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    Geena Davis Lists Her Mediterranean-Style LA Villa for $6 Million

    The living room fireplace will leave you slack-jawed and open-mouthed. There, stretching from floor to ceiling, is Bacchus, the hedonistic god of wine, with mouth agape, doing double duty as a fireplace.
    The quirky plaster fresco, with its ring of sharp incisors, wild hair and flared nostrils, is a guaranteed conversation stopper, or maybe starter—especially with flames flickering from a roaring fire.

    The origins of this funky, over-sized wall decoration aren’t clear, but it certainly reflects the playful character of the home’s owner, actor and two-time Academy Award winner, Geena Davis, star of the beloved 1991 road flick Thelma & Louise.

    Davis, 64, has lived in this five-bedroom, 5,146-square-foot Mediterranean-style villa for the past 13 years, splashing out  $4.19 million for it in 2007, shortly after wrapping up her run in the hit TV series Commander in Chief, which won her a Golden Globe for Best Actress.
    Built in 1999, the home sits on a 17,000-square-foot lot on a quiet, tucked-way cul-de-sac in leafy Pacific Palisades, a stone’s throw from the western end of Sunset Boulevard and a quick drive down to the beaches, Pacific Coast Highway and Santa Monica.
    Here there’s no guarded entry, no security gates or imposing fences; it’s just a peaceful, somewhat unassuming house on a street, with a low, rustic, wood-framed fence separating home and sidewalk.
    The front of the barrel-tile-roofed villa is dominated by three side-by-side garages and arched front door with masses of bougainvillea decorating the façade.
    The covered patios look out over lush gardens.  Photo: Lee Manning

    The front door leads straight into a foyer with views ahead to Bacchus in full yawn. The Spanish influence is seen in the lovely colored tiles on the floor, white-washed walls and soaring vaulted ceilings with imposing arches.
    Off the living room is a casual dining room with French doors leading out to a secluded, tree-shrouded, covered terrace. Close by is the recently remodeled kitchen with its large central island, gray-green stone countertops and backsplash, white cabinets and gorgeous mosaic tiles behind the gas range.
    The first floor is also home to two of the five bedrooms, each with its own distinct character. We love the quirky Japanese room with its painted wall featuring Katsushika Hokusai’s iconic Great Wave off Kanagawa, whimsically countered by a surfboard mounted on the wall.

    The newly remodeled kitchen.  Photo: Lee Manning

    The rear garden is the home’s secret hideaway, with its shady vine-covered pergolas and terraces leading down to a grille and dining area, lovely rose garden and lawn. But one surprising omission—especially for an A-list Hollywood star’s home with a $6 million price tag—no swimming pool, though there’s certainly space to dig one. And the private beach clubs along the nearby Pacific Ocean are a short bike ride away.
    Upstairs are three of the five bedrooms, which include the spacious owner’s hideaway. It features a stunning vaulted-ceiling, gnarled wood beams, gorgeous fireplace with hand-painted tile surround.
    French doors lead out to a private terrace with a wrought-iron balustrade and views over the lush gardens. Just off the master is a cozy sitting room with its wall of built-in bookcases.
    The dining room.  Photo: Lee Manning

    The master suite also comes with dual bathrooms and walk-in closets and a light-filled private office/study. The highlight of one of the bathrooms is the free-standing, shiny-chrome bathtub.
    “This is a very special offering filled with romance and charm in a fabulous Palisades location,” says listing agent David Offer, of Berkshire Hathaway HomeService California Properties.
    What Offer is reluctant to reveal, however, is the location of the home’s key safety feature—a fortified panic room.
    There’s no word either on why Davis is parting with her longtime home. Perhaps it has to do with her recent split from her husband or there’s a can’t-miss upgrade on the horizon—with a pool. But look for the actor on the silver screen in upcoming feature films Ava and Cowgirl’s Last Ride.
    The owner’s hideaway.  Photo: Lee Manning

    The master suite’s study.  Photo: Lee Manning

    The master bath and soaking tub.  Photo: Lee Manning

    The home office.  Photo: Lee Manning

    One of five bedrooms in the home.  Photo: Lee Manning

    The unassuming front entrance.  Photo: Lee Manning

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    Susan Sarandon’s Massive NYC Loft Has 60 Feet of Windows. It Can Be Yours for $7.9 Million.

    The coolest room in Thelma & Louise star Susan Sarandon’s huge five-bedroom, 6,000-square-foot Manhattan duplex, might just be the smallest one.
    Painted a vibrant cobalt blue, the so-called “Academy Award bath” is the teeny guest bathroom where Sarandon, 73, displays her considerable trove of awards.
    From her Oscar for Dead Man Walking to her Screen Actors Guild award to her Glamour Woman of the Year accolade—they’re here. And taking pride of place there above the loo is the gold disc that commemorates her starring role in the 1975 classic Rocky Horror Picture Show.

    After living in this sprawling duplex for the past 29 years, Sarandon says it’s now time to let it go. With her kids grown and gone, the place is now too big. She’s priced it at a relatively modest $7.9 million, and when she sells, she plans to downsize to a smaller condo nearby.
    The native New Yorker bought the home in 1991 with former partner, actor and Bill Durham costar, Tim Robbins. When the couple split in 2011, she took over ownership.
    The “Academy Award bathroom.”  Photo: Courtesy of Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

    Located in the nine-story La Fabrique building at 147 West 15th Street, between Chelsea and Greenwich Village, the former commercial structure was constructed in 1923 and converted into condos around 1987.
    Sarandon and Robbins originally purchased the eighth-floor unit, later acquiring the apartment below and combining the two into a vast space connected by a sweeping staircase.
    The informal family performance space.  Photo: Courtesy of Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

    A key-locked private elevator whisks you to the eighth floor and opens into a truly massive living space dominated by almost 60 feet of windows. Stark-white walls and ceilings together with light-wood flooring only add to the airy, spacious feel of the entire condo.
    In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Sarandon called the room “The Field” because of its sheer size, and described how her children, along with a variety of actor and musician friends, would perform there, with the room’s curved, bleacher-like staircase doubling as audience seating.
    The dining area and kitchen.  Photo: Courtesy of Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

    On this floor is also the open kitchen, with its grand island and bar-stool seating. Close by is a large dining area with views of the Manhattan skyline through floor-to-ceiling glass, a sunken media lounge and a cozy den with a wood-burning fireplace.

    The library.  Photo: Courtesy of Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

    In the huge corner library, which according to the listing, could easily be converted into a sixth bedroom, jaw-descending views stretch to the east and south, across to Union Square and the Con Edison skyscraper and over to the One World Trade Center.
    The cozy den.  Photo: Courtesy of Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

    The main bedroom on this floor enjoys commanding views of the towering Empire State building. The suite comes with a stand-alone soaking tub positioned in front of glass doors leading out on to a private balcony.
    The master bedroom has a private terrace.  Photo: Courtesy of Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

    With no shortage of living space on this eighth floor, Sarandon reportedly used the floor below as huge private guest quarters. A staircase leads down into the space, with its three bedrooms, family room, a second kitchen, and its piece de resistance, a 45-foot-long terrace with more magnificent views of city landmarks.
    One of the home’s five bedrooms.  Photo: Courtesy of Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

    Throughout the two floors there’s an industrial vibe created by exposed sprinkler pipework, the free-standing iron radiators and deep-beamed ceilings.
    The master bath.  Photo: Courtesy of Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

    As for that quirky “Academy Award” bathroom, Sarandon told the Journal she thought it fun to keep the “gongs” in the smallest room. “When people come out, I expect them to be laughing, but they don’t say a thing. Maybe they think I’m taking it seriously.”
    The sitting room.  Photo: Courtesy of Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

    Selling the property will no doubt be bittersweet for the movie legend and passionate activist. “We saw the towers fall on 9/11, and we saw the sun rise again the next day,” she recalls.
    Realtors Nikki Field and Mara Flash Blum, of Sotheby’s International Realty, are the listing agents. More

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    Designer Vince Camuto’s Spectacular French Chateau-Style Mansion in Connecticut Is Heading to Auction

    Last listed for $26.6 million, the spectacular 13-bedroom Greenwich mansion goes under the virtual hammer next month.
    The lovingly restored French chateau-like estate owned by the late fashion designer Vince Camuto—he cofounded shoe brand Nine West and sold it in 1999 for $900 million—is being auctioned off at no reserve.
    Built in 1927, the 16,300-square-foot Chateau Ridge in Greenwich’s tony Round Hill enclave will be sold through a Concierge Auctions no-reserve online sale. Bidding kicks off Wednesday August 12 and ends Saturday August 15.

    Camuto and his wife Louise rescued the dilapidated manor in 1984 and proceeded to lavish a small fortune on its restoration. They commissioned builder-to-the-stars Jimmy Xhema—last year he restored Tommy and Dee Hilfiger’s 1939 Greenwich mansion—to do the work.
    The result was nothing less than spectacular. Highlights include a beamed Great Hall that stretches 91 feet, and the so-called Constellation Room that features a 40-foot-high domed ceiling with fiber-optic stars to replicate the night sky on Camuto’s birth date, June 4, 1936.
    Avid collectors, the Camutos filled the place to overflowing with an array of 17th and 18th century European treasures.
    The pool at the late Vince Camuto’s Greenwich chateau.  Photo: Courtesy of Concierge Auctions

    Take the master suite—the listing describes it as a “master sanctuary”— which features an oval sitting room and private study lined with the work of 17th-century English master-carver Grinling Gibbons. For the dressing room there’s a jaw-dropping hall of mirrors with miles of ornate gold-leaf plasterwork.
    The formal gardens.  Photo: Courtesy of Concierge Auctions

    On the manicured grounds—the estate covers 4.66 acres—there’s a two-story stone tennis house alongside the Har-Tru clay court. The magnificent sunken swimming pool with its arched columns features a poolhouse, grotto and spa. Close by, there’s a luxurious two-bedroom guest house, and five detached garages with space for seven cars. The list of highlights is seemingly endless.
    The house was built in 1927.  Photo: Courtesy of Concierge Auctions

    The main house itself looks like it was plucked straight out of 17th century French Renaissance Normandy, with its steeply-pitched roofs, stone facing, mullioned windows and towering chimneys.
    Camuto died in January 2015 at the age of 78, and the estate is being sold by his wife and business partner, Louise, who acted as creative director of the Camuto Group. In 2014 the group had an estimated worth of $1 billion. It was sold in 2018 to footwear chain DSW.

    The starry domed ceiling of the sitting room.  Photo: Courtesy of Concierge Auctions

    Following Camuto’s death, his wife was tasked with selling the couple’s other project, the sprawling 15-acre, 20,000-square-foot Hamptons waterfront estate called Villa Maria. Like Chateau Ridge, it was bought in a dilapidated state and meticulously restored by the couple.
    The kitchen.  Photo: Courtesy of Concierge Auctions

    After being first listed in 2008 for a staggering $100 million, Villa Maria  languished for a decade unsold, eventually selling for $49 million two years ago.
    One of the dining rooms.  Photo: Courtesy of Concierge Auctions

    As for Chateau Ridge, Swedish-born Louise Camuto—she was a former Miss Sweden—describes the massive home as “cozy and welcoming.”
    The family room.  Photo: Courtesy of Concierge Auctions

    “I think this house is extraordinary. No one is not going to find another house like that has the same quality of craftsmanship,” she says. “It is so beautifully made. It’s a house that makes you feel welcome and warm.”
    The grand hallway with its carved ceilings.  Photo: Courtesy of Concierge Auctions

    What price it ends up selling for is anyone’s guess. All we know is that according to Zillow, the estate first listed for $25 million in July 2017 and was reduced to $18 million two years ago. It was eventually taken off the market in November last year and, perhaps with an auction in mind, returned this past May with that elevated $26.5 million asking.
    The covered patio.  Photo: Courtesy of Concierge Auctions

    The auction itself is being held on ConciergeAuctions.com in cooperation with Shelly Tretter Lynch and Kimberly Johnson of Compass Real Estate who held the original listing. Click here if you fancy waving that digital paddle. More

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    Golf Great Greg Norman Lists His 12,000-Acre Colorado Ranch for $40 Million

    The Shark is getting serious. Golf legend and serial entrepreneur Greg Norman is now laser-focused on selling his treasured 12,000-acre Colorado spread, Seven Lakes Ranch.
    Originally listed for $55 million as far back as 2011, and after excursions on and off the market ever since, the price is now down to a nice, round $40 million.

    “That original price was to say to any prospective buyer, ‘Hey, if you want it at that level, great. If not, that’s fine with me,’ But now it’s time. Time to move on,” the 65-year-old World Golf Hall of Famer tells Robb Report.

    He’s just re-listed it with Colorado big-ranch specialists Hall and Hall, and tasked the realtor’s big gun, Hall and Hall director and partner Brian Smith, with finding a buyer.
    “I’ve had a place in Colorado for 20 years. Had Seven Lakes since 2004. It’s been an amazing property for all the family to enjoy. And we really have made use of it. But now it’s a case of been there, done that. It’s time for someone else to enjoy it.”
    Norman, whose primary residence is in Jupiter, Fla., says he fell in love with Colorado’s Meeker Valley, 90 miles from Steamboat Springs, back in the late 1990s when he was commissioned to design a golf course in the area.
    While he ended up convincing the developer not to go ahead, he connected with the region so much he bought the 8,350-acre Dry Creek Ranch. Soon after, he expanded the property by acquiring the neighboring 3,000-acre Pollard Ranch.
    Greg Norman’s Colorado ranch.  Photo: Shawn O’Connor Photography

    And when billionaire investor Henry Kravis, cofounder of KKR & Co. decided to sell his adjoining 244-acre spread in 2004, Norman didn’t hesitate, acquiring the land along with its massive 14,000-square-foot stone-and-log lodge.
    Since then the combined 11,900-acre Seven Lakes Ranch has been a year-round escape for Norman, his wife Kristen, and the ever-expanding Norman family.
    The dining room.  Photo: Shawn O’Connor Photography

    “Ten years ago, we started spending the entire summer out there. Then we’d go back in the winter. Now it’s probably 10 or 11 weeks a year,” says the golfer and CEO of The Greg Norman Company, which has 13 divisions and interests from sports clothing to fine wine to Wagyu beef jerky.
    There’s enough room for the extended family.  Photo: Shawn O’Connor Photography

    The big appeal? The setting. Located in the White River Valley of Colorado’s Flat Tops Mountains, the ranch is a mecca for outdoor pursuits. From trout fishing in the two miles of the White River that runs through the property, to hiking and biking along the 80-or-so miles of trails and roads, to horse riding, clay shooting and hunting.

    The cowboy saloon.  Photo: Shawn O’Connor Photography

    “My wife and I love to ride horses, doing trail rides for three or four days at a time, and camping overnight. I grew up in the Australian Outback so I’ve always had an affinity with the outdoors.”
    The kids’ bunk room.  Photo: Shawn O’Connor Photography

    The sprawling lakefront lodge has eight guest suites, a huge great room with a 30-foot-high vaulted ceiling and towering stone fireplace, a kitschy cowboy saloon and dance hall, a movie screening room with horse saddles for seats and a commercial-grade kitchen.
    A bedroom in the log-built part of the lodge.  Photo: Shawn O’Connor Photography

    Built in 1993 by Gordon Pierce, of Resort Design Architects who helped design Vail Village, the massive structure used more than 500 logs in its construction, each up to 45-feet in length and trucked in from Montana.
    One of eight bedrooms.  Photo: Shawn O’Connor Photography

    When Kravis owned it, it had been used as a high-end sportsman’s retreat with room rates going for as much as $15,000 per week.
    Greg Norman and wife Kristen love to ride.  Photo: Shawn O’Connor Photography

    “We did think about using it as a business venture,” Norman says. “With all its outdoor activities, it really would make a terrific executive retreat. But family use always came first.”
    The massive screened-in deck.  Photo: Shawn O’Connor Photography

    One of several outbuildings on the property.  Photo: Shawn O’Connor Photography More

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    Home of the Week: Brigitte Bardot’s Former French Riviera Retreat Lists for $6.5 Million

    When sultry French actor and model Brigitte Bardot split from her film director husband Roger Vadim in 1957, she needed a sanctuary to escape the paparazzi.
    The then 24-year-old found it at Le Castelet, a villa on the Côte d’Azur, up in the hills behind Cannes, with views of the earthy-red Esterél Mountains and the blue, blue Mediterranean.

    Legend has it that she planned to buy the estate and call it home. That was until Bardot’s mother persuaded her to buy a less expensive villa “with a foot in the sea” in a sleepy fishing village called St. Tropez. The rest, as they say, is history.

    Now the owner of Le Castelet, Swedish economist Bi Puranen, is selling the estate for $6.48 million after running it as a boutique hotel—weekly high-season rates start at $15,000—after acquiring it 22 years ago.
    “Brigitte Bardot came to stay at Le Castelet in the spring of 1958, to the enjoyment of many young boys in the village,” explains Puranen in the hotel’s brochure. “One neighbor told us they climbed trees and walls along the alley to get a glimpse of the film star by the pool.” Maybe that’s another reason she sought out a different villa in once-sleepy St. Tropez.
    The guest villa and pool.  Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate

    Perched on a 1.46-acre hillside bluff a short croissant run from the quaint Provençal village of Peymeinade, the estate features a 6,458-square-foot, eight-bedroom main house and a separate five-bedroom guest house.
    Within its tall stone perimeter walls, the estate has two swimming pools, three vineyards, an olive grove, artist’s studio, boules court and a traditional bastide stone tower. Plus a massive poolside terrace with a table big enough to host 60 guests for dinner.
    The salon.  Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate

    While the main buildings date back to the 1800s, parts of the stone walls are from the 1200s. After “rescuing” the estate in 1998, Puranen spent more than 13 years restoring and modernizing the rambling, now air-conditioned, property while preserving its historic character.
    The covered terrace dining and lounge area.  Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate

    Inside the four-story main house, with its barrel-tile roof, exposed stonework, copper gutters and traditional jalousie shutters, it’s all rough-hewn beams, white plaster and stonework. The main living area has 12-foot ceilings, features a Louis XIV fireplace, ornate wrought-iron staircase and towering arched glass doors leading out on to a terrace.

    Views stretch to the sea from the master suite.  Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate

    The rustic country kitchen blends old with new, combining a state-of-the-art Le Cornue range with wall tiles from medieval Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
    The tower’s staircase to the master suite.  Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate

    A staircase inside that circular tower leads up to the second floor with its charming master suite. It comes with an adjoining library, a bathroom with ancient handmade tiles from Avignon and glass doors leading out on to a private terrace.
    But it’s the grounds of Le Castelet that set the property apart. Two tiers of enormous stone decks are perfect for al fresco entertaining.
    The upper deck, where Bardot basked in the sun, now features a serene Japanese reflection pool. Elegant stone steps lead down to a recently-added 75-foot-long infinity pool with underwater speakers.
    Another of the villa’s 13 bedrooms.  Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate

    On this deck are two huge covered loggias with an outdoor kitchen and pizza oven, along with a 150-inch drop-down screen—perfect for showing Bardot’s And God Created Woman, a 1956 classic.   
    The separate five-bedroom guest house has its own 60-foot heated pool. Tucked out of sight is a stone cabanon, or cabin. With its fireplace, Bang & Olufsen sound system and comfy sofa, it makes the perfect hideaway for that sunset glass of wine.
    Another living room.  Photo: Courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate

    From here you can gaze out over the three vineyards growing Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and the local Mourvedre grapes.  Or across to the ancient olive grove with more than 100 trees.
    As for the location, Le Castelet is a 35-minute drive from Cannes.
    Michaël Zingraf Real Estate, part of Christie’s International, holds the listing. More

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    Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez Just Bought a $1.4 Million Home in Encino

    Though they need another house like a pigeon needs dance classes, records reveal showbiz power couple Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have just paid nearly $1.4 million for a property in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley enclave of Encino, the once-overlooked neighborhood that’s recently seen a massive surge in popularity with suburban-minded celebrities. (Deeds and documents suggest the home in question was purchased, technically speaking, solely by Lopez.)
    While the self-proclaimed real estate lovers have differing design aesthetics — “[Alex] is more on the modern, masculine side,” according to Lopez, while the “Hustlers” star strays closer to traditional — they’ll both appreciate this home’s decor, which offers an appealing blend of contemporary and retro furnishings in a midcentury ranch-style layout.

    J.Lo and A-Rod’s new residential acquisition spans a relatively modest 2,200 square feet and is far more humble than the couple’s many other houses, suggesting it was either purchased for a lucky relative or as an investment. Built in 1948 and since extensively renovated, the red tile-roofed structure is of indeterminate architectural heritage but includes modern amenities aplenty.
    The home’s spacious, modern bathroom.  Courtesy of Realtor.com

    There’s cream-colored stucco on the single-story home’s exterior walls, while the front door opens into a vast combo living/dining room with wide-plank hardwood floors, pure white walls and recessed LED lighting. The dining side of the room sports a vaulted wood ceiling that’s stained a deep charcoal color for contrast, as does the den, which includes a fireplace with wooden mantle.
    Installed this year, the all-new open kitchen features ash grey cabinets, a center island and medium-grade stainless appliances. French doors connect the kitchen directly to a covered patio, where there’s plenty of space for an alfresco living or dining room and views of the detached garage, accessed via a discreet gated driveway on the property’s backside. Tucked behind the garage is a hidden — and unpermitted — 200 sq. ft. office, perfect for privacy while working from home.
    The house also offers two guest bedrooms that together share a large guest bathroom, plus a master retreat with dual closets, one of them a walk-in situation. A freshly renovated bath contains dual vanities, soaking tub and glass-enclosed shower.

    One of the home’s airy bedrooms.  Courtesy of Realtor.com

    Outdoors, the .13-acre corner lot property is landscaped simply, with a handful of drought-tolerant plantings and faux grass for carefree maintenance, while the desirable location means the house is just a quick jaunt to a wide variety of Valley restaurants and shopping destinations.
    Besides their new Encino cottage, Lopez and Rodriguez continue to maintain a very A-list collection of prime real estate that includes a gorgeous compound in Bel Air — purchased by Lopez for $28 million — a Hamptons estate, a $20 million penthouse in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood, and a fixer-upper oceanfront home in Malibu the couple bought from Jeremy Piven in 2018 and later hired HGTV star Joanna Gaines to renovate. And A-Rod still owns his spectacular Miami mansion, a custom-built Coral Gables contemporary that was photographed in 2017 for Architectural Digest.
    Tim Gavin of Keller Williams held the listing; Carl Gambino of Compass repped Lopez. See more photos of the home below:
    Courtesy of Realtor.com

    Courtesy of Realtor.com

    Courtesy of Realtor.com

    Courtesy of Realtor.com More

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    13 Spectacular Hamptons Summer Houses That Are Still Available to Rent

    Courtesy of Douglas Elliman New Yorkers, anxious at the best of times, are having an especially angst-ridden year. For those free from health or employment woes, What-To-Do-About-Summer has been a mounting source of anxiety—especially for working parents facing months without camps or nannies. The classic Hamptons rental season, bookended by the Memorial and Labor Day […] More

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    Home of the Week: Inside The Weeknd’s Gorgeous $25 Million LA Mansion and Its Neon-Lit Car Garage

    You could call it the ultimate Weeknd getaway. Nestled in the celebrity enclave of Hidden Hills, north of the Los Angeles sprawl, this sleek, farmhouse-style mansion has been home to Canadian music sensation Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, for the past three years. Tesfaye, 30, who was featured on the cover of Forbes […] More