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      in Luxury

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

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      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.

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      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.

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      in Luxury

      The House That ‘Grey’s’ Built: Shonda Rhimes Lists Her Los Angeles Mansion for $25 Million

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      It was only 2.5 years ago, after an exhaustive and exhausting five-year renovation and restoration, that television titan Shonda Rhimes wrote in Architectural Digest that her three young daughters “will grow up” and “become women” while living in the Los Angeles mansion she scooped up in early 2014 for $8.8 million from sitcom star Patricia Heaton. Indeed, she said loved the house.

      Ms. Rhimes, who just inked a new five-year deal with Netflix — it’s reportedly valued at about $150 million with built-in bonuses that could push her haul into the $300 million-400 million range, has since developed other plans because the designer-done mansion, sitting on nearly 1.25-acres along on one of the most prestigious streets in the tony Hancock Park neighborhood, has come for sale with a price tag of $25 million. Should the “Private Practice,” “Scandal” and “Bridgerton” creator get anywhere near her sky-high asking price — and it this white-hot ultra-luxury market it just might, it will obliterate the current neighborhood record for the highest price ever paid for a single-family home set last year when Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins’ lavish spread traded in a covert off-market deal valued at $19 million.

      According to Rhimes in A.D., she didn’t even particularly like the 1923 Elmer Grey-designed mansion when she first looked at it. In fact, she called it “an ugly, wrong house” with a wonky “Santa Barbara mission façade” and a “distinctly Italian” backside. She bought it anyways. She soon engaged the services of architect Bill Baldwin, who discovered photos of the original exterior that revealed the front façade was originally, like the rear, designed by Grey as an elegant Italianate villa. With the necessary approvals of the Office of Historic Resources — the estate is in a Historic Preservation Zone, a Chicago stonemason was brought into re-create “every detail of the original front exterior.” The results are undeniably flawless.

      White House decorator Michael S. Smith was tapped to do up the interiors in his signature style that Rhimes described as “classic California—if a little bit romantic.” Listings held by Ed Solorzano at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California show the nearly 12,000-square-foot estate offers a total of seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, plus four powder rooms.

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      The effervescence of the bougainvillea that balloons over the estate’s low perimeter wall is in contrast to the foyer’s elegantly understated — and heated! — gray-and-white checkerboard marble floor. Like the stonework on the front of the house, the honeycomb coffered ceiling in the living room was painstakingly re-created from original photos of the house.

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Several more gathering spaces on the main floor include a library with corner fireplace — Rhimes stores her vintage record collection (as well as an Emmy) in there — and an airy and light-filled double-height salon that spills out to the backyard through a series of arched French doors embellished with curlicued iron filigree.

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Gilded Chinese lanterns hang over the lustrously polished table in the formal dining room that comfortably seats fourteen, while the spacious eat-in kitchen, which Rhimes called her “dream kitchen” in A.D., is configured around a huge center island with white marble counters, a gigantic 60-inch range and black-and-white custom floor tiles. Extensive service quarters include a deluxe laundry room and a home office/crafts room.

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Just off the kitchen there’s a comfortably appointed family room and, in the basement, there’s a children’s playroom and a professional home theater with plush seating and snack bar.

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Five guest and family bedrooms, each with a private bath, are joined on the second floor by a homeowner’s retreat that comprises a bedroom with vaulted ceiling, fireplace and sitting area, as well as a boutique-style dressing room and an over-sized bathroom.

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      A courtyard enveloped in greenery separates the main house from a detached three-car garage topped by additional living space decked out as a private hair and makeup salon…perfect for someone who’s always walking red carpets and having her picture taken for magazines.

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Stone terraces give way to great sweeps of lawn bordered by lush and carefully clipped foliage.

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      The grounds additionally include a swimming pool with poolside cabana, a pickle ball court, a kitchen garden for growing herbs and vegetables, and a secret, boxwood-lined parterre garden with a fountain at its center.

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Cameron Carothers / Carothers Photo

      Rhimes, who 3.5-years ago paid $11.75 million for a two-bedroom penthouse pied-a-terre on New York City’s Park Avenue, has long made her home in and around Hancock Park where at one point she owned four homes.
      In 2010 she paid innovative indie musician Beck (Hansen) $5.6 million for an 8,200-square-foot manse she sold in 2019 for not quite $7.17 million to top L.A. real estate agent Matthew Altman, who now has the property for sale at a sliver under $9.2 million.
      Her neighborhood holdings still include a duplex she acquired 14 years ago for $1.66 million and a nearly 5,000-square-foot English Country manor house she scooped up in 2017 for a touch under $4.6 million. More

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      in Luxury

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

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      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.

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

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      “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

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      Robert Redford’s 30-Acre ‘Horse Whisperer’ Ranch in Utah Just Listed for $5 Million

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      Robert Redford is selling his 30-acre horse ranch near Sundance, the mountain resort he founded in Utah in the 1960s. The property, which is for sale for $4.9 million, is named Horse Whisper Ranch after the Oscar-nominated movie The Horse Whisperer, which Redford directed and starred in shortly after he bought the ranch in 1996.

      Redford, 84, will retain his main home in Sundance, according to Jaisa Bishop of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio, who holds the listing with Steve Mavromihalis of Compass. According to Bishop, Redford is consolidating his Utah properties and moving his horses—there are about a dozen, she says—to his 1,800-acre Sundance estate.

      About a dozen horses will be moved from Robert Redford’s Utah ranch to his Sundance estate. 

      Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

      After buying the ranch 25 years ago, Redford added more horse facilities and pasture, and worked to conserve the land, according to Bishop. Today, the rustic retreat on the banks of the Provo River, 15 miles north of Sundance and 50 miles east of Salt Lake City, is made up of a 100-year-old two-bedroom farmhouse, several spacious workshops and outbuildings, plus riding facilities including a hay barn, covered horse corrals and pastures. The main attraction—other than the celebrity sparkle—is the setting: a rural valley with views of the surrounding Wasatch Mountains.
      “For the last 25 years, my family and I have loved and embraced this ranch as a base for our horse program, running clinics and serving as a home for our many beloved horses,” Redford, who also owns property in California and New Mexico, told The Wall Street Journal. “Looking ahead, we want to focus on expanding the facilities at our ranch located at Sundance in nearby Provo Canyon,” he said.

      Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

      Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

      Redford first bought land in Utah in 1961, gradually expanding it until his success in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid enabled him to buy the entire Provo Canyon, which he proceeded to turn into the Sundance Mountain Resort, named after his starring role, partly to protect the land from more aggressive development. He launched the Sundance Film Festival there in 1981.

      The living room. 

      Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

      In December, he sold the 2,600-acre Sundance Resort to high-end hotel developers Broadreach Capital Partners, owners of the Rosewood Hotel chain and the Carlyle in New York, and Cedar Capital Partners, owners of the Savoy in London. Strict conservation commitments accompanied that sale, according to The Salt Lake Tribune, and the new owner of Horse Whisper Ranch will also face some restrictions. It would be possible to build a bigger residence than the current 1,460-square-foot house, but any buyer will have to agree to size limits, as yet unspecified. Redford and his family, said Bishop, want to ensure “there won’t be any large-scale development. Nature conservancy is so important to them; he is passionate about it.”

      A bedroom at the ranch. 

      Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

      The ranch has plenty of space for more extensive and advanced equestrian facilities, including arenas, according to Bishop, who expects interest from buyers who wish to “keep up the horseback-riding tradition.” The ranch, she said, is evocative of “the Old West,” just like a movie set.
      See more photos of the Utah ranch below:

      Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

      Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

      Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

      Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

      Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

      Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

      Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

      Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

      Photo: Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International

      Robert Redford’s Utah ranch 

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      The Lavish Mansion That Starred in Notorious BIG’s ‘Big Poppa’ Music Video Can Be Yours for $14 Million

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      A sprawling compound with an extensive filming resume on Long Island’s North Shore has just hit the market, offering music fans the opportunity to own an iconic piece of rap history. Known as Bellavista, the property sits on a whopping 16 acres in New York’s affluent Old Westbury suburb, which Bloomberg counts as being the 18th richest zip code in the entire United States.

      Central to both Manhattan and The Hamptons, the estate is located about 25 miles east of the former and 70 miles west of the latter. And, as the listing notes, there’s plenty of room for a helipad to be built on the premises for those seeking a quicker commute to either.

      Initially constructed as an Amish farm in 1868, the secluded site makes for quite the unique buy. The spacious grounds not only boast a 9,415-square-foot main residence that stands on a gated four acres but a fully operational 12-acre equestrian village with expansive lawns that includes seven legal cottages, as well! Considering the potential rental, riding and, of course, filming revenue, the listing represents an extraordinary opportunity to purchase a property with an abundance of built-in passive income – not to mention the set from an epochal music video. It was at the estate back in 1995 that The Notorious B.I.G. shot the famed video for “Big Poppa,” the groundbreaking second single from his premiere studio album, “Ready to Die.”

      A trophy property in every sense, the compound is being offered by Kristin Thomas of Compass for $13.9 million.

      The lush entryway and roundabout. 

      Tyler Sands

      Mediterranean in style, the handsome main residence contains seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms (six full, three half) spread across two floors. There is also a partially-finished 4,533-square-foot basement level with a dressing room, a fireplace, a nearly 300-square-foot cedar closet, multiple storage spaces and ten-foot ceilings.

      The bright and spacious home entrance. 

      Spotless Agency

      According to listing information, “The main house is reminiscent of European enclaves from Spain and Greece, constructed with solid white stone and terra cotta roof.  It was built in 1988 throughout a four-year ‘labor of love’ construction, flying in artisans and masters from Europe as well as highly respected Manhattan designers to create a dream house sparing no expense. Every inch was created with the highest level of quality, materials, and design. Today, it presents a buyer with an opportunity to bring their own vision to life, reimagining the finishes with more contemporary style throughout the smartly laid out floor plan.” As such, visual renderings of possible new design schematics have been provided by Compass, including the above of the entry foyer, where guests are currently welcomed via a dramatic space capped by a 36-foot ceiling with a sunroof.  Standing opposite the front doors is a grand bifurcated staircase complete with a balcony overlooking the expansive room. The remainder of the mansion features ten-foot ceilings throughout.

      The massive dining room with floor to ceiling windows. 

      Spotless Agency

      Amenities are plentiful at the estate. With boiserie and millwork galore, an impressive five fireplaces, four balconies, a formal dining room and a gym, the manse is not short on creature comforts or space.

      The updated kitchen with wooden floors and beams. 

      Spotless Agency

      Rounding out the living spaces are a den that opens to a wisteria-covered patio, formal living and family rooms (both with fireplaces) and a chef’s kitchen that is bigger than most New York apartments! An epicure’s delight, the cavernous space (pictured in a rendering above) currently features a granite island and countertops, oversized fridge and massive breakfast nook surrounded by a smattering of arched windows.

      The backyard pool amongst florals and cropped hedges. 

      Tyler Sands

      To the rear of the mansion is a 96-gallon swimming pool and attached jacuzzi, flanked by an outdoor kitchen and mature foliage of every size, shape and vibrant color. The grounds are bucolic and serene and, some might even say, hypnotizing.

      One of the outbuilding on the property. 

      Tyler Sands

      The charming Colonial-style equestrian village consists of myriad outbuildings including two barns, stables housing 29 stalls, two garages and six paddocks, most of which are original to the 1868 farm.

      A clip from the ‘Big Poppa’ music video. 

      Bad Boy Records

      The unique and extensive landscape provides ample backdrops and vistas for filming and, as such, the property has been a location manager favorite, appearing in more than 100 productions including movies, television shows, commercials and music videos.

      The stunning bathroom where ‘Big Poppa’ scenes were filmed. 

      Tyler Sands

      The Notorious B.I.G. and Bad Boy Records exec Sean “Diddy” Combs headed to the estate to shoot “Big Poppa” – more specifically to the property’s ornate main bathroom. It is while sitting in the massive tub, with its gilded swan-shaped faucets, amidst a trio of women and bubbles of both the champagne and soap variety, that Combs asks, “How you living Biggie Smalls?”, and he responds in his signature flow, “In mansion and Benzes, giving ends to my friends and it feels stupendous.” Indeed, taking a dip in that tub on a regular basis would feel stupendous.

      A screen capture of the entrance steps in the ‘Warning’ video. 

      Bad Boy Records

      Biggie and Combs also shot the video for “Warning” at the estate, with the latter taking up residence once again in the bathtub of the owners’ suite for the shoot. The rest of the mansion, including the foyer, appeared extensively in the video, as well.

      An outside shot of the Bellavista in a Junior M.A.F.I.A video. 

      Big Beat

      Biggie Smalls proved to be a B.I.G. fan of the property because he also filmed the video for Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Player’s Anthem” there, along with Lil’ Kim and Lil’ Cease.

      A clip of Kool G Rap in the marble tub within the manse. 

      Cold Chillin’/Epic Street

      Additionally, Kool G Rap made use of the main bathtub in his “Fast Life” music video. Talk about a famous tub!

      A view of the property in the 1998 action film “Scarred City.” 

      Alchemy

      Bellavista played the home of Raphael Soto (Lou Cantres) in the 1998 action film “Scarred City” (also known as “Scar City”).

      The entrance gates seen in a 2008 commercial starring Martha Stewart and Jim McCann. 

      1-800-Flowers

      In 2008, the manse’s front gate was used in a 1-800-Flowers commercial starring Martha Stewart and Jim McCann.

      A night shot of the mansion in the Martin Scorsese/Mick Jagger-created series “Vinyl.” 

      Warner Bros. Television Studios

      It popped up as the residence of radio station owner Frank ‘Buck’ Rogers (Andrew Dice Clay) in the pilot episode of the Martin Scorsese/Mick Jagger-created series “Vinyl,” which aired in 2016.

      An elaborately detailed scene from tv series, Madam Secretary within the mansion. 

      CBS Media Ventures

      And it portrayed a couple of different spots in the season three episode of “Madam Secretary” titled “The Detour,” including the Dakar, Senegal palace where Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) met with President Babacar Diome (Afemo Omilami), as well as Le Musée Togolais d’Art et dHistoire in Lomé, Togo, which Elizabeth and her team toured. More

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

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      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

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

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      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