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      Home of the Week: Tim Burton’s $27 Million London Home Has a Pool That Pops Up Into Screening Room

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      The glass-fronted Eglon House, in north London’s bohemian Primrose Hill neighborhood, looks straight out of the wild imagination of US-born film director Tim Burton.

      Sitting on the former site of a landmark recording studio, where the likes of David Bowie, Tina Turner and Pink Floyd made hits, this cavernous 13,154-square-foot live/work space is like a shimmering Art Deco glass jewelry box that’s been dropped into a sleepy, slightly gritty London back alley.

      Made up of two separate buildings linked by a subterranean level that has its own swimming pool and cinema, this cavernous, four-story, five-bedroom is nothing less than a modern masterpiece.

      The home’s architectural significance comes from its glass-block facades, inspired by the iconic “Maison de Verre” (house of glass) in Paris. Built in 1932 by the architect Pierre Chareau, the maison is still considered a blueprint for today’s work-at-home thinking.   

      The glass-block walls let light permeate the whole home. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      Which is reportedly what attracted Burton to Eglon House in 2016, just months after the home’s completion. The director had been commissioned by Disney to create a live-action remake of the animated classic Dumbo, starring Danny DeVito, Colin Farrell and Eva Green.
      Seems he used the home’s west wing as his film studio and personal living space, and the east wing to provide accommodations for his creative team. If there looks to be an over-abundance of closet space and dressing areas, this is why.

      The main dining area. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      Burton rented the residence until the film’s completion in 2019, which is when he transferred to a rambling north London mansion he bought, for $14 million, from Shirley Valentine actor Tom Conti.
      Anyone looking for a glamorous, elegant location for a London town home likely won’t find it with Eglon House. Rustic, nondescript metal gates off Primrose Hill’s Berkley Road open on to the slightly unkempt, cobbled cul-de-sac that’s Eglon Mews, and that sounds like just the sort of thing Burton might seek out.
      Originally used to provide horse stables for the once grander homes on surrounding streets, the Mews is currently a mishmash of 10 or so, now-pricey, two-story Victorian row homes.

      The subterranean space connects both wings of the house. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      Over the years, the buildings on the current site of Eglon House housed a shell-casing factory during the First World War, then a milk dairy, and more recently, the world-renowned Mayfair Recording Studios.

      Development of the site began in the late 1990s with leading London architects Chassay Last and design house Russell Sage Studios called in to create the property.
      A stone-tiled courtyard separates the two buildings and provides coveted off-street parking for a couple of cars—alas, even $27 million won’t buy you a garage to keep your Range Rover dry.

      The casual living and dining area. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      A stairway off the courtyard leads down into that vast, subterranean space with its 40-by-23-foot family room, a bar, sauna and steam room.
      Arguably the area’s piece de resistance is its swimming pool; at the touch of a button, the entire pool floor raises up to create a multi-use space. With a 10-foot wide LED screen nearby—naturally it’s waterproof—bring in a few sofas and it makes a perfect movie screening room.
      Take the winding staircase, or elevator, up to the first floor and in the west building lies the kitchen/breakfast space and dining room. Over on the east wing, you’ll fined a living room and garden room.

      The kitchen. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      The second floor comprises the huge, 2,000-square-foot primary suite on the west side, a bedroom and study to the east. The top floor on the west side is home to yet another expansive live/work area with its own outdoor terrace, and two more bedrooms eastside.
      Before Burton, 62, started his three-year rental, seems the developer/owner—he’s remaining anonymous—listed the property in late 2015 for £24m, or almost $30 million. With no takers, it was offered for rent at $161,000 a month.

      The stairwell. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      Now, six years on, leading London realtors Aston Chase has Eglon House listed for £20 million ($27 million).
      “Eglon House is a unique home without parallel in London,” says Mark Pollack, cofounding director with Aston Chase. “It is one of a kind, and represents a perfect opportunity for a discerning purchaser who values privacy and the ability to have flexible living/work accommodation.”

      One of five bedrooms. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      The master bath. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      The home office. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      The bar area. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      The indoor pool with its pop-up floor. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      The home makes the most of its terraces. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography

      The residence was once a shell-casing armory. 

      Photo: Tony Murray Photography More

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      Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Just Gave Their Beverly Hills Mansion a $6 Million Price Cut

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      You may already recognize this house from Chrissy Teigen’s social media posts and her cooking demos. But you might not have seen the entire spectacular eight-bedroom, nine-bath home. The place is nothing short of a design masterpiece, with only the best finishes and incredible attention to detail. This all makes sense, considering it’s owned by such stylish stars: Teigen and her musician husband, John Legend.

      The property was originally developed in 1966, but that first house is long gone, replaced by a more contemporary structure built by a developer before Rihanna purchased the estate. When Legend and Teigen took it over in 2016, they redid every bit of the interior with the help of designer Don Stewart, never cutting corners and always opting for top-of-the-line finishes. Take the solid brass doors to the dining room, which echo the stunning brass surrounds used on the fireplaces in the living room and the primary bedroom suite. Then there’s the teak ceiling they imported from Thailand and the marble Teuco soaking tub brought in from Italy.

      When the couple originally put the house up for sale last fall—they needed a home with more space for their growing family—it was listed for $23.95 million. They’ve since dropped the price to $17.95 million. Now, says broker Marshall Peck with Douglas Elliman, “This is the best deal in Beverly Hills. The finishes are just mind-blowing. And people are also blown away by the ceiling heights—33 feet in the living room—and 22 feet high in the master bedroom on the second floor. That’s just unheard of.”

      Chrissy Teigen and John Legend’s former Beverly Hills home. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The kitchen, naturally, is a showpiece, as it served as Teigen’s studio, with its blond wood cabinetry and unique waterfall-style marble countertops (a design mimicked for the vanity countertops in the primary suite’s bathroom). The oak floors were given a ceruse treatment (essentially a lime wash that brings out the wood’s grain). The cinema room has an incredible sound system and projector, and its cozy style will make you want to stay for a double feature. A home gym, a safe room and a massive playroom with ocean views round out some of the other special spaces within the house, each lovingly designed.
      But perhaps the most special space of all is the primary bedroom suite, with pocket doors that open wide to a private balcony that looks over the pool as well as Coldwater Canyon, all the way to downtown Los Angeles. “The view of the sunset from the master and from the living room at night is just magical,” says Peck. While the bedroom feels like a serene but stylish oasis—that fireplace!—its extra rooms really put it over the top in a good way. The “glam room” is perfect for hair and makeup to get camera ready, and a lovely place to relax in the massage chair. The bathroom has that incredible black marble tub with a view as well as a spacious double shower. But the piece de resistance within this suite are the substantial dual closets with their glass doors and lit display shelves. They look better than those in a Rodeo Drive boutique and, according to Peck, they took many months to get just right.

      The grand entryway with Legend’s piano on display. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The outdoors got a similarly luxe treatment. The couple spared no expense in building the heated saltwater pool, hot tub and wood deck, as well as an outdoor kitchen with a stunning shaded pavilion draped with grapevines. “It feels like you’re in Napa Valley” when you’re out there, says Peck. Lush plantings add to the feeling of a sanctuary. Located at the end of a lane, gated with security, the entire 0.84-acre estate feels private and far from the bustle of LA and the commercial district of Beverly Hills, though it’s just minutes away.

      The living room. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo

      The formal dining room has dramatic finishes. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The remodeled kitchen that starred in Teigen’s cooking demos. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The TV room, just off the kitchen. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The primary bedroom with a brass-fronted fireplace. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The primary suite’s bathroom with the marble tub imported from Italy. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo

      The walk-in closet. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      Plenty of room for shoes. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      Teigen’s walk-in closet. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The “glam” room for hair and makeup includes massage chairs. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo

      The kids’ playroom. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The screening room. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The personal fitness studio. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The outdoor terrace. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman

      The pool. 

      Photo: Anthony Barcelo/Douglas Elliman More

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      Twice KISS’d: Gene Simmons Just Relisted His Beverly Hills Mansion for $25 Million

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      Usually when a home is taken off the market and then relisted, the price gets a shave. Not in this case. Gene Simmons of KISS gave the asking price on his Beverly Hills mansion a $3 million hike, raising it from $22 million in October 2020 to $25 million this week.

      The property still has a house with over 13,000 square feet, seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, formal and informal dining rooms, office, bar and bonus room. Plus, the full-sized tennis court, parking for 30 cars and a pool with a 60-foot waterslide. So what’s changed?

      The estate got a few upgrades over the winter months. “We didn’t want anyone to come in and complain,” Simmons tells Robb Report. So they replaced some of the electrical, added a new roof system to prevent leaves from clogging the gutters, changed some remaining wood parts of the home to poured concrete and added more foliage. The five lead-lined safety rooms dotted throughout the house were also made more secure and easier for residents to access. “If a bad guy breaks in,” Simmons says, “he’ll never find you.” The estate also sits on nearly two acres, with lush greenery helping to keep it private.

      The home has four levels on one side and three on the other, meeting in the middle at the gorgeous great room with those tall windows on each side. On the lower level, there’s a six-car garage, a billiards room and a wine cellar, though the musician doesn’t drink. While one wing was used for meeting and his KISS museum memorabilia, he decided against building a music or recording room, instead opting to keep the place as an escape.

      The patio and pool. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      While Simmons and his wife, model-actor Shannon Tweed, bought the property in 1987, it didn’t always look so spectacular, but it did have a storied past. The home that was originally on-site was a 3,500-square-foot wooden farmhouse. “We flattened it and brought in tons of soil, spent close to $11 million sprucing up the place,” Simmons says.
      They bought the acreage from Irving Azoff, who went on to manage Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles. “The Eagles were put together on the property,” Simmons says. And before that, Nicholas Schenk, one of the original Hollywood moguls, used to keep his mistress at the estate.

      A regulation-size tennis court is on site. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The Simmonses gradually renovated it and completed the build on the estate’s current house in 2000. While the exterior of the home has plenty of drama with its enormous windows, dual staircases and multiple wings, inside, the vibe is less rockstar and more family-traditional, with a flair for comfort and simplicity (though admittedly on a grand scale) rather than excess. Much of which was showcased on their television show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels. 

      In October, when the couple first listed the Benedict Canyon place, it was said that they were moving to another residence they already owned in tax-free Washington state. But that is inaccurate—Simmons has never owned property there. And recently, there have been murmurings about Simmons and Tweed purchasing a house in a gated Malibu community, atop a secluded peak in the Santa Monica Mountains. Simmons is now setting the record straight—Tweed has purchased the house as a personal investment with her own money, but they do not plan to live there. She also bought a lakefront property in Whistler, Simmons says. The duo has apparently long kept their accounts, taxes, investments and business interests separate. “Good fences make good neighbors,” he says.

      The grand foyer. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      That said, the couple still plans to leave LA for a quieter lifestyle and escape the celebrity map listings and tour buses. “We’ve always loved LA, but you do have to deal with fires every year, every once in a while the ground shakes, and those tourist buses. Everything has its time,” Simmons says. “The house is too big for us. It’s just Shannon and myself and four dogs. The empty nest thing is happening.” They’re headed for neighboring Nevada. “In Nevada, we’re close enough. The kids have their homes here in LA. It’s just an hour flight.”
      He’s already purchased a 12,000-square-foot home there with an indoor swimming pool with slides and is considering buying an adjacent 90-acre parcel. What’s with all the slides? “If you’re going to entertain, some folks want to sip coffee but others want to swing from the chandeliers,” he says. “A home shouldn’t just be a home, but a place where you have parties and enjoy yourself.”
      The Beverly Hills listing remains in the hands of Million Dollar Listing brokers Matt and Josh Altman of the Altman Brothers for Douglas Elliman.

      Wide-plank flooring and incredible woodwork elevate the living room. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The home office. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The dining room. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The kitchen. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      Soaring windows let sunshine in, even to the upper floor. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The primary bedroom suite. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      Simmons’ Beverly Hills estate. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles

      The mansion has seven bedrooms and nine baths. 

      Photo: Christopher Amitrano and Marc Angeles More

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      Jerry Seinfeld Lists Both of His Colorado Mountain Retreats for $18 Million

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      Now that ski season is coming to a close, comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his wife, Jessica, have not one, but two Telluride, Colo., estates on the market. For the larger property—about 27 acres—and its house, they’re asking $14.95 million. For the smaller one—on a mere 17 acres with just a four-bedroom home—the price tag is $2.78 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. The second parcel will first be offered to the buyer of the main house. “It’s another spectacular home, says Compass listing agent Bill Fandel, surrounded by aspens and with dramatic views.

      This isn’t the first time the bigger residence has been on the market. In 2011, after a massive renovation, the 12,500-square-foot home was listed for $18.25 million but then was taken off the market. Now, with the price drop and buyers looking for secluded, resort-style retreats, the timing might be better. The home is being sold furnished, so you could enjoy the same view Seinfeld that did from the same leather recliner.

      The double-height windows let in the light. 

      Photo: Joshua Johnson

      The larger home has 11 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and a spacious kitchen suitable for feeding a full house with its commercial appliances, acres of countertop space and several dining areas. Done in a modern farmhouse style, warm wood paneling and reclaimed plank flooring pervades both the entertainment and private spaces, with beams crisscrossing the ceilings. The double-height living room has a massive stone fireplace, plenty of sunshine and views of Wilson Peak.
      A gym, yoga studio, lower level rec room with ping-pong and other games, a wine room, gear room for skis and other toys round out some of the amenities (alas, there’s no baseball diamond like the one at his Hamptons pad). The heated garage surprises by holding only four cars—Seinfeld is a known Porsche collector. But he does have other several other places to park that collection. But the garage also has a few bells and whistles for auto enthusiasts, including the ability to wash cars inside it, even in winter. Outside there’s a 5,500-square-foot deck and miles of manicured trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter and hiking, running and mountain biking in summer. The trails cross over Turkey Creek and lead into the abutting National Forest.

      A stone fireplace is the focal point (besides the view) for the living room. 

      Photo: Joshua Johnson

      Built in 1991, the home was purchased by the couple for $7.55 million in 2007, according to Fandel. It was originally built for a Hollywood director and was featured in Architectural Digest in 1994. When the Seinfelds bought it, Fandel says, “They completely reimagined and expanded the house.” The outdoor terraces are heated so they can be used year round. The cobblestone driveway is also heated to melt snow and ice. But unlike many other homes in ski towns, “it’s as good a summer house as it is a ski house,” Fandel says. “In some places the outdoor spaces and yards are overlooked, but not here.”  It’s located just 10 minutes from Telluride’s ski resort.

      In addition to the Colorado and Hamptons estates, the Seinfelds have bought and sold many properties in Manhattan, their home base, as well as in Los Angeles.

      The farmhouse-style kitchen
       

      Photo: Joshua Johnson

      A look at the whole shebang 

      Photo: Joshua Johnson More

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      Shaquille O’Neal’s Super-Size Florida Mansion Is Back on the Market for $16.5 Million

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      First listed in 2018 for $28 million, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal’s massive home in Windermere, Fla., was finally sold. But the deal fell through, and the palatial estate is now back on the market for $16.5 million, with a few key updates.

      Gone is the ginormous Shaq-sized round bed in the primary bedroom; added is an improved pool area, complete with a summer kitchen, as well as landscaping and minor cosmetic fixes, such as fresh coats of paint and exterior pressure washes.

      But the mansion remains as massive as ever at 31,000 square feet, with a 6,000-square-foot indoor basketball court, 12 bedrooms and 15 baths. Of course, everything about this home was done on a grand scale. The two-story great room alone is more than 1,100 square feet, with its glass walls looking out to the pool and tranquil Lake Butler. The formal dining room, with its handcrafted wood paneling and molding, seats 16. In the kitchen, there’s a Viking six-burner stove, two built-in Wolf steamers, a side-by-side Sub-Zero fridge and freezer plus a second glass-doored fridge and two double-door convection ovens.

      The outsized porte cochere at the home’s entrance 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      Also on the main level are some of the residence’s best amenities: a sound-proofed cinema room; a “gentleman’s room” with game tables, a wet bar, wine fridge and ice maker; a separate, enclosed cedar-planked humidor and wine storage; an aquarium room with a triangular saltwater fish tank; the guest wing with its five en suite bedrooms, great room and bar; and the basketball court.
      On the second level, the primary suite is a secluded retreat that takes up a full wing of the estate. The bedroom is 900 square feet and has a private balcony, a drop-down screen for the projector TV and a marble fireplace. The walk-in closet is actually four separate rooms with custom shelving and a center island. Dual bathrooms have jetted showers, and one has a two-person Jacuzzi tub. Four other en suite bedrooms are also on the second level.

      The great room 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      Shaq likes his cars, so there’s also a 17-car garage with an attached fitness studio. A second garage houses another nine dream machines, as well as a dance studio and an enclosed recording studio (where *NSYNC is rumored to have recorded some of their first songs).
      The property sits on three acres of land in Windermere’s gated neighborhood of Isleworth, a prestigious golfing community with its own string of lakes. It’s in the most secluded section of the neighborhood. While the common amenities offer a lot, so does Shaq’s place. He named his 95-foot pool Shaq-apulco, and it does feel like a private resort out on the terrace with the large hot tub and expansive outdoor kitchen. A tiki-style cabana overlooks the sandy beach on Lake Butler, and there’s 700 feet of lakefront. A dock and boat lift provide direct access to the water.

      The fully loaded kitchen 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      The NBA star is selling because he spends much more time in Atlanta these days with his job as a sports analyst for TNT, but he told listing agent Benjamin Hillman the things he’ll miss most about this mansion, which he built in 1990, are “those panoramic views of Lake Butler and the fun water activities like riding his wave runners through the chain of lakes in Windermere.”

      The family room 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      The games room 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      The home theater 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      The 44-foot-long home office 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      The huge primary bedroom 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      One of four rooms inside the master walk-in closet 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      The two-person jetted tub in the master bath 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      One of the other 11 bedrooms in the home 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      The indoor basketball court is wired for sound. 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      The dance studio and secondary garage 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      The 95-foot pool is 15 feet deep 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty

      Shaq named his pool area Shaq-apulco. 

      Photo: Christian Pestana Rodriguez/Premier Sotheby’s International Realty More

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      Home of the Week: Tom Cruise’s 320-Acre Winter Wonderland in Colorado Lists for $39.5 Million

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      Tom Cruise would like you to show him the money—$39.5 million, to be precise—before taking a tour of his spectacular 320-acre mountain-top Telluride lodge that the Jerry Maguire star has just listed.

      Finding a buyer for the sprawling compound has proved to be something of a mission impossible for Cruise, 58. He reportedly first privately listed the home back in 2014 for an eye-watering $59 million. With no takers, it quietly came off the market two years later.

      Now with the property market in this chic Colorado ski resort on fire, and the actor reportedly rarely visiting, he’s shaved the price by $20 million and listed it with LIV Sotheby’s International Realty in Telluride. Agents Eric Lavey  and Dan Dockray hold the listing.

      “It’s hard to express just how spectacular this property is,” Dockray tells Robb Report. “It offers the most breathtaking, awe-inspiring views you’ll ever see. It is so private and secluded, yet just minutes from the town of Telluride.”

      The front entrance to the home. 

      Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

      If the cedar-clad, 10,000-square-foot main lodge looks vaguely familiar, it’s where Cruise famously sat down for a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2008. You can still find it on YouTube.
      As Oprah says as she walks up to the house, gazing at the jagged peaks in the background: “I have never seen anything like this in my life. I swear I want to weep, it’s so beautiful.”
      No doubt inspired by the visit, seven years later Oprah paid $14 million for a five-bedroom Telluride cabin just down the mountain from the property, plus $10 million for a prime piece of land nearby that she’s currently developing.

      The kitchen has a wall of fridges. 

      Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

      Surrounded on three sides by national forest land, the Cruise home was, according to the listing, custom-built with privacy in mind. The secluded estate is accessed by a secure, gated entry and a snaking, mile-long driveway through groves of towering aspens.
      Despite its seclusion—the main house sits on an escarpment with panoramic views of the 13,000-foot-high, snow-capped Campbell Peak behind it—it’s only a 10-minute drive from downtown Telluride with its funky shops, restaurants and ski runs.

      The great room has stunning mountain views. 

      Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

      Cruise reportedly bought the first parcel of land in 1992 and spent the next two years working on the home’s design and overseeing the construction. It was completed in 1994. Yet, according to Dockray, it wasn’t until 2002 that the actor acquired all the land now included in the estate—five parcels in total—that make up the 320 acres.

      Clad in bleached cedar timber and native stone, the two-story main house has as its centerpiece a magical living room with a huge stone fireplace, exposed rough-hewn beams and wrap-around windows showcasing those million-dollar views.

      The dining room. 

      Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

      Close by is the family kitchen with industrial-grade appliances, a trio of fridges and a vast central island with twin sinks. Wooden steps lead up to a rustic dining room with stunning oversized, dove-tailed, timber-planked walls.
      A cozy den for movie watching—the new owner will definitely need a bigger TV —features overstuffed sofas and is lined with rustic bookshelves. Other spaces include a billiards room, library and gym. Upstairs are four ensuite bedrooms, and when guests stop by, the home has a stand-alone,1,700-square-foot, three-bedroom guest house.

      The cozy den. 

      Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

      Befitting an action-hero owner, the estate has been designed for outdoor fun. There are dirt bike and all-terrain vehicle trails and snowmobile tracks, along with a labyrinth of hiking and snow-shoeing paths.
      For aircraft-loving Cruise—his upcoming Top Gun: Maverick is set for a July 2 release—the home has added appeal in that its decks are high enough to be able to look down on the private jets flying in and out of Telluride airport. Naturally the estate has its own helipad.

      The billiards room. 

      Courtesy Joshua Johnson for LIV Sotheby’s International Realty

      In recent years, Cruise is believed to have off-loaded many of his trophy properties in Beverly Hills, New York and England to focus on a penthouse in Clearwater, Fla. Close to the headquarters of Scientology, where the actor is a devout follower, the condo is part of a building designed by Mexican property developer and major Scientology donor Moises Agami.
      The penthouse takes up the ninth and tenth floors of The SkyView tower and is said to feature a 39-foot rooftop infinity pool, a private car elevator and a passageway leading to a smaller condo with a flight simulator, office and gym. More

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      Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi List Their Sprawling Beverly Hills Estate for $53.5 Million

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      Buckle up, buttercups, because they’re at it again … officially. Last year rumors ran rampant in Platinum Triangle real estate circles that veteran daytime chat show host Ellen DeGeneres and Arrested Development actor Portia de Rossi, two of showbiz’s most prolific buyers and sellers of high-end homes, were willing to discreetly show their 1933 English Tudor mansion in Beverly Hills to prequalified buyers undeterred by an asking price widely whispered to have been in the neighborhood of $58 million.

      Apparently there were no takers at that by-every-standard prodigious price because the elegantly proportioned and newly rehabbed manse is now on the open market with Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency with a considerably lower but still jaw-dropping $53.5 million price tag. Not counting carrying costs, improvement expenses and real estate fees, the house-flipping Hollywood power couple hopes to haul in an eight-figure profit on the deluxe estate they picked up not quite two years ago for $42.5 million from Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine and fashion model Behati Prinsloo.
      Set behind gates on just over an acre of park-like grounds, the sprawling manse has had an illustrious string of owners over the last couple of decades. In 2008 tennis icon Pete Sampras sold the estate for not quite $17 million — more than twice the $8.3 million he paid in 2002 — to “Will & Grace” co-creator Max Mutchnick and entertainment attorney Erik Hyman. The whole shebang was subjected to a sophisticated overhaul and photographed for Elle Décor before it was sold on to Levine and Prinsloo in a 2018 off-market deal valued at a tad more than $33.9 million. So the scuttlebutt goes, Levine and Prinsloo almost immediately caught an incurable case of real estate fickle. They quickly arranged a profitable off-market deal and sold to DeGeneres and de Rossi, for $42.5 million, in favor of an even more expansive compound in Pacific Palisades that they picked up for nearly $32 million from divorced Tinseltowners Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck.
      Listings indicate the lavish house was comprehensively renovated by DeGeneres and de Rossi and unsurprisingly incorporates state-of-the-art security, lighting and A/V systems. Between the three-story main house and detached guesthouse that is nipped away behind the kitchen and service wing atop the three-car garage with a huge private terrace overlooking the park-like grounds, there are a total of five bedrooms and nine bathrooms throughout its more than 10,300 square feet.

      Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s Beverly Hills mansion 

      A double-gated drive curves up to the front of the imposing, ivy-encrusted residence where an elevated porch and steel-trimmed leaded glass door lead to a fully paneled double-height foyer painted an eye-searing bright white that is, thankfully, offset by dark-brown reclaimed wood floorboards laid in an ever-classy chevron pattern.
      Realtor.com

      The living room stretches to fifty feet long and, like the foyer, employs bright white walls as a neutral backdrop for the home’s collection of artworks and designer furnishings. Steel-trimmed windows on opposite walls off the ballroom-sized space ensure plenty of light at all hours of the day, and the simple fireplace overmounted by a recessed flat-screen TV makes the room functional for both formal and casual entertaining.
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      The capacious dining hall, also painted white, features unusually minimalistic lighting and includes a large niche with wet bar, while a more intimately scaled libray/office features jet-black paneled walls and an angled fireplace trimmed in copper.
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      The family kitchen is spacious, modern and expensively up to date with bespoke flat-fronted wood cabinetry, a commercial-grade walk-in fridge and an industrial-sized range surrounded in shimmery stainless steel. A casual adjoining dining area overlooks the motor court.
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      A wide doorway allows for a relaxed relationship between the family kitchen and a cozily scaled TV lounge that flows through another wide doorway into a sunroom wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows.
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      Extensive service quarters behind the kitchen connect to the garage and include a separate, stainless-steel catering kitchen accented by white tile backsplashes.
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      Tucked down on the lower level, where it opens to the stone patio that surrounds the pool, a plush screening room is done up in a monochromatic steel-grey color scheme and offers a sumptuous, deep-cushioned sectional sofa, plus a separate concession area complete with lounge and powder room.
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      Guest bedrooms are all en suite, and the primary suite privately occupies an entire wing of the upper level with two enviably big dressing rooms, a huge terrace and a spa-worthy bathroom. Brass and glass doors connect the main bath’s dressing area to a huge circular shower and bathing space housed in a whitewashed brick turret that overlooks the backyard.

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      A picturesquely lighted stone plaza outside the kitchen and sunroom includes an outdoor kitchen complete with pizza oven and a tree-shaded fire pit carved from a solid block of stone.
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      A graveled outdoor dining area framed by a quartet of carefully pruned, lollipop-like trees overlooks a lower patio with a classic Old Hollywood style oval-shaped swimming pool.
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      Thick hedges and mature plantings help to obscure the sunken tennis court that boasts lights for night-time matches and a raised pavilion for spectators. The grounds additionally include a tree-shaded glade with rolling lawns and lush gardens.
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      DeGeneres and de Rossi are world famous for their frequent buying and selling of ultra-expensive real estate — often in and around the Montecito area, as well as in the more expensive zip codes across Los Angeles — and they rarely hang on to a home for more than a year or two. So, it’s not at all a surprise to property gossips that the perennially itchy-footed couple have chosen to sell their pristine Beverly Hills estate so soon after they bought it. It’s just what they do.
      Last year alone they made a heady handful of deals. They sold a historic Tudor home in the heart of Montecito to Ariana Grande for $6.75 million, nearly twice the $3.6 million they paid less than five months earlier; they flipped a $29 million Tuscan-style estate at a $2 million profit after less than a month of ownership; and they sold an ultra-luxe Bali-inspired compound for $33.3 million, a small fortune above the $27 million they paid not quite two years prior. Along the way they made a not-so-clandestine $49 million off-market deal to acquire a vast Montecito estate from Saturday Night Live alum turned multimedia host and conservative political commentator Dennis Miller, though few think they’ll hang on to it for long. We shall see. Stay tuned. More