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      in Luxury

      A Tech Entrepreneur Spent $13 Million on Late Architect Harry Gesner’s Unique Malibu Home

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      Famed Malibu architect Harry Gesner died in summer 2022, just weeks after his 97th birthday. To say Gesner led a colorful life would be putting it mildly; the word “epic” is probably be more apt. Born in Southern California to an engineer father and an artist mother, he was flying planes by age 14. At 19, he stormed the beach at Normandy; after the war, he first worked as a waterski instructor in Lake Arrowhead before turning down an invitation from Frank Lloyd Wright to study at Wright’s Taliesin architecture school in favor of being a tomb raider in Ecuador. Along the way, he famously dated numerous models and actresses, fraternized with Errol Flynn and Marlon Brando, collected fancy sports cars and surfed every day into his late eighties.

      Gesner designed many homes all over California, but his best-known works are found on the shores of his beloved and adopted hometown of Malibu. Among them are the iconic Wave House, designed for one of the architect’s surfing buddies with a copper-scale-topped roofline that resembles a series of cresting waves.

      Next door to Wave House is Gesner’s own longtime family abode, which he called Sandcastle. Completed in 1974, it is a testament to Gesner’s commitment to sustainable building practices. Among the salvaged materials used for its construction are old telephone poles, wall panels made from aqueduct pipes, birdseye maple from a high school gym, marble from public baths that were about to be demolished, old-growth redwood harvested in the 1800s, and windows and doors saved from one of Hollywood’s silent film theaters.

      First listed last year at $27.5 million, the oceanfront house has just sold for a heavily slashed $13.5 million. The discount-minded buyer is tech entrepreneur Jason Fried—co-founder and CEO of Basecamp, a multibillion-dollar project management firm, and a noted architecture enthusiast. Last year, Fried dropped $26 million on an especially glorious old estate in the California’s Carmel Highlands neighborhood.

      At the Sandcastle home’s entry is a library/lounge with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and ocean views. From here, one proceeds to the heart of the house, a commodious, window-wrapped living/dining room featuring massive spoke-like beams, wood-plank ceilings, and a vast brick fireplace at its hub. Modeled after the Hollywood Bowl, the fireplace and its large polished concrete hearth served as a stage for Gesner’s wife, actress Nan Martin.

      Echoing the cylindrical shape of the house itself, the kitchen wraps around a circular island and has tile countertops, stained glass lunettes fitted into the beams overhead, a fireplace, updated appliances, a breakfast bar, and a walk-in pantry. Adjacent to the dining area is a solarium with stained glass panels, beyond which lies the wraparound deck.

      The home’s main level also contains two en-suite bedrooms, one with built-ins making it suitable for use as an office. Upstairs is the primary suite tower, featuring lofty ceilings, a brick fireplace, eyebrow windows, a sitting area with ocean view, and a spiral staircase with handmade driftwood treads corkscrewing up to a studio/loft/meditation space.

      Additional structures on the .73-acre property include a “tree house” apartment with kitchenette, living room/dining area, bedroom, bath, and wraparound deck; a “boat house” with a full kitchen, ocean-view living/dining room with a built-in table and porthole windows; and another one-bedroom apartment “nest” with ocean view and stained glass above an indoor/outdoor cabana. There’s also a three-car garage with additional parking pad.

      Along with 122 feet of beachfront, exterior amenities include a covered deck, a brick patio, a lawn, an outdoor shower, surfboard and other storage areas, a staircase to the beach, and multiple vantage points from which to enjoy glorious sunset views. More

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      in Luxury

      Actress Miranda Otto Quickly Sells Her Chic SoCal Home

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      Back in winter 2017, Miranda Otto paid $2.2 million for a Spanish-style home on a prime street in the Beverly Grove/West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Now the Aussie actress—probably best known for her turn as Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and most recently as a cult leader on the Disney+ drama series The Clearing—has decided to part ways with the place she’s owned for a little over six years, having already handed the keys over to the $2.7 million abode after a mere 10 days on the market.

      The sale might be due to a little something she revealed on a TV Reload podcast last spring, per the Daily Mail. Having missed spending time Down Under, Otto said she and her actor husband Peter O’Brien would like to return to their home land for a while now that their daughter has finished school in America.

      As for her L.A. premises, they were built in the late 1920s and have since been updated. The vine-covered structure has an eye-catching bright red front door and driveway tucked off to the side, and features three bedrooms and a matching number of bathrooms in just over 2,200 square feet of designer-done living space boasting dark hardwood floors, high ceilings, arched doorways, and French windows and doors. There also are indoor/outdoor speakers.

      Highlights include a fireside living room and formal dining room, plus a gourmet kitchen outfitted with top-tier Viking appliances and an adjacent breakfast nook/office space. There’s also a master retreat decked out with a fireplace and spacious walk-in closet, as well as a marble-clad bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and glass-encased shower; and outdoors the private and landscaped grounds span less than a quarter-acre, and host a swimming pool nestled alongside an al fresco dining area sporting a built-in barbecue.

      A Brisbane native, the 56-year-old veteran film and TV actress comes from a showbiz family that includes her acting parents Barry and Lindsay Otto, and her paternal half-sister Gracie Otto. She began her career at age 18 in various independent and major studio films in Australia, and went on to get her first leading role in Emma’s War. She also has appeared in The Thin Red Line, What Lies Beneath, War of the Worlds, The Starter Wife, The Clearing and Wellmania. But her most well-known role was as Éowyn in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movie series, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel of the same name.  

      The listing was held by Clifford Rowe and Pamela Rowe of Compass, with backup offers currently being accepted. More

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      in Luxury

      Emma Stone’s Charming L.A. Bungalow Sells in a Bidding War for $4.3 Million

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      In Los Angeles, Emma Stone has continued a winning streak that started when she nabbed a recent Golden Globe award for her performance in the movie Poor Things. Barely a month after she hoisted her Spanish-style bungalow in the Comstock Hills area of Westwood on the market for just under $4 million, the A-list actress has already handed the keys over the keys to a new owner.

      Records show Stone—who maintains a permanent residence in the Texas city of Austin—has sold the property long occupied by her mother to Marguerite Brokaw, the widow of legendary William Morris talent agent Norman Brokaw, for $4.3 million—or an impressive $2 million more than she paid for the relatively humble yet charming abode a little over four years ago, back in spring 2019.

      The entry foyer steps down to a living room warmed by a fireplace.

      Ryan Lahiff for Sotheby’s International Realty

      Resting beyond a brick walkway that opens into the original tiled courtyard via a sage-green door, the creamy stucco and terracotta-roof structure was built in the 1920s and extensively updated during Stone’s tenure. Inside, four bedrooms and four bathrooms are spread across a little more than 3,200 square feet of colorful living space boasting era-appropriate wood-beam ceilings and wide arched doorways.

      A cozy sitting room is accented with artwork and pops of color.

      Ryan Lahiff for Sotheby’s International Realty

      Highlights include an entry foyer displaying a curving iron-railed staircase, which flows to a sunken fireside living room sporting built-in shelving and French doors spilling outside. There’s also a formal dining area, plus a sitting room that connects to an eat-in kitchen outfitted with all-white wood cabinetry, a turquoise-hued range and farmhouse sink.

      A turquoise range serves as a focal point of the newly expanded kitchen.

      Ryan Lahiff for Sotheby’s International Realty

      Elsewhere is a primary bedroom that has a stylish bath equipped with a vanity holding a sink and dressing area, along with a vintage clawfoot soaking tub and separate walk-in shower; and topping it all off is a one-bedroom guesthouse with its own kitchen and living room, plus a gated driveway out front.

      The primary bathroom hosts an inviting clawfoot soaking tub.

      Ryan Lahiff for Sotheby’s International Realty

      In addition to her just-sold Westwood house and Texas mansion, Stone also maintains a posh New York City apartment. In 2022, she sold a midcentury ranch-style house directly overlooking Malibu’s Las Tunas Beach to David Cooley—longtime owner of The Abbey Food & Bar in West Hollywood—for $4.4 million, or nearly $1.2 million more than The Curse and Cruella star acquired the place for in 2018.

      The listing was held by Eric Lavey of Sotheby’s International Realty–Beverly Hills Brokerage; Guy Levy and Linda May of Carolwood Estates repped the buyer. More

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      in Luxury

      Now’s Your Chance to Scoop Up a Kitty Litter Heiress’s California Estate for $88 Million

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      Following her husband’s death in 1996, Betty Jo Stephens went on to make a name for herself in the Santa Barbara community that she had shared with her spouse of 61 years. As CEO of Excel Mineral—taking over for her businessman and scientist partner John Stephens, who was widely known for creating the Jonny Cat litter brand—she was a regular fixture in the local political and philanthropic circles, regularly hosting luminaries the likes of President Jimmy Carter and Texas Gov. Ann Richards at her hilltop home in the affluent Hope Ranch enclave. Now, almost six years after Betty passed away at age 86, her longtime dwelling has popped up on the market for the first time in over five decades, asking a substantial $88 million.

      Per The Wall Street Journal, the Stephenses originally purchased two contiguous parcels overlooking the ocean in 1957 and built a house on the site around four years later. They subsequently picked up a third lot right across the street In the 1970s, and then went on to assemble a family compound with access to a private beach.

      Currently owned by the couple’s daughter Joi Stephens—who was raised in the house and is affectionately referred to as a “kitty-litter heiress who lives in the crown jewel of Santa Barbara”—the property is being marketed by Sam Palmer and Blair Chang of The Agency as “a vast canvas for the creation of an unparalleled estate, allowing for a grand 20,000-square-foot main house and two 7,500-square-foot guesthouses.”

      Betty Jo Stephens visits with former President Jimmy Carter.

      Courtesy of Joi Stephens

      Tucked away behind a gated driveway, amid 11 acres of land offering up sweeping ocean, canyon and mountain views, the existing home on the site is fronted by a koi pond, spacious motorcourt and two-car garage, and features four bedrooms and five baths in 7,500 square feet of living space that was last updated in the early 2000s.

      In addition to a living room anchored by a two-way fireplace and French doors spilling out to a terrace, other highlights include a chandelier-topped dining room, an open-plan kitchen, office space and ocean-facing master suite resting beneath a vaulted wood-beam ceiling. Outdoors, the private and grassy grounds are spotlighted by amenities ranging from an observation deck, to a pool and spa nestled alongside an open-air cabana. The equestrian-zoned property also is an ideal spot for horses and a stable, per the listing.

      WSJ reported that although Stephens has received multiple offers to buy the estate, she and her auctioneer husband Frank Kominski have been splitting their time between Hope Ranch, Palm Beach, Fla., and Boston. The couple has now decided to move because Kaminski Auctions is expanding to South Florida and they have been spending most of their time on the East Coast.

      Click here for more photos of the Stephens house.

      Christopher Amitrano/CS8 Photo More

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      in Luxury

      The Groovy L.A. House That Wilt Built Finally Sells to a Crypto Celebrity

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      After several years on and off the market, a custom-built Los Angeles spread once owned by the late Lakers basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain has finally traded hands for a bounce under $9.7 million. And though that’s far less than the nearly $19 million current owner Dmitri Novikov originally wanted, it’s still around $3 million more than the Russian-born investor paid TV writers George Meyer and Maria Semple for the place back in early 2008.

      Records indicate the discount-minded buyer who acquired the brutalist-style spread in an off-market deal is well-known crypto entrepreneur Erik Voorhees. The bitcoin pioneer founded BitInstant in 2011, and then went on to launch and serve as CEO of ShapeShift, a cryptocurrency exchange that allows its 1 million-plus users to swap between different cryptocurrencies without having to create an account. Per BitKan, his net worth as of August 2023 was estimated at $30 million.

      The gated property is perched atop a sprawling promontory laced with picturesque gardens. 

      Ryan Lahiff

      As for Voorhees’s new digs, they were built over five decades ago by Chamberlain—affectionately known to his fans as the “Big Dipper”—who purchased a $150,000 plot of land in the rugged mountains above Bel Air and then enlisted noted architect David Tenneson Rich to design an extravagant $1.5 million bachelor pad known as “Ursa Major.” The 1970s premises subsequently underwent an extensive remodel in 2008 at the hands of Novikov, which included sprucing up the kitchen, as well as modifying the lower level with a screening room and guest bedrooms.

      Resting amid a secluded cul-de-sac—on a gated, 2.5-acre hilltop parcel that served as a Nike anti-aircraft missile site during the Cold War—the redwood, glass and stone structure contains five bedrooms and eight bathrooms in almost 9,400 square feet of living space. In addition to the aforementioned screening room, other glitzy amenities include a billiard room, sauna-equipped gym, and walls of glass providing sweeping mountain, ocean and reservoir views.

      A five-story great room boasts a cathedral ceiling, walls of windows, tree-like columns and Bouquet Canyon flagstone.

      Ryan Lahiff

      Guests are greeted by a stone walkway that passes over a water feature before emptying out at the massive 2,000-pound front door. From there, a soaring great room holds court beneath a 40-foot-tall cathedral ceiling, and displays a sunken conversation pit warmed by a wood-burning fireplace sporting a stone chimney. There’s also a sleekly designed gourmet kitchen outfitted with high-end stainless appliances and an accompanying breakfast nook.

      A “floating” staircase heads upstairs, where the master retreat spans the entire second floor; and outdoors, the lushly landscaped grounds hold a large pool that “wraps the house creating an impression that it is floating in a lake,” per the listing. Rounding it all out: numerous spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining, plus garages and a motorcourt that can accommodate more than 10 vehicles, and a detached, climate-controlled storage building. 

      There is plenty of outdoor space for entertaining amid the scenic vistas.

      Ryan Lahiff

      Chamberlain played for the L.A. Lakers for five seasons during the ’60s and ’70s, and was an essential part of their ’71-’72 team, which is considered one of the best in NBA history. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, and was later named to the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Chamberlain died of heart failure at his Bel Air home in 1999 at age 63. As for Voorhees, he also owns a 1-acre plot of land in the Colorado town of Dillon that he paid $260,000 for way back in late 1985.

      The listing was held by Bobby Syed of Coldwell Banker Realty; Thomas Freedman of Sunset Lending and Realty repped the buyer.

      Click here for more photos of Wilt Chamberlain’s house.

      Ryan Lahiff More

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      in Luxury

      The ‘Saw’ Franchise Creator Is Cutting Out of His $4.7 Million Hollywood Hills Home

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      James Wan is best known for directing the Saw and The Conjuring horror film mega-franchises, and more recently the non-spooky blockbuster hit Aquaman, but it appears the prolific Malaysian-born filmmaker is angling for a different role in his latest venture: real estate seller. Wan is currently seeking a buyer able to pony up $4.7 million for his revamped midcentury modern in the hills above West Hollywood, tucked away near the top of the Doheny Estates neighborhood and abutting the much better-known Bird Streets enclave.

      Records indicate Wan bought the house way back in 2007, paying $3.2 million; for much of the past 10 years, the property has been leased out. The relatively petite structure packs three bedrooms and four bathrooms into 2,951 square feet of living space. Constructed in 1960, the single-story house has since been thoroughly modernized and privatized, shielded from public view by gates and tall hedges. Covered in neutral tan stucco that’s been paired with brown accent trim and a gray shingled roof, the place boasts a long, wide driveway leading to a two-car garage for convenient off-street parking

      Built in 1960, the midcentury ranch-style house has been updated and now sports contemporary interiors and walls of glass.

      Google Earth

      Ash gray hardwood flooring, stark white walls, recessed lighting, and a distinct indoor/outdoor flow define the home’s interior theme. Like many open-plan houses, the living room, dining area, and kitchen all share a single, wall-free space. A sliding glass door provides stunning views of the surrounding hills and also has convenient access to the backyard’s patio lounge area. The dining area, separated from the living room and kitchen via a pair of funky pass-throughs, is demarcated by a radiant modern chandelier; the sleekly modern kitchen offers a breakfast bar, custom cabinetry and plenty of countertop space, plus up-to-date stainless appliances.

      Though not especially roomy, the master suite has enough space for a wee sitting area in the bedroom. Woven bamboo shades provide privacy from the front yard-facing windows, and there’s a walk-in closet and master bath with separate vanity area.

      Out back, there’s a swath of grassy lawn and an azure-colored swimming pool. Perhaps the most show-stopping element of Wan’s property is a patio dining area that adjoins a koi pond, making for a lovely place to host an intimate al fresco dinner party. There’s also a second, pergola-covered dining area conveniently sited just outside the kitchen.

      Wan’s current home is a nearly $20 million Bel Air estate formerly owned by both Meg Ryan and Diane Keaton.

      Google Earth

      Besides his no-longer-wanted house in the hills above WeHo, Wan also owns a much grander 1930s Mediterranean-style mansion in Bel Air he purchased from HauteLook founder Adam Bernhard for $18.5 million in 2016. That estate boasts an impressive pedigree: Bernhard originally acquired it from actress Meg Ryan, and the lavish property was once also owned by fellow actress and noted architecture aficionado Diane Keaton. More

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      Charlize Theron Is Selling a Spare Los Angeles House for $3.8 Million

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      Charlize Theron is lightening her real estate load once again, having chosen to relinquish ownership of one of her Los Angeles properties. Records show the veteran actress—who also owns three other homes in the Southern California area—has stuck a nearly $3.8 million price tag on a Spanish-style residence tucked away in a particularly celeb-packed pocket of the Hollywood Hills.

      Purchased by Theron for exactly $3 million almost two decades ago—a few months after she won a 2004 “Best Actress” Oscar for her portrayal of real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster—the house is described in the listing as “truly exceptional and exciting.” Built in the late 1960s and updated through the years, the modern digs feature three bedrooms and four baths in just over 3,100 square feet of two-level living space boasting hardwood floors and soaring wood-beam ceilings throughout, plus sweeping valley and mountain views from every vantage point.

      Hidden down a lengthy semi-private drive off Mulholland Drive, atop a gated promontory parcel spanning a little over an acre, the white stucco and terra-cotta-roof structure is fronted by a motorcourt and an attached two-car garage. Once inside, highlights include a fireside living room, dining area and family room sitting adjacent to an eat-in kitchen outfitted with high-end stainless appliances.

      A primary bedroom off of the main level has a private terrace, as well as a luxe bath equipped with dual vanities, a window-topped spa tub and large glassy shower, while two downstairs bedrooms each have their own sitting rooms and share a bath. Elsewhere is an office and a media lounge, along with a secluded backyard hosting a lagoon-style pool, an al fresco dining spot and a built-in barbecue station.

      A native of South Africa, the 48-year-old actress first gained notoriety after appearing in the films The Devil’s Advocate, Mighty Joe Young and The Cider House Rules, and went on to win the Academy Award for Monster. Theron has since appeared in numerous movies and TV series, including North Country, Tully, Bombshell, The Italian Job and Atomic Blonde. Under Denver and Delilah Productions, she’s also produced The Burning Plain, Dark Places and Long Shot. More

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      in Vacation Homes

      Touchdown! Las Vegas Landlords Scored Big During the Super Bowl 

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      Super Bowl LVII was the most-watched of all time, with an average of 123.4 million viewers tuning in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs face off against the Philadelphia Eagles at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Of course, it didn’t hurt that pop superstar Taylor Swift was in town and in attendance. For those who got to catch the big game in person, it was one of the priciest ever, with an average ticket price of $8,600 and a tray of nachos that rang up to $60. Following suit, just about every short-term rental in the Las Vegas area saw bookings and rates skyrocket.

      For instance, Bryan Ercolano, CEO and founder of TurnKey Pads, a high-end vacation rental service, told The Wall Street Journal that, with the increase in demand for a place to stay, rates for the company’s units clocked in at around $30,000 a night. Typically, nightly rates for the same type of TurnKey units—usually four- to six-bedroom properties surrounding the Strip—would cost anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 per night. 

      At the start of this year, there were more than 6,600 single-family residences in the Las Vegas area that could be rented for as much as $427 per night, according to new data from AirDNA. The analytics firm also found that the Las Vegas area had over 6,300 entire apartment and condo units available in that same period, with average daily rates of $284 per night. During the Super Bowl, average rental costs jumped to $365, a 19 percent price increase compared to the weekend prior. However, out-of-towners weren’t saving much. Hotel prices, by comparison, were roughly $380, according to travel platform Hopper.

      Super Bowl LVII generated almost $6 million in additional revenue for the short-term rental market in Las Vegas.

      Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

      As a whole, the Super Bowl generated a $5.73 million boost in revenue for the short-term rental market, the WSJ reported. Hosts raked in $4.82 million from additional nights being booked and a hefty $908,780 from being able to charge higher rates due to demand. “The Super Bowl’s revenue is a smash success,” AirDNA economist Bram Gallagher told the newspaper.  

      Swift, who was in attendance and cheering on her tight-end boyfriend Travis Kelce, had a similar impact on the local economy when she touched down in Sin City for the Eras Tour back in March. The two-night concert brought in $1.6 million in short-term rental revenue for Las Vegas, while rates for March 24th and 25th increased to $316, a 10 percent uptick from the weekend before. “She has a very large-measure short-term rental effect wherever she goes,” Gallagher added. 

      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, dining, travel and topics…

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