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      Quincy Jones’s Longtime Bel Air Mansion Just Hit the Market for $60 Million

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      A little more than five months after his death from pancreatic cancer at age 91, Quincy Jones’s final home is newly available. As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the multi-Grammy-winning record producer and composer behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller—the best-selling album of all time—moved into the property in the coveted Lower Bel Air enclave of Los Angeles in early 2002 and lived there until this past November. Now the sprawling estate is up for sale, asking a dash under $60 million. David Kramer and Andrew Buss of the David Kramer Group at Compass share the listing.

      Records show Jones purchased a vacant parcel of land in summer 1972 for a mere $200,000 and subsequently enlisted the late luxury hospitality architect Gerald “Jerry” Allison to custom build a resort-style mansion resembling The Palace of the Lost City hotel he helped create in South Africa. The palatial five-bedroom, 17-bath digs rest at the end of a secluded cul-de-sac atop a gated promontory spanning over two acres, with sweeping views stretching from the city skyline to the San Gabriel Mountains and Pacific Ocean beyond.

      A domed living room primed for entertaining serves as a focal point of the home’s central wing.

      Anthony Barcelo

      RELATED: L.A. Reid Relists His Swanky Bel Air Mansion for a Discounted $17.5 Million

      Almost 25,000 square feet of living space is spread across three wings linked by an elevator and several staircases. Though interior photos are scarce—as much of the value hails from the land, per Buss—marketing materials do show a circular, window-lined living room, which anchors the two-story stone structure’s central wing and comes with a vaulted domed ceiling, a seated bar, and a library nook. Nearby is a wine room equipped with a bar, tasting area, and cellar, plus a game lounge and cabana.

      Holding court in the east wing are a formal dining room, a gourmet kitchen with a butler’s pantry, a family room, and staff quarters, plus a lavish primary suite boasting a private balcony, walk-in closets, a luxe bath, a fitness room, and a den. The west wing, meanwhile, has three guest suites, along with a recording studio, a screening room, a gallery, and a security office. Outdoors, the manicured grounds host numerous verandas and patios overlooking a lighted tennis court and an infinity-edge pool with a spillover spa.

      In addition to a pool and spa, the grounds also hold a full-sized tennis court.

      Anthony Barcelo

      “My father loved his home so much,” said his daughter, the actress and filmmaker Rashida Jones. “He created it from the ground up with his boundless imagination and the talent of his high school friend, legendary architect Jerry Allison. Our family has a lifetime worth of wonderful memories and meaning imbued in this home. We hope the new owner will continue the legacy of love and laughter and beauty that is synonymous with the name Quincy Jones.”

      During a decades-long career that he began as a jazz trumpeter, the Chicago native was in top demand as an arranger for the big bands of Count Basie and others, a composer of film music, and a record producer. His large stable of hits ranged from Lesley Gore’s It’s My Party to We Are the World, a fundraising single for famine relief performed by a supergroup of 40 singers from Diana Ross to Bruce Springsteen. In addition to 28 Grammy awards, Quincy was also recognized for lifetime achievement by the Songwriters Hall of Fame and inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.

      Click here for more photos of the Bel Air residence.

      Anthony Barcelo

      Authors

      Wendy Bowman

      Wendy Bowman is a real estate writer at Robb Report. Before that, she was a freelancer for Modern Luxury and several other media outlets, where she primarily covered luxury properties for…

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      Bryan Cranston’s Former SoCal Beach House Can Be Yours for $8 Million

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      Bryan Cranston doled out $2.5 million back in 2007 for a 1940s bungalow along the northern edge of Southern California’s Ventura County coastline, primarily for its secluded stretch of sandy beach and endless ocean views. The Breaking Bad star then spent the next six years transforming the poorly constructed home he and his actress wife Robin Dearden affectionately referred to as the “love shack” into a modern and sustainable showpiece in collaboration with Turturro Design Studio and Allen Associates Construction.

      The couple went on to sell the luxurious net-zero residence they renamed Three Palms to real estate investor Louis Gonda in 2021 for $5.5 million, around $455,000 more than they originally wanted. Now it’s returned to the market again, donning a nearly $8 million asking price, with Katie Walsh in the Montecito office of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties holding the listing.

      The great room’s living and dining areas connect to a sleek kitchen with custom Poggenpohl cabinetry.

      Gavin Palmer/VirTour Media

      RELATED: Walter White’s New Mexico Home From ‘Breaking Bad’ Can Be Yours for $4 Million

      A longtime proponent of environmental issues and recycling, Cranston shared his vision for the project in a 2012 Real Green TV YouTube video, stating he wanted to “show the world you don’t need to compromise when you’re building a green home…you can still have nice amenities.” Completed in early 2013, the LEED Platinum property was the first passive-house-certified residence ever built in Ventura County and even garnered the U.S. Green Building Council’s “Green Home of the Year” award.

      The stucco and titanium-sided structure has energy-efficient, solar, and recycling systems that help it produce as much energy as it consumes. Three bedrooms and four baths are spread across 2,450 square feet of open and light-filled living space on two levels accented with polished concrete floors. Walls of glass reveal beachfront patios and Pacific vistas, while a swath of custom art and decor by the likes of Roche Bobois, Louis Poulsen, Chabada, Pablo Campos, and Alberto Gálvez is available for purchase at an additional cost.

      An expansive rear deck steps down to a secluded stretch of sandy beach and the ocean beyond.

      Gavin Palmer/VirTour Media

      RELATED: A Landmark SoCal Home by a Paragon of Arts and Crafts Architecture Just Listed for $4.5 Million

      Other highlights include a great room sporting a spacious living area, a dining space, and a sleek kitchen equipped with Poggenpohl cabinetry, an eat-in island, and Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances. Three upstairs bedrooms serviced by a hallway kitchenette include an ocean-view primary suite boasting a walk-in closet and a bath outfitted with dual vanities, a soaking tub, and a steam shower, with a lower-level den doubling as a fourth bedroom.

      Topping it all off is a basement—a rarity for an oceanfront home—accessible from an outside entrance, plus a one-car garage with an automated lift that can accommodate an extra vehicle.

      Click here for more photos of the Ventura County residence.

      Gavin Palmer/VirTour Media

      Authors

      Wendy Bowman

      Wendy Bowman is a real estate writer at Robb Report. Before that, she was a freelancer for Modern Luxury and several other media outlets, where she primarily covered luxury properties for…

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      Diane Keaton Once Owned This $12.8 Million L.A. Home Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Son

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      In Los Angeles, you find a good deal of both architecturally significant and celebrity-pedigreed homes. And sometimes, in cases such as this in the idyllic Rustic Canyon area of Pacific Palisades, those categories overlap.

      An estate designed by Lloyd Wright, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s eight children and an esteemed architect himself, has just hit the market for $12.8 million. The five-bedroom, 3.5-bath property was originally built in 1950 for Alfred Newman, the nine-time Oscar-winning composer for films such as Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, Camelot, and Hello, Dolly!, among others. Decades later, another Oscar winner, architecture- and design-savvy actress Diane Keaton, took over the estate, restoring many features to all their midcentury-modern glory. Diana Braun and Frank Langen at Compass hold the listing.

      The living room is classic midcentury modern, with built-ins and angularity.

      Engel Studios

      Lloyd Wright incorporated many details that his father was well known for, including concrete floors, asymmetrical exposed brick fireplaces, and angular rooms with banks of windows that bring the outdoors inside. During her time in the home, Keaton retained those design features, restoring the woodwork, modernizing the kitchen, and turning the primary suite into a glass-walled loft on the upper level. There, the sleeping area is accompanied by a small sitting area near a fireplace, plus an alcove for snuggling up with a good book, and even a private deck for enjoying the surrounding greenery.

      Back on the main level, a massive fireplace anchors the living room, which spills out to a patio for outdoor hangs. The open kitchen leads to a small dining area, which also has access to the yard. There are built-in benches throughout the home and a cozy office for getting some work done.

      A soaking tub sits next to windows in the updated bathroom.

      Engel Studios

      Outside, the brick-lined pool and spa are situated among 1.4 acres of landscaping, including fruit, oak, and sycamore trees. There’s an outdoor fireplace oven, and along with the main residence there are two detached bedroom suites and a music-studio guest house.

      Southern California buyers may be familiar with Wright’s work from some of his other properties that have hit the market in recent years. A $3 million, four-bed abode came up for sale in La Cañada Flintridge in the summer of 2023. And while Keaton no longer calls the Wright property in Rustic Canyon her home, she has continued to spend her time in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, however, she decided to part with a $28.9 million residence that she built from the ground up, inspired by Pinterest.

      Click here to see all the photos of the Lloyd Wright home once owned by Diane Keaton.

      Engel Studios

      Authors

      Tori Latham

      Tori Latham is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. She was previously a copy editor at The Atlantic, and has written for publications including The Cut and The Hollywood Reporter. When not…

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      Adam Lambert’s Glam Sunset Strip Home Is Up for Grabs at $7.4 Million

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      It’s been an almost unbelievably successful ride for Adam Lambert ever since he came in second place behind Kris Allen on the eighth season of American Idol back in 2009. Not only has the flamboyant singer, songwriter, and actor released several albums that included his early hit Whataya Want from Me, but he stepped in for the late Freddie Mercury as lead vocalist of Queen, made his Broadway debut as the Emcee in Cabaret at The KitKat Club, and was most recently tapped to play Judas in a Hollywood Bowl production of the classic Broadway musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

      Word on the street has it that he’s also been seeking new digs in New York City. So it’s really no surprise he’s decided to let go of the Los Angeles home he picked up in 2018 for $6.5 million, listing the modern Hollywood Hills spread high above the Sunset Strip with Greg Holcomb of Carolwood Estates for nearly $7.4 million.

      The streamlined kitchen comes with a massive stone island that can accommodate up to eight people.

      Christopher Amitrano/CS8 Photo

      RELATED: Rapper G-Eazy’s $3.7 Million Hollywood Hills Home Comes With a Professional Recording Studio

      Resting behind a gated driveway on a hilltop parcel spanning a quarter of an acre, the boxy white stucco and black-trimmed structure was originally built in the early 1950s. Extensively upgraded and customized during Lambert’s tenure, it features four bedrooms and six baths filtered across roughly 5,000 square feet of three-level living space accented with rich hardwood floors, high ceilings, and vast expanses of glass overlooking sweeping views of L.A.

      Among the highlights is a combined living and dining area boasting a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and collapsible glass doors spilling out to the turf-clad backyard, plus a sleek kitchen furnished with an eat-in island that can seat up to eight and Wolf appliances. Up a floating staircase topped with a bulbous topaz light fixture is a posh primary suite sporting a mod fireplace and a wraparound balcony, as well as dual walk-in closets and a luxe bath flaunting a black soaking tub and glass-encased shower big enough for an entire swarm of folks.

      The primary bedroom has a mod fireplace and walls of glass opening out to a wraparound balcony.

      Christopher Amitrano/CS8 Photo

      RELATED: Red Hot Chili Peppers Frontman Anthony Kiedis’s Former L.A. Home Lists for $5.5 Million

      Rounding it all out in style are the secluded grounds, which host an L-shaped infinity pool and spa flanked by a sundeck and fire pit, along with a barbecue and bar setup nestled beside an alfresco dining area. There’s also an attached two-car garage with glassy doors out front.

      Per the New York Post, Lambert has been spotted house hunting in New York, where he recently toured a snazzy $10.5 million duplex unit in Tribeca at 108 Leonard St., the first residential condo conversion of a McKim, Mead & White Beaux-Arts building.

      Click here for more photos of the Sunset Strip residence.

      Christopher Amitrano/CS8 Photo

      Authors

      Wendy Bowman

      Wendy Bowman is a real estate writer at Robb Report. Before that, she was a freelancer for Modern Luxury and several other media outlets, where she primarily covered luxury properties for…

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      A Couple of Pop Culture Icons Just Sold Their Hollywood Hills Villa for $7.8 Million

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      Almost two years after John Taylor and Gela Nash-Taylor first put their Los Angeles home up for sale at nearly $13 million and subsequently reduced the price to just under $9 million, the bassist and founding member of the British new-wave band Duran Duran and his longtime wife, co-creator of the fashion label Juicy Couture, have officially offloaded their 1930s Spanish-style villa in the Outpost Estates neighborhood of Hollywood Hills.

      Records show an as-yet-unnamed buyer has paid $7.8 million for the stylishly revamped residence, which is around $6 million more than the couple doled out for the place back in fall 1999, not too long after they were married. Daria Greenbaum of Compass held the listing, with Steve Frankel and Leah Lail of Coldwell Banker repping the buyer.

      The chapel-like living room features a large stone fireplace and Juliet balcony overlooking the city.

      David Fitzgerald

      RELATED: ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Co-Host Julianne Hough Is Seeking $8 Million for Her L.A. Home

      Originally built in 1931 and extensively renovated by the couple during their tenure, the towering white stucco and terracotta-roof structure is tucked away behind gates on a hillside parcel spanning over a third of an acre. Inside, four bedrooms and seven baths are spread across roughly 6,200 square feet of three-level living space boasting a mix of tile, stone, and hardwood floors paired with soaring wood-beam ceilings.

      An arcade entryway travels to the hand-carved wood front door, which opens into a circular entry foyer dressed in hexagon-shaped black tile. From there, a spacious living room is spotlighted by a massive wood-burning stone fireplace and French doors opening to a Juliet balcony, while a formal dining room overlooking a fountain-clad patio seats up to 14. A butler’s pantry connects to the sleekly designed kitchen, which is decked out with cobalt blue cabinetry, veined-marble backsplash and countertops, a pricey Lacanche range, and a nearby breakfast room.

      A fireside den and library comes with custom bookshelves and French doors leading to the backyard.

      David Fitzgerald

      RELATED: This 1940s R.M. Schindler Home in Hollywood Hills Is Back on the Market for $3.3 Million

      A curving, iron-railed staircase passes by stained-glass windows on its way upstairs, where the lavish primary suite flaunts a seating area, two generous-sized closets, and a fireside bath equipped with dual console sinks, a dressing area, and an oversized soaking tub. An en-suite guest bedroom can also be found on this floor, while a turreted space with views spanning from Downtown L.A. to the ocean is currently being used as a gym.

      On the lower level, a gallery with a water feature steps down to a bookshelf-lined den and library sporting a fireplace topped with a big-screen TV. Several sets of French doors spill out to the picturesque grounds, which are laced with palms, gardens, and fountains and host a pool and spa nestled beside an open-air cabana with a barbecue and kitchen setup, a fireplace, and an alfresco dining space, as well as a seated bar and a built-in stone banquette warmed by a fire pit.

      Click here for more photos of the Hollywood Hills residence.

      David Fitzgerald

      Authors

      Wendy Bowman

      Wendy Bowman is a real estate writer at Robb Report. Before that, she was a freelancer for Modern Luxury and several other media outlets, where she primarily covered luxury properties for…

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      Inside Graham Norton’s $2.6 Million Country Home in New York’s Lower Hudson Valley

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      If you’re looking for a lovingly restored home with deep ties to art, history, and pop culture, this 245-year-old residence in a tranquil, celebrity-loved enclave just a few miles north of New York City might be just the ticket.

      The four-bedroom, four-bath residence in Snedens Landing (a.k.a. Palisades) was built all the way back in 1780 by Joshua Martin, and it’s believed to have been an office for George Washington during the Revolutionary War. More recently, the photographer Judy Tomkins lived in the home for more than 60 years, hosting friends like Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Julia Child. Tax records show Tomkins sold up in 2017 for $1.6 million to the current owner, Irish comedian and TV presenter Graham Norton, along with his husband, Scottish documentarian Jono McLeod. Now back up for sale with an asking price of $2.6 million, Richard Ellis at Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty holds the listing.

      The wood-covered library includes a Federal-style fireplace mantel.

      Ian Alexander Nelson

      “Around her dining table, Judy entertained some of the most influential minds of her generation,” Ellis said in a statement. “This home became a second residence for some of America’s cultural giants, who came together often to relax and celebrate their shared interests.”

      Across two floors and 2,600 square feet, the cozy abode retains many of its original details, including hand-hewn wood beams, wide-board pine floors, and three working fireplaces. Downstairs, the eat-in kitchen sports concrete countertops and old-fashioned cupboards, while the library includes a Federal-style fireplace mantel and a window that looks out to the yard. The primary suite sits on the main floor as well, with a private screened-in porch and access to the gardens. Upstairs, meanwhile, is where you’ll find the three additional bedrooms and bathrooms. 

      The primary bedroom has its own screened-in porch.

      Ian Alexander Nelson

      Tomkins added her own touch to the landscape, which comprises pleasantly untamed gardens on a wooded knoll with seasonal views of the nearby Hudson River. Along with being a photographer, Tomkins became a well-regarded garden designer and, in fact, worked on those of some of her high-profile neighbors over the years, including those of Diane Keaton, Bill Murray, and Al Pacino.

      It appears that Norton and McLeod are pulling up all of their roots stateside. The five-time BAFTA TV Award winner and his spouse recently hoisted their historic New York City carriage house on the market for $5.6 million. Previously owned by German model Claudia Schiffer, Norton has owned the Greenwich Village residence for more than 20 years, and he had recently renovated it to show off his art collection and amp up the color palette.

      Click here to see all the photos of the tranquil New York getaway.

      Ian Alexander Nelson

      Authors

      Tori Latham

      Tori Latham is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. She was previously a copy editor at The Atlantic, and has written for publications including The Cut and The Hollywood Reporter. When not…

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      The Obamas’ Former Martha’s Vineyard Getaway Hits the Market for $39 Million

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      This iconic Martha’s Vineyard estate—once the Obamas’ go-to summer sanctuary—is back on the market, asking $39 million. Represented by Maggie Gold Seelig of MGS Group Real Estate and Brian Dougherty of Corcoran Property Advisors, the listing has both an architectural pedigree and presidential provenance. 

      Set on nearly 30 private acres in Chilmark, the estate hugs the shoreline of Tisbury Great Pond and delivers serious Vineyard magic: rolling lawns, meadows, and waterfront views. The Obama family rented the home for their summer getaways between 2009 and 2011, reportedly paying $50,000 a week, according to The Wall Street Journal. It’s also where President Barack Obama addressed the nation after Hurricane Irene and honored the late Senator Ted Kennedy, Architectural Digest reported. Years later, the former first family would return to the island to put down more permanent roots, purchasing a $14.85 million estate in nearby Edgartown in 2019.

      At the heart of the property is a gracious 7,000-square-foot main house—classic New England on the outside, tailored luxury inside. Think vaulted ceilings, stone fireplaces, wraparound porches, and a dining room with knockout water views. Arrive via a gated drive, passing a 150-year-old Pennsylvania barn clad in cedar shingles, and it’s hard not to feel like you’ve stumbled into an East Coast fairytale. 

      RELATED: Al Pacino’s Former Beverly Hills Rental Home Is Up for Grabs at $16 Million

      Foster has renovated the property, including the main house, since he bought it over a decade ago.

      Evan Joseph Photography

      But here’s where it gets really interesting: the estate’s current owner is none other than vaunted British architect Norman Foster, the mind behind London’s Gherkin and Wembley Stadium. Foster was struck by the estate’s pastoral approach and the authenticity of its architecture, describing it as a “classic New England house that had grown from historic farming roots,” The WSJ reported. What made it special, he added, was its ability to feel remote and expansive while still sitting in the heart of Martha’s Vineyard. 

      Since acquiring the property in 2011 for $22.4 million, Foster, the founder and chairman of Foster + Partners, has injected his signature style into the compound, most notably with the sleek, contemporary pool and poolhouse he designed to contrast the classic clapboard main home. Modernism meets Martha’s Vineyard? Yes, indeed, and somehow, it works. 

      RELATED: Bill Gates’s Former Waterfront Mansion in Florida Can Be Yours for $23.5 Million

      Vast walls of glass bring the outside to the inside of the Foster-designed poolside pavilion.

      Evan Joseph Photography

      Scattered across the grounds are a five-bedroom guesthouse, a boathouse with a private dock, a design studio, a gym, tennis and basketball courts, an apple orchard, equestrian paddocks, and staff housing. It’s a compound built for both deep relaxation and active living—with just enough gravitas to host a head of state. 

      While Martha’s Vineyard’s luxury market has cooled since the pandemic peak, properties with notable provenance continue to draw interest. Case in point: Diane Sawyer’s waterfront retreat sold for $23.9 million in late 2023 after just two months on the market and for just shy of its $24 million ask. Meanwhile, the island’s median home price dipped to $1.1 million in April, down more than 30 percent from the previous year. 

      Click here to see more photos of Blue Heron Farm.  

      Evan Joseph Photography

      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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      This $5.9 Million Canyonside Home in L.A. Was Once Owned by a Songwriter for the Eagles

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      Not too far from Los Angeles’s famed Laurel Canyon—which has long served as a respite for artists—sits a house with similar musical pedigree.

      The five-bedroom property, originally built in 1941, was once the home of the late singer-songwriter JD Souther, best known for co-writing the Eagles’ hits “Best of My Love” and “New Kid in Town.” Tax records show the pop ditty scribe bought the treehouse-like abode in 1990 for $875,000 from television producer Ilene Chaiken (The L Word, The Handmaid’s Tale) and owned it for about a dozen years. During his tenure, Souther enlisted third-generation L.A. architect Stephen Kanner to redesign and expand the residence, which is clad in natural materials like wood and stone. It’s now on the market for $5.9 million, listed by the George Penner Team at Compass.

      Skylights fill the living room with natural light.

      Gavin Cater

      The secluded structure sits among almost an acre of lush greenery, including its own vineyard. On the main floor, there’s a separate living and dining room—the former includes several skylights cut into the wood-beam ceiling, allowing natural light to flood the space. The nearby chef’s kitchen has been updated with modern stainless-steel appliances, which contrast with the wooden cabinetry. Other hangouts down here include a den and a library, with multiple fireplaces for keeping cozy.

      Upstairs, the sizable primary suite includes an entire wall of windows, double closets, and its own built-in reading alcove with yet another fireplace. The stone bathroom’s glass corner picture windows look out onto the surrounding treetops. Two additional bedrooms are found in an adjacent wing, while another guest bedroom with an en suite bathroom is downstairs.

      A snug home theater is tucked down on the lower level along with a wine cellar.

      GavinCater

      Elsewhere, hobbyists will find several spaces suited to their interests. A small screening room is ideal for catching up on your favorite director’s repertoire, while the climatized lower-level wine cellar keeps your bottle collection in tip-top shape. Outside, there are several lounging spaces, including a verdant glade with overhead lights and a fire pit. The pool is accompanied by a pool bath and a detached studio, which could serve as a space for making music, art, or other creative work. With its own veranda and stone fireplace, you can comfortably post up either inside or out.

      Nichols Canyon is navigated by a serpentine road that climbs into the mountains above Hollywood and is home to some pretty spectacular dwellings. Just last month, a 1960s Spanish villa there hit the market for $8.5 million, following a five-year renovation that added features like arched steel windows and handcrafted terracotta tiles.

      Click here to see all the photos of the L.A. home.

      Gavin Cater

      Authors

      Tori Latham

      Tori Latham is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. She was previously a copy editor at The Atlantic, and has written for publications including The Cut and The Hollywood Reporter. When not…

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