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    This $1.1 Million SoCal House Had a Starring Role in ‘Poltergeist’

    Almost five decades after it last sold to its current owners for a mere $143,500, an iconic supernatural horror film house in the Simi Valley suburb of Los Angeles has once again popped up for sale. But this time you’ll need a bit more cash to pick up the keys to the traditional Tudor-esque spread, which is now up for sale at $1.17 million. Per the listing held by Lauren Murdock of Equity Union Real Estate, the place is “ready to welcome a new family, without the ghostly antics.” She promises!

    Nestled on over a third of an acre of land, amid a sidewalk-lined street in the Forest Hills neighborhood (aka Cuesta Verde Estates), the property was built in the late 1970s and has been “well-loved by its original owners.” And though there’s probably not a 4-foot-3-inch medium named Tangina wandering the halls or any spooky stacked stairs in the kitchen, the creamy stucco and timber-framed structure still might look a tad familiar due to its starring role in Poltergeist, the movie that became a big hit way back in 1982 and has since morphed into a cult classic. On camera, the normal-looking suburban abode portrayed the residence of 5-year-old Carol Anne Freeling (the late Heather O’Rourke), who was pulled into the spirit realm by a malevolent force shortly after her family moved into their new dream home built atop an old cemetery.

    The family room is spotlighted by a brick wood-burning fireplace, a built-in workstation, and sliding glass doors opening to a covered patio.

    Shad Yassini/No.22 Media

    Described as having a “thoughtfully designed layout perfect for entertaining, relaxing, and living your best life,” the two-story dwelling features four bedrooms and three baths in a little more than 2,300 square feet of living space. Among the main-level highlights is a tiled entry foyer infused with “good energy,” which flows to a spacious living room sporting a bay window. The adjacent formal dining room connects to a breakfast nook that opens to a covered patio via sliding glass doors and an accompanying kitchen outfitted with light wood cabinetry and updated appliances.

    An obvious draw of the home is its large backyard, which hosts a pool and spa, a fire pit, and a gated space tucked off to the side for RV and boat parking.

    Shad Yassini/No.22 Media

    A fireside family room with a built-in office space, a laundry room, and a half-bath also can be found on the bottom floor, while an upstairs primary suite rests beneath a vaulted ceiling and boasts a spa-like bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub, a separate shower, and a walk-in closet. Rounding out the Hollywood-themed offering is an attached three-car garage out front and a gated RV and boat parking area off to the side, plus an “enormous” backyard hosting a fire pit, a spa, and a large swimming pool (sans those pesky skeletons, of course).

    Click here for more photos of the “Poltergeist” house.

    Shad Yassini/No.22 Media More

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    This 1920s Los Angeles Estate Was Once Home to Ava Gardner and Laurence Olivier

    Nothing says old Hollywood glamour like a celebrity-connected estate in Los Angeles. Originally built in 1927, this Spanish-style pad in the Hollywood Hills has housed a slew of stars in its nearly century-long history including Oscar-nominated actress Ava Gardner and cinema legend Laurence Olivier. Fun fact: It’s also the former residence of English comedian Stan Laurel. On the market with Hilton & Hyland and Forbes Global Properties, 3351 N Knoll Drive is currently listed as a rental asking a cool $18,500 a month. 

    Designed by Franz Herding, the hillside oasis has five bedrooms and six bathrooms across a spacious 5,839 square feet. The Swiss-born architect moved to Los Angeles in 1923 where he became the city planning engineer before he died in 1968. According to the Pacific Coast Architecture Database (PCAD), Herding and his family actually lived next door at 3355 N Knoll Drive. 

    The living room features a fireplace, arched display niches, and a leafy view into the surrounding treetops.

    Alexandre Anu and Dag Eliason

    Given its location in the Hollywood Knolls neighborhood near Lake Hollywood, the boundaries between indoors and outdoors are intentionally blurred, so you never feel too far from the natural surroundings . A broad, curvilinear terrace along the back of the house offers 180-degree views over the neighborhood and below, the terraced gardens include hedge-lined walking paths and steps that lead down to a small stretch of grass.

    RELATED: Mae West’s Former L.A. Hideaway Can Be Yours for $6 Million

    The multi-story abode is loaded with swoon-worthy period details including a speakeasy butler’s bar with a wine cellar. Elsewhere, you’ll find traditional Spanish elements such as wood-beamed ceilings, polished hardwood floors, casement picture windows, and terracotta tile accents. The fireside living room is bright and airy with a leafy view, while the formal dining room opens onto the expansive elevated terrace and provides even more incentive to hang outdoors. Upstairs, the primary suite is kitted out with a massive walk-in closet, more beamed ceilings, a sitting area, and a private terrace.  

    The spacious primary suite includes indoor-outdoor sitting areas.

    Alexandre Anu and Dag Eliason

    The Hollywood Hills has long been a sought-after locale for celebrities. Beloved for its hill-hugging homes, epic vistas, and rolling landscape, it continues to draw hordes of A-listers to its narrow, winding street. English comedian and Get Him To the Greek actor Russell Brand is currently selling his home in the Outpost Estates area—interestingly, he once owned a castle-like home that previously belonged to Olivier—and, in the same area, the home where Lord of the Rings star Orlando Bloom once resided recently hit the market for $5 million. 

    Click here to see more photos of 3351 N Knoll Drive. 

    Alexandre Anu and Dag Eliason

    Authors

    Abby Montanez

    Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, entertainment, dining, travel to…

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    A Musical Family’s SoCal Estate Spins on the Market for $6 Million

    Several years ago, smooth jazz saxophonist Warren Hill and his record producer wife Tamara Van Cleef picked up a home in the Agoura Hills suburb of Los Angeles, decking out the place from head to toe with glitzy amenities and even spawning a Top 10, Season 15 American Idol finalist during their tenure in the form of their pop singer daughter Olivia Rox. Now the music-oriented couple has decided to move on from their obviously cherished Tudor-style digs, asking a slight beat under $6 million.

    Originally built in the mid-1980s and described in the listing held by Alessandro Corona and Brandon Doolittle of Douglas Elliman as a harmonious blend of “British Rock Star grandeur and comfortable elegance,” the aptly nicknamed Kind of Blue Manor features seven bedrooms and five baths in a little more than 7,000 square feet of multi-level living space.

    A cozy sitting area is equipped with a seated bar and a wall of guitars.

    Andrew Orozco

    RELATED: ‘House of Cards’ Composer Jeff Beal Lists SoCal Estate for $4 Million

    Sited amid a woodsy parcel of land spanning just over an acre, within the gated Medea Valley Estates community, the striking blue brick and shingle-roof structure is fronted by a circular driveway that empties out at a four-car garage tucked off to the side. A walkway leads up to ornate wood and glass doors, which open into a double-height foyer displaying polished marble floors and a waterfall crystal chandelier dangling from a coffered wood ceiling.

    From there, the entry level features a combination living and dining area sporting a massive stone fireplace, a hand-polished rock crystal chandelier, and French doors leading outside, plus an updated kitchen outfitted with custom cabinetry, granite countertops, a center island, top-tier Bosch, Thermador and Sub-Zero appliances, a wine fridge, and an accompanying Moroccan-style breakfast nook. The first of two primary suites on this floor has a bath equipped with a spa tub, an oversized shower, and a large walk-in closet.

    A crimson library is complete with glossy black bookshelves.

    Andrew Orozco

    In addition to a formal dining room, two guest bedrooms, and a full bath, the main level offers a fireside sitting room flaunting a lofty lounge area, a full seated bar bar, a space with arcade games, and a movie theater. A second primary suite and an optional recording studio can be found upstairs, while the finished basement hosts a billiards room, a 350-bottle wine cellar, and a red-hued library lined with glossy black bookshelves.

    Topping it all off are the resort-like grounds, which overlook the Santa Monica Mountains and hold four covered cabanas, fire pits, custom fountains, an al fresco kitchen and bar setup, a saltwater pool with a waterfall and spa, a sports court, and an outdoor shower and infrared sauna nestled alongside a citrus grove. The property also abuts the Paramount Ranch recreation area, which is ideal for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

    Click here for more photos of Kind of Blue Manor.

    Andrew Orozco More

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    Alexandra Daddario Lists Midcentury Treehouse in L.A. for $3 Million

    Back in spring 2023, almost a year to the date after Alexandria Daddario and Andrew Form paid $7.6 million for an alluring midcentury-modern fixer home in Los Angeles crafted in the 1950s by noted modernist architect Allen Siple, the Mayfair Witches and White Lotus star and her film producer husband went on to dole out $2.8 million for another smaller property nearby. Now the couple has decided to pare down their real estate holdings, having flipped the latter residence in the leafy Mandeville Canyon neighborhood of Brentwood back on the market for a smidge under $3 million.

    Originally built in the late 1950s by surfer-turned-architect Matt Kivlin, the 2,418-square-foot dwelling underwent an extensive renovation and reimagining at the hands of its previous owners in collaboration with designer Claire Thomas and subsequently appeared in an April 2022 issue of Architectural Digest.

    Tucked into a steep hillside parcel of land spanning just over a third of an acre, the treehouse-like structure’s first level is comprised mostly of storage space and a bedroom that could double as an office, plus an accompanying two-car garage. Up above are three bedrooms, three baths, and open-plan living spaces boasting blonde hardwood floors topped with post-and-beam ceilings.

    RELATED: Helen Hunt Just Scored Another L.A. Home for $6.45 Million

    Highlights include a combined living and dining area separated by a large wood-burning fireplace clad in glazed Fireclay Tile and sporting sliding glass doors spilling out to a wraparound deck. An adjacent kitchen outfitted with oak cabinetry, a terrazzo tile backsplash, golden-hued marble countertops, and stainless appliances connects to a lofty den decked out with green shag carpet.

    Elsewhere in the house is a primary suite flaunting an eye-catching bath spotlighted by dual vanities and a glass-encased wet room holding a rainfall shower and a Japanese-style hammered copper soaking tub. A pair of guest bedrooms share a bath adorned with pink-and-marigold tile. And outdoors, the turf-clad grounds are laced with mature oak and sycamore trees and host a cold plunge and a barrel sauna.

    Back in late 2022, Daddario and Form sold a French-Mediterranean property in L.A.’s historic Hancock Park community to Sweetgreen co-founder Nathaniel Ru for $7.7 million, or nearly $400,000 more than they paid Shameless creator John Wells for the place in summer 2021 before they spruced up the premises with the interior design firm Nickey Kehoe. The couple, married since June 2022, are currently expecting their first child together. More

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    Russell Brand’s Hacienda-Style Hideaway in L.A. Just Hit the Market for $3.5 Million

    Back in fall 2019, Russell Brand plunked down $3 million and change for a hacienda-style hideaway in Los Angeles. Now the British comedian and actor who appeared in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek has decided to offload his secluded property after nearly five years of ownership, with the price tag set at $3.5 million.

    Hidden away behind a gated driveway, amid a half-acre parcel of land nestled within the celeb-studded Outpost Estates neighborhood of Hollywood Hills, the creamy stucco and terracotta-roof structure was originally built back in the 1950s. Since renovated, the three-bedroom, five-bath home offers 3,500 square feet of two-level living space boasting hardwood floors, vaulted wood-beam ceilings, picture windows, and skylights throughout.

    Though images aren’t available, the listing shows a tiled entry foyer that flows to a light-filled living room displaying a wood-burning fireplace tucked into the corner and two sets of pocketing glass doors opening to a covered al fresco dining terrace. An adjacent dining area connects to the “charming” eat-in kitchen, which is outfitted with wood cabinetry and a patterned tile backsplash.

    RELATED: A Horror Filmmaker’s Former L.A. Home Just Hit the Market for $4.2 Million

    Upstairs, the primary suite has a fireplace, a private balcony, and an updated bath with dual vanities, a built-in spa tub, and a shower; and the fully fenced grounds host a swimming pool, an outdoor shower, several seating areas, meandering pathways, and a meditation hut. There’s also a detached carport flanked by a motorcourt, plus a separate kitchenette-equipped guest unit that rests alongside a fountain-clad courtyard.

    Brand, who was recently baptized amid rape and sexual assault claims made by multiple women, has owned other homes in the Hollywood Hills through the years. During his short marriage to Katy Perry, the couple paid $6.5 million for a Mediterranean-style compound that they never even moved into before selling it at a million-dollar loss to Las Vegas-based businessman Lorenzo Doumani. Brand also once owned the former castle-like home of Laurence Olivier, which he sold some years ago.

    It’s no secret that Outpost Estates has long been a favored residential enclave for celebrities. Besides Brand, homeowners have included Orlando Bloom, whose former black-painted mansion is currently on the market for $5 million, as well as Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy, Bob Barker, Winona Ryder, Shaun White, and Charlize Theron. More

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    Helen Hunt Just Scored Another L.A. Home for $6.45 Million

    Though she already owns one home on the west side of Los Angeles, Helen Hunt has plumped up her real estate portfolio yet again with another residence. Records show the Oscar-winning actress, who’s probably most known for her TV and film roles in Mad About You, As Good As It Gets, What Women Want, and Twister, recently picked up the keys to a charming lodge-style residence in a prime pocket of Brentwood for a substantial $1 million off the asking price.

    Hunt paid serial entrepreneur Spencer Rascoff $6.45 million for her newly acquired property, which was purchased by the Zillow co-founder and former CEO back in late 2020 for $5.7 million—or $1 million more than Zillow’s estimated market value at the time.

    Built in the early 1950s and updated in the years since, the stone-clad structure rests on a leafy parcel of land spanning a little more than a quarter of an acre and is fronted by an attached two-car garage tucked off to the side and a gated pathway that travels across a footbridge spanning a flowing stream before emptying out at the custom-carved front doors. Out back is a lagoon-style swimming pool.

    Once inside, the three-bedroom, four-bath spread offers almost 3,250 square feet of single-level living space adorned throughout with hardwood floors, vaulted wood-beam ceilings dotted with skylights, and French doors in almost every room. The open concept floor plan is highlighted by a family room with sliding glass doors spilling out to a trellis-covered patio warmed by a fireplace.

    An adjacent fireside dining area connects to the kitchen, which is outfitted with a breakfast bar and newer stainless appliances, including a snazzy glass-front Sub-Zero refrigerator. There also are formal dining and living rooms, as well as an inviting primary suite flaunting a fireplace, a walk-in closet, and a tiled bath equipped with dual vanities and a combination tub and shower.

    Hunt, who once owned a Hollywood Hills mansion now owned by Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel, still maintains a roughly 4,200-square-foot home in the same Brentwood neighborhood that she purchased for $4.6 million in 2001, as well as a home in Hawaii that she paid $3.7 million for in 2006. As for Rascoff, the co-founder of Hotwire.com, Zillow, dot.LA, Pacaso, and Supernova, he still lays claim to a $19.7 million Brentwood mansion that’s a few doors down from the place he just sold to Hunt. More

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    ‘House of Cards’ Composer Jeff Beal Lists SoCal Estate for $4 Million

    Though he’s not exactly a household name, you’ve likely come across the handiwork of Jeff Beal—most notably, the scores to numerous films and TV shows like House of Cards, Pollock, Carnivàle, Rome, and Monk. The five-time Emmy-winning composer and instrumentalist was the guy behind these and many other tunes, most of which were recorded within the walls of this Tuscan-style home that just hit the market in the Los Angeles suburb of Agoura Hills for a speck over $4 million, or around $2 million more than he and his wife Joan paid for the place back in 2010.

    Nestled amid an acre-plus parcel of land, the golden-hued stucco and terracotta-roof structure was built in 2007 and has an attached four-car garage tucked off to the side. Elaborate rock-lined steps out front empty out at a lengthy porch and double wood entry doors.

    RELATED: Tom Petty’s Longtime SoCal Home Just Popped Up for Sale at $19 Million

    Many of Beal’s compositions were recorded in the great room, which has acoustically compatible 12-foot ceilings, stone floors, and the required technical systems.

    Sergii Dolgyi for Sotheby’s International Realty;

    Once inside, five bedrooms and an equal number of baths are spread across nearly 5,800 square feet of Old World-style living space on two levels, which is accented throughout with a mix of stone and hardwood floors, chiseled wood-beam ceilings, columns, arched doorways, detailed ironwork, and five fireplaces.

    Highlights include a double-height foyer that flows to a spacious great room hosting a combined living and dining area with access to a covered al fresco lounging and entertaining terrace warmed by a fireplace. A cozy family room sits adjacent to the country-style kitchen, which comes complete with custom cabinetry, granite countertops, top-tier Viking appliances, an eat-in island, and a built-in work station.

    A spacious and well-appointed, country-style kitchen connects to the fireside family room.

    Sergii Dolgyi for Sotheby’s International Realty;

    A secluded primary suite on the main level has dual closets and a massive bath equipped with two vanities, a fireside spa tub, and a large glass-encased shower. Elsewhere in the house are an office and a wine room; and outdoors, the backyard has raised planter beds and several areas geared especially toward relaxing, including an oak tree-shaded hammock nestled alongside a spot that’s perfect for enjoying a glass of wine.

    Per the listing, which is held by Linda Rich of Sotheby’s International Realty–Westlake Village Brokerage, there also are blueprint plans for a pool and spa, plus a fully owned solar system.

    Click here for more photos of Jeff Beal’s Agoura Hills house.

    Sergii Dolgyi for Sotheby’s International Realty More

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    Marsha Mason’s Former Farm Hits the Market, Quinta Brunson Buys and Sells, and More Celebrity Deals

    Published on July 30, 2024

    Mediakingsmen for Sotheby’s International Realty; Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

    Back in the early 1990s, a few years after her decade-long marriage to playwright Neil Simon had ended in divorce, Golden Globe-winning actress Marsha Mason packed up and left Hollywood and a movie career she never planned. The Goodbye Girl star went on to dole out around $1 million for a 247-acre estate in rural New Mexico and started a business specializing in organic medicinal herbs. Mason eventually wound up selling the place in early 2014 for $6.2 million and moved to the New York area to focus on theater work. But now Mason’s old farm has popped back up for sale at $16 million, with the listing held by Laurie Hilton of Sotheby’s International Realty-Santa Fe Brokerage.
    Resting along the banks of the Rio Chama River, about 57 miles north of Santa Fe, Abiquiu Valley Farm features a 6,500-square-foot main home designed by noted architect Theodore Waddell, plus a 3500-square-foot guesthouse. There’s also a large special-events facility with a kitchen and two apartments and equestrian facilities boasting a 10-stall Morton barn and a sandy outdoor dressage area, as well as the state’s only Demeter-certified Biodynamic organic farm producing medicinal herbs, alfalfa, and other forage crops.
    In addition to a central atrium, the primary dwelling is highlighted by a spacious great room with dual fireplaces; a handsome bookshelf-lined library; a formal dining room that connects to a gourmet kitchen; and a primary suite hosting tiled baths.

    Image Credit: Mediakingsmen for Sotheby’s International Realty

    The three-bedroom, five-bath guesthouse has a central courtyard, an open-plan living, dining, and kitchen area, and two separate casitas surrounded by gardens. A riverfront bosque and a fly-fishing pond also can be found amid the grounds, which overlook the scenic Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

    Colin Farrell’s Onetime L.A. Home Is Up for Grabs at $2.8 Million

    Image Credit: Taryn for Engel Studios; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

    It’s been almost five years since Colin Farrell sold his home in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles for $1.3 million. Now the Irish actor’s charming Tudor Revival-style residence has once again popped up for sale, this time asking a speck under $2.8 million. The listing is held by Penelope Stipanovich of The Agency Beverly Hills and New York.
    Known as “Treetop Lodge,” the restored 1920s structure is tucked away behind walls and gates and has four bedrooms and three baths in a little more than 2,700 square feet of multi-level living space displaying dark hardwood floors, high ceilings, arched doorways, stained glass, and steel casement windows.

    Image Credit: Taryn for Engel Studios

    Other highlights include a living room sporting a brick wood-burning fireplace flanked by built-in shelving and a gourmet kitchen decked out with custom cabinetry, marble countertops, Wolf and Fisher & Paykel appliances, and an accompanying breakfast nook offering up views of the iconic Hollywood Sign.
    The primary suite has dual walk-in closets and a luxe bath spotlighted by a soaking tub, while a basement space currently serves as an artist’s studio and the oak-laced grounds host meandering pathways, a hot tub, and an oversized two-car garage.
    Per Architectural Digest, Farrell currently maintains a $5.9 million estate in the Los Feliz neighborhood of L.A. that was once owned by Oscar-winning Hollywood film director Frank Lloyd, as well as a rustic cabin retreat in California’s scenic Mammoth Lakes community that he acquired for $1.3 million in spring 2023.

    Quinta Brunson Buys and Sells in L.A.

    Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

    Now that she’s recently upgraded to a snazzy $7.9 million Hollywood Hills mansion that was once owned by DJ Calvin Harris, Quinta Brunson unsurprisingly has no need for her other more modest digs in the suburban San Fernando Valley community of Valley Village. So, the Abbott Elementary Star has unsurprisingly put the midcentury-modern abode she paid $1.5 million for back in late 2021 on the market.
    Brunson is asking $1.65 million for the updated 1960s house, which weighs in at almost 2,200 square feet and has four bedrooms and three baths. A grassy lawn, redwood fence, and decorative two-car garage front the single-story structure, which is highlighted by a vaulted and sky-lit courtyard leading to double front doors.
    Once inside, a spacious great room features the original floating fireplace and glass sliders leading outdoors, and an adjacent dining area connects to an eat-in kitchen with high-end stainless appliances. A separate wing holds a primary suite flaunting a bath with dual vanities and a glass-encased shower, with the landscaped grounds hosting a pool flanked by a sundeck and a pergola ideal for al fresco entertaining.
    Brunson isn’t the only Abbott Elementary star that’s snagged new L.A. digs. While she was purchasing her Hollywood Hills retreat in July, fellow cast member Lisa Ann Walter was busy picking up Veep and Arrested Development actor Tony Hale’s “cozy, sit-by-the-fire refuge” in Studio City for $2.6 million.

    Joel Madden, Nicole Richie are Selling Their Beverly Hills Estate

    Image Credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

    Following in the footsteps of his Good Charlotte bandmate and twin brother Benji Madden—who with his actress wife Cameron Diaz just hoisted their sprawling Beverly Hills compound up for sale at $17.8 million—Joel Madden and his spouse Nicole Richie also have put their nearby 90210 spread in a celeb-studded gated community on the market for a tad under $13 million, or around $2.8 million more than they paid back in spring 2021.
    Described in the listing as a “Taste of Paris meets Beverly Hills,” the four-bedroom, six-bath home offers 6,100 square feet of stylish Simo Design living space introduced via a double-height entry foyer displaying a curving staircase. From there, the fireside living and family rooms and eat-in kitchen all have doors that open to al fresco spaces.
    Another family room could easily be converted into a screening room, while a glass-lined primary suite features a fireplace, a seating area, a gallery hallway, a walk-in closet, and a marble-clad bath warmed by yet another fireplace. There’s also not just one but two laundry rooms, along with an attached three-car garage and ocean-view grounds hosting a pool and spa.

    Patricia Wettig, Ken Olin Put Venice Home on the Market for $5 Million

    Image Credit: Tara Ziemba/Getty Images

    Married actors Patricia Wettig and Ken Olin have officially listed their longtime home in L.A.’s seaside community of Venice for a smidge under $5 million. The couple—probably most known for their roles on the Golden Globe-winning TV series thirtysomething, which ran from 1987 to 1991—paid $4.5 million for the Scandinavian-inspired digs nearly five years ago.
    Built in 2017 and designed by Hawaii-based Peter Vincent Architects, the sleek black and wood-accented structure rests on a gated corner parcel and has four bedrooms and an equal number of baths in 3,820 square feet of two-level living space. There’s also a detached two-car garage topped by a guest suite with a Murphy bed and bath.
    On the main level, a family room is highlighted by a fireplace and floor-to-ceiling glass doors spilling out to lush grounds filled with a fountain-clad courtyard, a plunge pool, a fire pit, and a barbecue station. A dining area adjoins the chef’s kitchen, which is furnished with steel and glass cabinetry, an eat-in island, a pricey Lacanche range, and a wine fridge-equipped pantry, with a floating steel staircase heading to an upstairs primary retreat holding a spa-like bath with dual vanities, a soaking tub, and a rainfall shower. More