his wife.

      Back in 2019, Wilde and Sudeikis paid $3.5 million for the 1928-built Spanish-style home, which directly overlooks the Silver Lake Reservoir. Originally designed by Frankie Faulkner, one of L.A.’s first female architects, the approximately 2,800 sq. ft. structure was completely remodeled in 2016 by noted design firm DISC Interiors. While the exterior remains period-correct, the home’s innards now sport a far more contemporary and neutral palette, all while retaining many original architectural details — arched doors, casement windows and a beamed barrel ceiling in the living room.

      Set on a 0.13-acre lot, the hillside property features a two-car garage and plenty of additional street parking.  The low-maintenance yard is landscaped with native and drought-tolerant plantings — olive trees and various species of cacti, along with a petite patch of grassy lawn and a saltwater swimming pool in the backyard.

      Indoors, a spacious living room includes an original fireplace and the aforementioned barrel-vaulted ceiling. The sleek eat-in kitchen opens to the dining area and features custom cabinetry, limestone countertops, plus a mixture of vintage and high-end appliances.

      Though the Wilde-Sudeikis home appears to be single-story from the streetfront, it drops down mullet-style to three full separate levels out back. On the ground floor is a guest bedroom suite with private entry and a convenient wet bar, while the top floor includes the property’s other three bedrooms — two guest rooms that share a bathroom and the home’s fully modernized master suite, with its walk-in closet, dual bathroom vanities and soaking tub. More