Los Angeles

Subterms

    More stories

    • 188 Shares189 Views

      in Luxury

      Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley’s Pacific Palisades Mansion Could Be Yours for $25 Million

      by

      Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley appear to have caught a prototypical case of Celebrity Real Estate Fickle. It was only last year the busy-as-beavers Tinseltown power couple dropped a mogul-worthy $22.3 million in a clandestine off-market deal for a then brand-spanking-new Mediterranean villa along one of the more coveted and expensive streets in L.A.’s low-key and hyper-gentrified Pacific Palisades community. Nineteen months later, the now all-but-brand-new mansion has popped back up for sale with a notably profitable $25 million price tag.

      Set to appear on the silver screen opposite Annette Benning in the upcoming psychological thriller “Turn of the Mind,” Pfeiffer, a three-time Oscar nominated head-turner—also nominated for an Emmy for the 2017 mini-series “The Wizard of Lies,” will co-star on the densely star-packed upcoming Showtime anthology series “The First Lady.” As for Kelley, a serial TV creator with the Midas touch and eleven Emmys to prove it, he created the hit series “Chicago Hope,” “Ally McBeal” and, more recently, the acclaimed “Pretty Little Lies.” He currently has an impressive number of promising irons in the fire including writing and/or producing the TV series “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Goliath” and “Big Sky,” all of which he had a hand in creating.

      Realtor.com

      Along with all their myriad professional commitments, the Pfeiffer-Kelleys also wish to unload their luxuriously understated Pacific Palisades mansion, though it’s not clear if they ever even fully moved into the more than 10,300-square-foot home that has been expensively staged with several truckloads of neutral furniture and inoffensively generic décor for the selling process. Set on a low bluff of just over one-third of an acre with verdant views across the fastidiously manicured and, despite the drought, copiously irrigated greens and fairways of the posh and private Riviera Country Club, the mansion has a total of seven bedrooms and 10.5 bathrooms over three finely finished floors, plus a semi-subterranean art studio with outside entrance.
      The property is available through Cindy Ambuehl at Compass.
      All but hidden behind a high hedge and surrounded by relaxed gardens, the stately rough-cut stone and stucco home home was designed by architect Steve Giannetti, according to marketing materials, to reflect “Old world charm interwoven with modern sensibility.”

      Realtor.com

      A groin-vaulted ceiling adds historic architectural interest in the otherwise fairly spare foyer and stair gallery, while slender antique wood beams provide the baronially proportioned living room a dash of rustic appeal. A vast wall of full-height windows vanish into the walls and open the room the backyard.
      An antique carved stone fireplace against a vertically paneled wall is showcased in the library/office, while the dining room comfortably seats eight or ten beneath a delicate crystal chandelier.
      Equipped with high-quality culinary equipment, including a gigantic, imported range, fitted with bespoke furniture-grade cabinetry and configured around two large islands, one topped in black granite, the kitchen spills over into a cozy lounge and dining space where a second wall of windows disappears into the walls to create a seamless transition to the backyard.

      Realtor.com

      Grounded by another carved stone fireplace that might just as well be in a French chateau, the mansion’s homeowner suite spills out though floor-to-ceiling French doors to a glass-railed patio with unobstructed golf course view.
      The homeowner’s suite includes two bathrooms, the larger with a dedicated hair and makeup vanity and a deep, trough-like soaking tub set against a full-height picture window.
      The basement level is finished to the same quality as the upper floors and include a climate-controlled wine cellar, a tasting area, a comfortably plush state-of-the-art screening room and two spacious bedroom suites for staff or guests.
      The one-third-acre parcel doesn’t allow for a particularly large backyard. However, the pancake flat alfresco living and entertaining areas include spacious patios, an infinity-edge swimming pool and

      Realtor.com

      Secretly tucked underneath the backyard’s lawn, a loft-life art studio is flooded with southeastern light thanks to huge banks of floor-to-ceiling windows.

      The Pfeiffer-Kelleys are certainly no strangers to the high-end property gossip columns. Back in 2016, the couple coughed up almost $8.2 million for a 3,200-square-foot contemporary home in Pacific Palisades, and in 2018 they ponied up another $7.7 million for the fixer-upper next door. They sold the first property in late 2019 for $9.1 million, and the second property is currently for sale at $7.3 million, a hefty $400,000 loss, not counting carrying costs and real estate fees, after it was first listed in late 2019 at $8.35 million.
      Several years ago came word from Canada that a fairly remote 340-acre compound linked to the couple had been set out for sale with an asking price of CAD$28.8 million—it is still listed at that same price, and in late 2019, nearly a year after they scooped up the almost brand new Pacific Palisades mansion they no longer want, they sold a more than 8.5-acre equestrian compound in California’s Silicon Valley in an all-cash deal valued at $22 million.
      Check out more images of the property below.

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      You Can Now Rent Rihanna’s Swanky Beverly Hills Mansion for $80,000 a Month

      by

      On top of Rihanna’s myriad other business endeavors—she sings, she’s a cosmetics mogul with her own Fenty Beauty brand, she’s a lingerie tycoon and fashion designer—the “Umbrella” crooner is also a budding real estate mogul, with five multimillion-dollar homes in Los Angeles alone. And if you’ve got an extra $80,000 burning a proverbial hole in your pocket, you could have the honor of calling Rihanna your landlord for a full month.

      With five bedrooms and seven bathrooms spread across 7,600 square feet of mansion-sized living space, the Coldwater Canyon mansion is the ideal place for any oligarch to recover from the COVID blues in style. Rihanna purchased the house late last year for $13.8 million, adding to her impressive cache of homes. She also owns the house right next door, picked up in March for $10 million, along with a $6.8 million Hollywood Hills estate, a high-floor condo along the Wilshire Corridor, and her longtime main residence—a $5.5 million penthouse in L.A.’s The Century skyscraper.

      A stunning sunset view of the home from the enclosed backyard. 

      Realtor.com

      The newly-listed rental estate is sited on a coveted cul-de-sac in the mountains above Beverly Hills, where the lucky new renter just might wind up rubbing elbows with high-profile nearby neighbors like Sir Paul McCartney. Originally built in the 1930s, the estate was long owned by novelist Mary Sheldon, daughter of “I Dream of Jeanie” creator Sidney Sheldon, who sold the dated house to entrepreneur and investor Daniel Starr; Starr demolished and rebuilt nearly every inch of the house before Rihanna swept into the real estate picture.
      David Parnes and James Harris of The Agency hold the listing.

      Views of the common areas throughout the home. 

      Realtor.com

      Securely hidden away from the street by soaring hedges and gates, the mansion is accessed via a sloping driveway that drops out at a detached two-car garage. A curved set of stairs leads up to the house, which sports a contemporary façade featuring white paint set against a black metal roof and black trim. Once inside, the modern yet traditional interiors give a nod to the trendy modern farmhouse via an open floorplan accented by French white oak hardwood floors.
      A glass front door pivots into the foyer overlooking a central courtyard replete with an al fresco terrace, pool and spa, cabana and firepit lounge area.

      Backyard seating centered between the main and guest houses. 

      Realtor.com

      Among the main-level highlights: a living room with a fireplace and floor-to-ceiling Fleetwood glass sliding door that opens to the outdoors, plus a walk-in bar area that services an intimate family room/lounge/library space with another fireplace and built-in bookshelves.
      There’s also a gourmet marble-clad kitchen outfitted with dual islands, high-end appliances and a breakfast banquette boasting tufted black leather seating.

      The refined bar area equipped with a fireplace. 

      Realtor.com

      Heading upstairs, one will find a master retreat overlooking Coldwater Canyon, which is showcased by a custom walk-in closet with black lacquer cabinetry, and a spa-like bath encased in veined marble that opens to a private outdoor sitting area.
      The place also has its own gym and media room, along with a guesthouse.
      Check out more images of the mansion below.

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com

      Realtor.com More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Britney Spears’s Malibu Beach House in ‘Sometimes’ Hits the Market for $44.5 Million

      by

      “It’s not that I don’t wanna stay… but every time you come too close, I move away.” So croons Britney Spears in her hit sophomore single “Sometimes.” Now the owners of the Malibu estate where the pop ballad’s iconic music video was lensed are singing the same tune as they just put the pad on the market. While I’m sure it’s not that they don’t wanna stay, it definitely looks like they will be moving away soon!

      Released on May 6, 1999, “Sometimes” quickly became a “TRL” favorite. Director Nigel Dick, who helmed many of the pop princess’ star-making videos including her infamous “… Baby One More Time” debut, described the concept behind the shoot as such, “Britney’s sitting here and she’s looking through her telescope and she spies the cute young guy wandering on the beach—her man. Britney being the go-getting kind of girl that she is, she zips down the stairs onto the beach and races after him and, by accident, finds 20 people dressed in identical white outfits on the pier and does a fantastic fandango sort of dance ‘thang’ for him and, of course, he’s swept away.”

      The main house on the beach front property. 

      Chris Cortazzo

      Shot entirely on location in Malibu, “Sometimes” made large use of Paradise Cove and its picturesque pier, where Britney is seen performing the aforementioned fandango, winding up famously encircled in a heart formed by her gaggle of all-white-clad backup dancers. The house featured throughout the video, where the singer surreptitiously observes her love interest, played by model Chad Cole, can be found about eight miles up the road at 33800 Pacific Coast Hwy. (Please remember this is a private home. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way.)
      Situated on a towering bluff overlooking Nicholas Canyon and El Sol County beaches, the stunning “legacy property” is a sight to behold! Last sold in May 1986, the current listing marks the first time the place has been on the market in 35 years! Owning a piece of pop history doesn’t come cheap, though! The four-bedroom, five-bath pad, which is repped by prolific Malibu realtor Chris Cortazzo, sports a hefty $44,500,000 price tag!
      But you get what you pay for, as they say. Parked at the end of a 300-foot gated driveway, the extraordinary estate is sequestered on a whopping 1.9-acre lot that boasts an incredible 131 feet of ocean frontage!

      The spacious interior decked out in white with an ocean view. 

      Chris Cortazzo

      Featuring a sleek façade with clean lines and walls of glass, the dwelling was originally designed in 1949 by Cliff May, the architect largely considered the father of California’s ubiquitous ranch architecture. Of the style, May told The New York Times, “The ranch house was everything a California house should be—it had cross-ventilation, the floor was level with the ground, and with its courtyard and the exterior corridor, it was about sunshine and informal outdoor living.” While 33800 Pacific Coast Hwy isn’t what most would typically consider ranch architecture, with its open floorplan and focus on indoor/outdoor spaces, Cliff’s words are a perfect descriptor of the place.
      As initially constructed, the pad was a single-story dwelling. Building permits show that the second level was installed in 1977 by none other than famed modernist architect Harry Gesner! So not only does the home represent a significant piece of music history, but an architectural one, as well, having been designed by two of the industry’s greats!
      A meandering entrance path that zigzags across a rock-lined waterway leads to the spacious main house, a bright open structure consisting of 4,210 square feet with virtually every room offering views of the Pacific. Though the decor is seemingly all white on white on white, set against the pristine blue backdrop of the tide below, the schematic works quite well.

      Steps leading down to the ocean where parts of the ‘Sometimes’ filming took place. 

      Chris Cortazzo

      Living spaces include a combination sitting/dining/great room complete with a fireplace and French doors that open to the backyard, a kitchen with a two-tier island, a breakfast bar and a four-foot by four-foot tiled refrigerator, and a billiards/entertainment/media room featuring a wet bar. Picture windows, beamed ceilings, and stone and hardwood flooring are featured throughout. Additional amenities include a full attic and an office with a built-in desk and shelving.
      Upstairs, the massive 1,300-square-foot owners’ suite is capped by a soaring cathedral ceiling, adorned with a fireplace that the listing notes features a “whole tree mantel” and lined with French doors leading out to a deck that spans the entire rear of the house.

      The attached bath is marked by extensive marble work, a sunken tub and an oversized shower.
      Outside on the expansive lot is a rolling lawn, multiple gardens, a hot tub, a lounging patio and an outbuilding with a sauna and a bathroom. The property also boasts two guest houses, the first with a kitchenette, a half bath and adjoining stairs leading down to the beach, and the second with a kitchenette, a three-quarter bath and a loft bedroom.

      The luxe bathroom with marble detailing and a glass-door shower. 

      Chris Cortazzo

      There’s also a plethora of parking on the premises including a two-car garage, an additional four-car garage and a red storage barn that the listing notes can be used as yet another two-car garage!
      Though “Sometimes” was shot early in Britney’s career, when the then 17-year-old was still on the cusp of superstardom, it is easy to see why 33800 PCH was pegged to play her home in the video. The place is certainly befitting of a pop princess!
      The property was featured extensively throughout “Sometimes,” as well as in “Time Out with Britney Spears,” which documented the making of the video. In speaking about the shoot in an interivew for “Time Out,” Nigel Dick said, “We’ve described this concept as the ‘Britney’s beach house video,’” to which Spears chimes in saying, “My beautiful beach house!”’
      To accomplish Nigel’s vision of Britney zipping from the pad down to the shoreline below to meet “her man,” the production team was tasked with finding a residence situated on a bluff with steps leading to the sand. 33800 Pacific Coast Hwy fit the bill perfectly. The steep set of stairs Spears traverses in the video (which are very reminiscent of the ones Jennifer Grey dances upon in “Dirty Dancing”) are still intact, though they are no longer painted white.

      A video still from Spears’ 1999 music video on the property. 

      Jive Records

      Britney is also shown pondering her relationship, pink beach ball in hand, on a glass-walled rooftop deck situated on top of one of the property’s guest houses. As evidenced in the MLS photos, that deck is no longer there – or perhaps never was, possibly just a set piece that was installed solely for the shoot.

      The effect was rather stunning, though, and should be considered by the new buyers as a potential upgrade!

      The glistening ocean view from the quaint patio. 

      Chris Cortazzo

      Otherwise, the estate still looks much the same today as it did when “Sometimes” was shot over two decades ago, offering the new owners plenty of spots to re-create the famed segment, should they be so inclined.
      Check out more images from the property below.

      Chris Cortazzo

      Jive Records

      Chris Cortazzo

      Jive Records

      Jive Records

      Chris Cortazzo

      Jive Records

      Chris Cortazzo More

    • 150 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Sugar Ray Leonard’s Secluded LA Mansion Hits the Market for $46.5 Million

      by

      Ray Charles Leonard, better known as “Sugar” Ray Leonard and often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, is parting ways with his old Los Angeles digs for $46.5 million. Unfortunately, a training ring doesn’t come with the property, but the Palisades estate has plenty of other amenities that will likely appeal to potential buyers.

      First and foremost, you’ll get plenty of space, as the 16,700-square-foot main home sits on a 1.7-acre lot. That sprawling interior space has much to do with the home’s architect, Richard Landry, known as the king of the megamansion for creating massive projects for the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Mark Wahlberg.

      The pool. 

      Photo: Jim Bartsch

      The primary residence has seven bedrooms, and there’s an additional guest house on the property for friends or family who want to stay the night. The buildings on the grounds were designed to emulate the look and feel of an Italian villa.
      And while the home doesn’t come with any boxing-related perks, there are still many different venues for exercising, including a tennis court and a pool—plus a putting green where you can practice your swing.

      The tennis court. 

      Photo: Jim Bartsch

      Above all, the estate is very private. It’s at the end of a long, gated driveway, with surrounding hedges providing an additional layer of quiet and seclusion.
      That all begs the question: Why is Leonard parting with the place? According to The Wall Street Journal, he and his wife, Bern Leonard, are now empty nesters and therefore looking to downsize from their palatial digs. The couple had previously listed the home for about $52 million in late 2019 but took it off the market shortly after.

      The entryway. 

      Photo: Jim Bartsch

      Of course, while they may be looking for a slightly less gargantuan residence to call home, if you’ve been on the hunt for a megamansion designed by one of the most sought-after architects in the category, then look no further.
      Check out more photos of the estate below:

      The dining room. 

      Photo: Jim Bartsch

      The living room. 

      Photo: Jim Bartsch

      One of the bedrooms. 

      Photo: Jim Bartsch More

    • 188 Shares199 Views

      in Luxury

      A Former Google CEO Just Bought Barron Hilton’s LA Estate at a $13.5 Million Discount

      by

      Just five months after it first popped up for sale with a blistering $75 million ask, L.A.’s so-called Jay Paley Residence—a historic 1930s manor designed by pioneering Black architect Paul R. Williams for the founder of CBS—has sold for a discounted but $61.5 million, a still eye-popping amount that ranks as 2021’s second-biggest California home sale thus far, behind only the $87 million paid by tech tycoon Jan Koum for his next-door neighbor’s Malibu home in February.

      Records confirm that the property’s mystery buyer is Eric Schmidt, the Silicon Valley-based multibillionaire ex-Google CEO and tech titan with a very well known proclivity for acquiring some of America’s finest trophy homes. Schmidt bought the 2.6-acre spread from the estate of hotel heir William Barron Hilton, who died of natural causes on the premises back in September 2019. Hilton lived in the mansion for nearly 60 years, having purchased it in the early 1960s at a reported cost of just $475,000; the New York Post notes that the house served as the setting for his granddaughter Paris Hilton’s 2000 Vanity Fair photoshoot, which she now refers to as “iconic” and instrumental to launching her career.

      One of several living rooms on the estate. 

      Photo: Courtesy of Hilton and Hyland

      Although the Jay Paley Residence is technically located in Holmby Hills, the house actually sits at a very desirable crossroads where the exclusive neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Holmby Hills and Benedict Canyon all converge. Naturally, the vaguely AR-15-shaped mansion is not visible from the street, and the property is hidden behind iron gates, a hedge wall, and a notably long driveway that spills into a massive motor court ringed by liquid amber trees.
      The listing was held by Rick Hilton and Barron Hilton of Hilton & Hyland; Linda May, also of Hilton & Hyland, repped Schmidt.
      Described in the listing as a “rare and stellar interpretation of traditional English Georgian architecture,” the elegant mansion features dozens of rooms, including 13 bedrooms and 14.5 bathrooms. The property’s grounds include rigidly geometric expanses of lawn, formal gardens, and a forest’s worth of mature specimen trees.
      In addition to the main mansion, the estate includes attached staff and guest wings discreetly located out of view from the main entry; there’s also a separate motor court and driveway for staff and service vendors. All of the home’s public rooms are categorically grand, with elaborate decorative moldings. There’s a formal dining room with stunning parquet wood floors and wood-paneled walls, a fireplace-equipped step-down living room, a relatively intimate den, and a separate billiards room.

      Outdoor dining spaces once hosted Hilton’s fabulous parties. 

      Photo: Courtesy of Hilton and Hyland

      Somewhere lies a commercial-grade kitchen capable of catering gala-style events, and an 80-seat home theater is also part of the residential package. A sinuously curved staircase overlooked by a Kia-sized crystal chandelier leads to the upper level, where there are two master suites—each of them with a boutique-style closet, marble baths, and views of the lush grounds.
      In the backyard, al fresco dining loggias accented by delicately thin columns overlook the vast grounds, including the rectangular lawn that’s big enough for multiple croquet games. Perhaps the property’s most legendary feature is the colorful “Zodiac” swimming pool, original to the house, which incorporates all 12 signs of the zodiac into tiles arranged in a sunburst pattern. Elsewhere on the grounds are reflecting pools and a koi pond.
      There’s also a lighted tennis court with viewing pavilion. The lavish compound is surrounded by some of the priciest homes in California, just a quick skip up the road from the Jack Warner estate, purchased by Jeff Bezos last year for a record $165 million

      One of the relaxing public rooms with a fireplace. 

      Photo: Courtesy of Hilton and Hyland

      Astute real estate watchers will recall that it was only last summer when Eric Schmidt and his longtime wife Wendy dropped a whopping $30.8 million for one of Santa Barbara’s most extraordinary estates, the so-called “Villa Solana.”
      Some of Schmidt’s other homes in his vast array of trophy properties include a $20 million Montecito compound, purchased from Ellen DeGeneres in 2007; a $15 million Manhattan penthouse; a waterfront property on Miami Beach; and a spectacular mansion in Nantucket. But his primary residence has long been the posh Silicon Valley town of Atherton, Calif., where he owns a multi-structure compound worth tens of millions.
      Of course, it’s also worth noting that the Jay Paley Residence is not Schmidt’s only Holmby Hills estate; back in 2014, he paid the family of actor Gregory Peck $22 million for a French chateau-style mansion that has since undergone a renovation. More

    • 200 Shares199 Views

      in Luxury

      Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Just Gave Their Beverly Hills Mansion a $6 Million Price Cut

      by

      You may already recognize this house from Chrissy Teigen’s social media posts and her cooking demos. But you might not have seen the entire spectacular eight-bedroom, nine-bath home. The place is nothing short of a design masterpiece, with only the best finishes and incredible attention to detail. This all makes sense, considering it’s owned by such stylish stars: Teigen and her musician husband, John Legend.

      The property was originally developed in 1966, but that first house is long gone, replaced by a more contemporary structure built by a developer before Rihanna purchased the estate. When Legend and Teigen took it over in 2016, they redid every bit of the interior with the help of designer Don Stewart, never cutting corners and always opting for top-of-the-line finishes. Take the solid brass doors to the dining room, which echo the stunning brass surrounds used on the fireplaces in the living room and the primary bedroom suite. Then there’s the teak ceiling they imported from Thailand and the marble Teuco soaking tub brought in from Italy.

      When the couple originally put the house up for sale last fall—they needed a home with more space for their growing family—it was listed for $23.95 million. They’ve since dropped the price to $17.95 million. Now, says broker Marshall Peck with Douglas Elliman, “This is the best deal in Beverly Hills. The finishes are just mind-blowing. And people are also blown away by the ceiling heights—33 feet in the living room—and 22 feet high in the master bedroom on the second floor. That’s just unheard of.”

      Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s former Beverly Hills home. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The kitchen, naturally, is a showpiece, as it served as Teigen’s studio, with its blond wood cabinetry and unique waterfall-style marble countertops (a design mimicked for the vanity countertops in the primary suite’s bathroom). The oak floors were given a ceruse treatment (essentially a lime wash that brings out the wood’s grain). The cinema room has an incredible sound system and projector, and its cozy style will make you want to stay for a double feature. A home gym, a safe room and a massive playroom with ocean views round out some of the other special spaces within the house, each lovingly designed.
      But perhaps the most special space of all is the primary bedroom suite, with pocket doors that open wide to a private balcony that looks over the pool as well as Coldwater Canyon, all the way to downtown Los Angeles. “The view of the sunset from the master and from the living room at night is just magical,” says Peck. While the bedroom feels like a serene but stylish oasis—that fireplace!—its extra rooms really put it over the top in a good way. The “glam room” is perfect for hair and makeup to get camera ready, and a lovely place to relax in the massage chair. The bathroom has that incredible black marble tub with a view as well as a spacious double shower. But the piece de resistance within this suite are the substantial dual closets with their glass doors and lit display shelves. They look better than those in a Rodeo Drive boutique and, according to Peck, they took many months to get just right.

      The grand entryway with Legend’s piano on display. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The outdoors got a similarly luxe treatment. The couple spared no expense in building the heated saltwater pool, hot tub and wood deck, as well as an outdoor kitchen with a stunning shaded pavilion draped with grapevines. “It feels like you’re in Napa Valley” when you’re out there, says Peck. Lush plantings add to the feeling of a sanctuary. Located at the end of a lane, gated with security, the entire 0.84-acre estate feels private and far from the bustle of LA and the commercial district of Beverly Hills, though it’s just minutes away.

      The living room. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo

      The formal dining room has dramatic finishes. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The remodeled kitchen that starred in Teigen’s cooking demos. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The TV room, just off the kitchen. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The primary bedroom with a brass-fronted fireplace. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The primary suite’s bathroom with the marble tub imported from Italy. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo

      The walk-in closet. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      Plenty of room for shoes. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      Teigen’s walk-in closet. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The “glam” room for hair and makeup includes massage chairs. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo

      The kids’ playroom. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The screening room. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The personal fitness studio. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The outdoor terrace. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The pool. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Twice KISS’d: Gene Simmons Just Relisted His Beverly Hills Mansion for $25 Million

      by

      Usually when a home is taken off the market and then relisted, the price gets a shave. Not in this case. Gene Simmons of KISS gave the asking price on his Beverly Hills mansion a $3 million hike, raising it from $22 million in October 2020 to $25 million this week.

      The property still has a house with over 13,000 square feet, seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, formal and informal dining rooms, office, bar and bonus room. Plus, the full-sized tennis court, parking for 30 cars and a pool with a 60-foot waterslide. So what’s changed?

      The estate got a few upgrades over the winter months. “We didn’t want anyone to come in and complain,” Simmons tells Robb Report. So they replaced some of the electrical, added a new roof system to prevent leaves from clogging the gutters, changed some remaining wood parts of the home to poured concrete and added more foliage. The five lead-lined safety rooms dotted throughout the house were also made more secure and easier for residents to access. “If a bad guy breaks in,” Simmons says, “he’ll never find you.” The estate also sits on nearly two acres, with lush greenery helping to keep it private.

      The home has four levels on one side and three on the other, meeting in the middle at the gorgeous great room with those tall windows on each side. On the lower level, there’s a six-car garage, a billiards room and a wine cellar, though the musician doesn’t drink. While one wing was used for meeting and his KISS museum memorabilia, he decided against building a music or recording room, instead opting to keep the place as an escape.

      The patio and pool. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      While Simmons and his wife, model-actor Shannon Tweed, bought the property in 1987, it didn’t always look so spectacular, but it did have a storied past. The home that was originally on-site was a 3,500-square-foot wooden farmhouse. “We flattened it and brought in tons of soil, spent close to $11 million sprucing up the place,” Simmons says.
      They bought the acreage from Irving Azoff, who went on to manage Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles. “The Eagles were put together on the property,” Simmons says. And before that, Nicholas Schenk, one of the original Hollywood moguls, used to keep his mistress at the estate.

      A regulation-size tennis court is on site. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The Simmonses gradually renovated it and completed the build on the estate’s current house in 2000. While the exterior of the home has plenty of drama with its enormous windows, dual staircases and multiple wings, inside, the vibe is less rockstar and more family-traditional, with a flair for comfort and simplicity (though admittedly on a grand scale) rather than excess. Much of which was showcased on their television show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels. 

      In October, when the couple first listed the Benedict Canyon place, it was said that they were moving to another residence they already owned in tax-free Washington state. But that is inaccurate—Simmons has never owned property there. And recently, there have been murmurings about Simmons and Tweed purchasing a house in a gated Malibu community, atop a secluded peak in the Santa Monica Mountains. Simmons is now setting the record straight—Tweed has purchased the house as a personal investment with her own money, but they do not plan to live there. She also bought a lakefront property in Whistler, Simmons says. The duo has apparently long kept their accounts, taxes, investments and business interests separate. “Good fences make good neighbors,” he says.

      The grand foyer. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      That said, the couple still plans to leave LA for a quieter lifestyle and escape the celebrity map listings and tour buses. “We’ve always loved LA, but you do have to deal with fires every year, every once in a while the ground shakes, and those tourist buses. Everything has its time,” Simmons says. “The house is too big for us. It’s just Shannon and myself and four dogs. The empty nest thing is happening.” They’re headed for neighboring Nevada. “In Nevada, we’re close enough. The kids have their homes here in LA. It’s just an hour flight.”
      He’s already purchased a 12,000-square-foot home there with an indoor swimming pool with slides and is considering buying an adjacent 90-acre parcel. What’s with all the slides? “If you’re going to entertain, some folks want to sip coffee but others want to swing from the chandeliers,” he says. “A home shouldn’t just be a home, but a place where you have parties and enjoy yourself.”
      The Beverly Hills listing remains in the hands of Million Dollar Listing brokers Matt and Josh Altman of the Altman Brothers for Douglas Elliman.

      Wide-plank flooring and incredible woodwork elevate the living room. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The home office. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The dining room. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The kitchen. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      Soaring windows let sunshine in, even to the upper floor. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The primary bedroom suite. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      Simmons’ Beverly Hills estate. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The mansion has seven bedrooms and nine baths. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles More

    • 150 Shares199 Views

      in Luxury

      Rihanna Snaps Up a Luxurious 1930s-Era Beverly Hills Mansion for $13.8 Million

      by

      Rihanna apparently caused a big stir by skipping the 2021 Grammy awards, leaving the spotlight to other music superstars like Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift. Reports said the Barbadian singer’s absence was due to not being nominated—and then there’s the pesky fact that her much-anticipated upcoming album “R9” still has yet to surface, despite being years in the works. Of course, Rihanna’s also been busy with other things, too, like becoming a retail mogul. Sales of the burgeoning cosmetics tycoon’s Fenty Beauty makeup line have gone bonkers, and her Savage x Fenty lingerie brand is now reportedly valued at a whopping $1 billion.

      The Grammys skip might also have something to do with the fact that Rihanna recently found residential love in a not-so-hopeless place. The singer has just acquired a new house—a $13.8 million mansion, to be exact—and the property is located on a highly coveted cul-de-sac in the mountains above Beverly Hills. Neighbors include Sir Paul McCartney, and a few doors away lies a sumptuous estate that was leased for several years to Mariah Carey, and was more recently rented by Madonna during the Covid-19 pandemic.
      Originally built in the 1930s, the Rihanna estate was formerly owned by Mary Sheldon, the daughter of I Dream of Jeanie creator Sidney Sheldon. In 2016, Sheldon sold the dated house for $4.3 million to entrepreneur and investor Daniel Starr, whose acquisition of the property was chronicled on Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing.

      The mansion blends both contemporary and traditional elements. 

      Alexis Adam

      Starr subsequently spent millions to demolish and rebuild nearly every inch of the house (and he would later sue his contractors for those millions, alleging fraud and shoddy workmanship.) Last year, the property was put up for sale, asking $15 million. The transfer to Rihanna appears to have gone down off-market, but the Umbrella empress forked over $13.8 million for the premises, according to tax records.
      Invisible from the street behind tall hedges and big gates, the 7,600-square-foot mansion is approached a driveway that slopes up to meet the two-car attached garage. A curved flight of stairs ascends to the house, which sports a crisply contemporary look with white paint paired against a black metal roof and black trim. The mansion features a “sophisticated design” that “blends both contemporary and traditional elements,” per the listing, and the place pays clear homage to the trendy modern farmhouse look, with its French white oak hardwood floors and open floorplan.

      A glass front door pivots into the foyer, which is dominated by a giant black bull sculpture—grab life by the horns, if you will—and overlooks the proverbial heart of the property: an open-air central courtyard with an al fresco terrace, pool, spa, and firepit.

      The open-air central courtyard features a pool, spa, and firepit. 

      Alexis Adam

      Public spaces of note include a fireplace-equipped living room with walls of Fleetwood glass sliders opening to the outdoors, while the luxe wet bar area goes for a more masculine look with its moody splash of dark gray hues. The bar services an intimate family room/lounge/library with another fireplace, plus floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelves.
      The listing describes the kitchen as “stunningly executed.” Indeed, nearly every surface is slathered in marble, and there are not one but two islands, both with brass fixtures. Top-of-the-line stainless appliances service a breakfast banquette that goes way glam with tufted black leather seating.
      Upstairs, the master suite looks as though it just stepped out of a Bali resort travel guide, with a five-star bedroom that overlooks Coldwater Canyon, and a custom closet with black lacquer cabinetry. Decked out in a unique, thickly-veined marble, the spa-esque master bath opens to an al fresco lounge area.

      The estate offers plenty of privacy for the star. 

      Alexis Adam

      The half-acre property is steeply sloped, so tall retaining walls encircle the house and yard, providing security plus privacy—ideal for a big celebrity.
      In case anyone didn’t know, Rihanna is a real estate mogul in the making who owns at least four other multimillion-dollar homes, including a $6.8 million Hollywood Hills estate, a vacation retreat in her native Barbados, and a high-floor condo along LA’s Wilshire Corridor. The 33-year-old’s current main residence, however, is a $5.5 million penthouse in Century City’s coveted The Century skyscraper, where residents have 24/7 concierge and doorman services, plus gym, spa, and in-house restaurant facilities. Some of the high-profile neighbors in that building include Candy Spelling, Matthew Perry, and celeb chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

      Check out more photos below:

      Alexis Adam

      Alexis Adam

      Alexis Adam

      ‘

      Alexis Adam

      Alexis Adam

      Alexis Adam

      Alexis Adam More