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

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

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

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

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

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

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      “Allow nothing to be in your life that you cannot walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you spot the heat around the corner.” So advises professional thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) in the hit crime drama Heat. The contemporary pad where Neil lives in the 1995 film (which turned 25 this past December!) wouldn’t exactly be easy to walk away from, though.

      The modern residence, which sits on the sand overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Malibu, is bright, open and airy—a quintessential Los Angeles beach pad. Interestingly though, while Heat’s many filming locations have been extensively chronicled on copious websites and in countless articles, such as these extensive pieces for the British Film Institute and L.A. Taco, little has ever been made of Neil’s home.

      Heat, which is most notable for being the first movie in which De Niro shares screen time with fellow acting legend Al Pacino, was lensed over 107 days in early 1995. In an unprecedented move, director Michael Mann opted to shoot the film almost entirely on location, with very few soundstage-built sets used, which is unheard of, especially for a production of Heat’s caliber.
      Robert De Niro in “Heat.”  Warner Bros. Pictures

      Countless iconic LA sites appear in the movie, including the now-shuttered Kate Mantillini restaurant in Beverly Hills, where Neil and Pacino’s Lt. Vincent Hanna sit down for a tense tête-à-tête, Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, which serves as the workplace of Neil’s coconspirator Donald Breedan (Dennis Haysbert), and Santa Monica’s famed art and architecture book store Hennessey + Ingalls, McCauley’s go-to spot for researching his various scores. Neil’s starkly modern pad, though only shown in a handful of scenes, is no less memorable. So its longtime exclusion from Heat filming location sources is surprising. An anonymous commenter on the Then & Now Movie Locations website finally identified the place via MLS images as 26940 Malibu Cove Colony Dr.
      Designed in 1982 by architect Ron Goldman, FAIA, the dramatic two-story property contains four bedrooms and three baths in 3,502 square feet. Featuring floor to ceiling windows, three fireplaces and an owners’ suite with a built-in desk and sitting area, Zillow values the dwelling’s worth at almost $9 million!
      Check out more photos of Neil’s house below:

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      Michelle Pfeiffer’s Historic Former LA Estate Hits the Market for $20 Million

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      Michelle Pfeiffer’s Former LA Digs List for $20 MillionWill Rogers might have been the ultimate one-man media machine. Born in the Cherokee Nation, the cowboy made his way from Oklahoma to Hollywood, starring in more than 70 films—both silent and “talkies”—and had a syndicated column with The New York Times and a radio show. During the 1920s and ’30s, he was a household name across the US.

      In LA’s Pacific Palisades, Rogers has an eponymous state park to commemorate his big personality and presence as well as his love of the outdoors. He died in a plane crash in Alaska in 1935 at age 57. But just before he died, he finished the final details on a sprawling new home just minutes from the Will Rogers State Park.

      The starry legacy continued when actor Michelle Pfeiffer, along with her producer and TV writer husband, David E. Kelley, purchased the spread, which included a pool, pool house and horse stables, plus a spacious 6,250-square-foot main house. In 2001, the compound changed hands again, this time to a local venture capitalist and his family. Now they’re selling the expanded estate for $19.99 million.
      The living room.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      The current owners brought in one of interior design’s stars, Michael S. Smith (who famously decorated the White House while the Obamas were in residence), to completely renovate the inside of the main house. While looking a bit humble on the outside, the home is decidedly elegant past the front steps with crown molding, fireplaces in several rooms and high ceilings. The wide-plank hardwood floors throughout are original, as is the two-story library with its spiral staircase leading to a second-floor loft or flex space.
      The main house includes a vast country-style kitchen and pantry along with four bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths, a formal living and dining room, a windowed sitting room just off the dining area and a family room. All bedrooms are en suite and have a New England/Hamptons-cottage feel with beadboard peaked ceilings.
      The dining room.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      The current owners also built an additional guest house on the compound with two separate one-bedroom units. A staff house contains yet another bed and bath. Renovations also reached the stable, which has been converted into a spacious family fitness center. The pool house includes a full kitchen, a sauna and a spa and bath. Finally, the two-story garage has more space for a home office, with a living room and balcony. In total, the property offers five kitchens and eight bedrooms.

      Gardens connected by flagstone pathways dot the estate, connecting the vast pool area to the guest quarters on the far end of the three-acre parcel.
      The listing is held jointly by Aaron Kirman, Jeeb O’Reilly and Liz Gottainer of Aaron Kirman group at Compass. Check out more photos of the property below:
      The family room.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      The kitchen.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      The library.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      The primary suite.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      Another of the main house’s four bedrooms.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      One of four baths in the home.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      The stables-turned-fitness center.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      The pool and poolhouse.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      One of the units in the guest house.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      The newly built guest house.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass

      The firepit patio.  Photo: Marc Angeles/Compass More

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      Ryan Seacrest’s Secluded Beverly Hills Compound Hits the Market for $85 Million

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      Ryan Seacrest is dimming the lights on his Beverly Hills estate. The American Idol host has just listed the 90210 home for an eye-popping $85 million.
      The 45-year-old purchased the secluded LA compound from fellow TV host Ellen DeGeneres in 2012 for less than half his asking: $36.5 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. Eight years on, the property has skyrocketed in value thanks to increased interest in the highly affluent area and a boom in trophy estates. It also helps that Seacrest did a little remodeling and tricked out the property with luxury amenities, like a massage room and home cinema. Hey, where else is one supposed to watch Idol?

      The epic estate is located just across the street from Franklin Canyon Reservoir and offers more than three acres of resort-like grounds, with manicured lawns and spectacular ocean views. The centerpiece of the property is a 9,000-square-foot abode that was originally built by the noted architects Buff & Hensman in the ‘60s for the actor Laurence Harvey.
      The front entrance.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY

      The one-story home showcases an impeccable level of quality, taste and craftsmanship. Think striking exposed beams, dramatic chandeliers and expansive floor-to-ceiling windows. The layout sees four bedrooms, six bathrooms, a living room, formal dining room and an open-plan kitchen. When a little quiet is needed, there’s an office and library. Conversely, when it’s time to party, there’s a lounge with a wet bar where you can enjoy the requisite happy hour cocktail, as well as a sunroom with a pizza oven and grill.
      The amenities are, of course, fit for an A-Lister and include a mega-sized pool, a separate fitness facility, a secure underground garage and al fresco dining areas. Elsewhere, there are two sizable guesthouses and a pool house that together offer a further three bedrooms and four bathrooms.
      Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency holds the listing on the Beverly Hills property, which will be shown to pre-qualified clients only.
      Check out more photos of Seacrest’s home below:
      The living room.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY

      The kitchen.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY

      The living room.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY

      The dining room.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY

      The master bedroom.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY

      The walk-in wardrobe.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY

      The master bathroom.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY

      The home cinema.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY

      The massage room.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY

      The gym.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY

      The pool.  Anthony Barcelo/WESTSIDE ESTATE AGENCY More

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      Home of the Week: Gene Simmons’s $22 Million LA Mansion Was Made for Lovin’ You

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      Tongue-wagging rock legend Gene Simmons is kissing goodbye the Beverly Hills mansion he’s owned for 36 years. After paying $1.34 million for the property back in 1984, it’s now on the market for $22 million.
      Why sell? It seems Simmons, 71, and his actress and model wife, Shannon Tweed Simmons, are relocating to tax-free Washington State to escape what Simmons calls California’s “unacceptable” taxes.

      They’re giving up their stately 16,000-square-foot, three-story European-style home in the celebrity enclave of Benedict Canyon, to move to a 24-acre estate the couple owns close to Washington State’s Mount Rainer.

      When they originally bought the 1.84-acre hilltop property in Los Angeles, it came with just a rustic ranch home. They proceeded to spend five years and a reported $12 million replacing it with this majestic, though decidedly un-rock-star-looking home completed in 2000.
      Simmons’ Beverly Hills estate has a pool with waterslide and a tennis court.  Photo: Christopher Amitrano

      Extensively featured on the long-running A&E reality series Gene Simmons Family Jewels, the home has seven bedrooms, seven baths, a pro-size tennis court, a pool with a 60-foot water slide and parking for 30-plus cars.
      But prospective buyers might have to imagine what three of the bedrooms could look like. That’s because right now they’re being used to house the fire-breathing rocker’s mind-blowing collection of KISS memorabilia. They are jam-packed with everything from music awards and KISS-branded pinball machines to guitars and an endless array of KISS toys and figurines.
      The grand foyer.  Photo: Christopher Amitrano

      In a YouTube video on the collection, Simmons boasts: “We have more than 5,000 licensed products. Everything from KISS condoms to KISS caskets.” Sadly, for KISS fans, the collection is not included in the sale.
      One of the best-selling rock bands of all time, the group was founded by Simmons and guitarist Paul Stanley in the early 1970s. Since then, the rockers, known for their outrageous makeup and pyrotechnic stage shows, have sold more than 75 million albums.
      A 40-foot window marks the entryway.  Photo: Christopher Amitrano

      To reach the house, imposing security gates open from snaking Benedict Canyon Drive to a wide driveway and up to a huge circular motor court and a trio of garages.
      With towering hedgerows on three sides and a densely wooded area directly behind the home, the compound is well-hidden from prying eyes—and what Simmons has described as “buses with well-meaning tourists from Sandusky, Ohio.”

      The living room.  Photo: Christopher Amitrano

      Grand sweeping steps on either side of the garages lead up to the home’s imposing twin front doors. The foyer has a showpiece 40-foot-high window and a sweeping staircase topped by a gorgeous glass-domed ceiling
      The huge open-concept living room features Simmons’ grand piano, a cozy fireplace and big, overstuffed sofas, one of which is an unusual back-to-back design.
      The kitchen.  Photo: Christopher Amitrano

      Having raised two kids at the home—comic book creator Nick Simmons is now 31; sister Sophie, 28, is an actor and singer—the open-plan kitchen is truly family-sized. Simple in design, it features white country-cottage cabinets, wood floors and marble countertops.
      Upstairs, the primary suite with its vaulted ceiling is unpretentious, with its simple furniture, wide-planked floor and arched doorways. A rock star’s retreat it’s not.
      The dining room.  Photo: Christopher Amitrano

      Outside, the surprisingly small pool area is shielded by towering trees and includes a rustic, stone patio and stone-edged spa.
      Israeli-born Simmons, estimated by Money Inc. to be worth about $300 million, is showing his commitment to quitting California by recently listing yet another home he owns, this one in LA’s Laurel Canyon.
      The primary bedroom.  Photo: Christopher Amitrano

      Listed in August for $2.2 million, the unassuming, split-level 2,345-square-foot house has breathtaking views of the Los Angeles skyline and the Santa Monica Mountains all the way to the Pacific. It is now priced at $1.99 million.
      As for the Benedict Canyon compound, it’s on the market with Million Dollar Listing stars Matt and Josh Altman of The Altman Brothers and Douglas Elliman.
      The patio and pool.  Photo: Christopher Amitrano

      Another of the home’s seven bedrooms.  Photo: Christopher Amitrano

      The motor court.  Christopher Amitrano More

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      LeBron James Buys Katharine Hepburn’s Former Beverly Hills Compound for $36.8 Million

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      Although the deal was extensively reported in July, it’s only today—fittingly, near the end of a fantastic Lakers season—that LeBron James has finally closed on his $36.8 million residential upgrade in the 90210, a multi-structure compound packing fantastic views and a storied, only-in-Hollywood pedigree.
      Built in the 1930s, the colorful Mediterranean-esque villa was owned for years by Charles Boyer, an Oscar-nominated leading man actor of that era who starred in a number of black-and-white classics, among them Conquest and Algiers.
      In the late ’40s, Boyer and RKO Pictures, one of the big five Hollywood studios at that time, terminated the actor’s contract. As part of an unusual settlement negotiation, the studio agreed to buy out Boyer’s interest in his 2.5-acre estate; because RKO was owned at that time by Howard Hughes, the reclusive billionaire became the technical owner of the Boyer residence, though he never lived there. Instead, Hughes leased the palatial property to his ex-flame and longtime confidante Katharine Hepburn, who occupied the mansion during the height of her career.

      At some point after Hepburn moved out, the property fell into the hands of non-famous owners, where it remained until 1986, when soap opera pioneer Lee Phillip Bell and her business partner husband William J. Bell (The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful) bought it for $2.9 million, as per tax records. The couple significantly upgraded and restored the tired lady to her former Golden Age glory during their many years of ownership, and they expensively landscaped the grounds with mature trees and formal gardens.
      Bill Bell died in 1995, though Lee Bell continued residing at her beloved 90210 home until her own death this past March. Back in June, her lovingly maintained estate crash-landed on the market for the first time in decades with a $39 million asking price—the $36.8 million James paid represents a 6 percent discount.
      Secured by a celebrity-worthy collection of cameras and one of LA’s most massive driveway gates in existence, the compound is accessed via a epic long brick driveway flanked on either side by mature cypresses. The driveway eventually dead-ends at a commodious motorcourt that’s accented by a stone fountain and ringed by a dozen mature palm trees.

      The lavish interiors include a sunlight-flooded living room with a vaulted ceiling and exposed ceiling beams, an ethereal dining room set beneath a huge skylight—perfect for gazing up at the heavens while enjoying a chef-catered meal—and a carpeted library with built-in bookcases for real books. The cozy movie theater includes a fireplace for sophisticated ambiance, one of seven in the main mansion.
      Elsewhere on the property are two detached guesthouses, multiple al fresco dining and entertaining areas, and a lighted tennis court with viewing pavilion. At the far rear of the complex, soaring views of the entire LA skyline take center stage as they sweep over Benedict Canyon to the Pacific Ocean and Catalina. The oval swimming pool—a gorgeous remnant of the property’s Golden Hollywood history—adjoins a poolhouse and is watched over by a giant gold Buddha.
      James also continues to own two separate mansions in LA’s posh Brentwood neighborhood. The first was scooped up for $21 million in 2015 and has remained vacant for most of the time since. The second estate, the NBA superstar’s current main residence, is sited on plum hillltop and was purchased for $23 million in 2017.
      Jeff Hyland and Rick Hilton of Hilton & Hyland held the listing.
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      Inside John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s New $17.5 Million Beverly Hills Mansion

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      With their third bundle of joy due to arrive in March, high-profile celebrity power couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen have bid adieu to their 90210 “starter” house—once owned by Rihanna—and upgraded to a more roomy, $17.5 million home elsewhere in the mountains above Beverly Hills, in a neighborhood known as Beverly Hills Post Office. The Wall Street Journal first reported the deal.
      Built new this year and sheathed in metal and glass, the hard-edged contemporary mansion contains 10,700 square feet of living space, with 6 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms. Developed by local contractor JB Builders, the nearly one-acre estate offers a prairie-sized motorcourt, perfect for hosting large events.

      Inside, the home boasts a collection of bespoke materials, with exotic wood and marble trim, wide-plank oak wood floors and a soaring glass atrium that floods the massive great room with light. Naturally, the house is equipped with a slew of designer goodies—Toto toilets, Miele kitchen appliances, LED mirrors, Crestron smart home technology, and a five tankless water heaters.
      Realtor.com

      From the residence, disappearing walls of glass lead out to a backyard with a 100-foot saltwater swimming pool and lush views across Benedict Canyon, down to the Century City skyline. There’s also a petite pool house, plus a 500-square-foot media room with top-notch acoustics for a theater-quality movie experience.
      Amid a frenzied media blitz, Teigen and Legend hoisted their former Beverly Hills home onto the market last month with a $23.95 million ask. Despite that aggressive price point, the couple almost immediately received an offer and the house is currently in escrow to be sold, according to the MLS. For the moment, the growing family is quarantining in a leased mansion—also designed in the contemporary architectural style—down in the Beverly Hills Flats neighborhood.
      Sally Forster Jones of Compass held the listing; Marshall Peck of Douglas Elliman repped Legend and Teigen.
      Check out more photos of the property below:
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