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      Melanie Martinez’s Stylish Los Angeles Retreat Is Up for Grabs

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      Now that she’s upgraded into a sprawling Mediterranean-style property in Topanga Canyon, an unincorporated Los Angeles neighborhood tucked into the remote hills between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley, Melanie Martinez has unsurprisingly put her custom-built equestrian spread in the prestigious guard-gated Bell Canyon community due north of Calabasas up for sale.

      Records show the singer, songwriter and producer—who first gained fame as a contestant on The Voice in 2012 at just 16 years old, and subsequently blossomed into a “pop star plucked from the imagination of Dr. Seuss”—doled out $3.1 million over the summer for her new home, which has three bedrooms and four baths in a little more than 3,300 square feet of living space.

      Martinez recently paid $3.1 million for this gated estate in semi-remote Topanga Canyon.

      Google Earth

      Meanwhile, the other place she paid $2.1 million for in an August 2022 bidding war is already up for sale at $2.85 million.

      Resting behind a gated brick driveway, amid a heavily wooded parcel spanning almost an acre, the creamy stucco and wood-trimmed structure was custom built in 1979. Stylishly updated during Martinez’s short tenure, the two-story house features four bedrooms and a matching number of baths in 3,420 square feet of open-concept living space adorned throughout with hardwood floors, high ceilings, arched doorways and detailed woodwork.

      Set behind gates and a private brick driveway, the custom-built home draws heavy inspiration from French Normandy architecture.

      Lacey Wood Photography

      Especially standing out is a portico entryway that opens into an eye-catching foyer displaying a vaulted ceiling and staircase. From there, steps descend to a living room sporting a stone fireplace, wall of windows and wet bar, while a family room boasting a two-way white brick fireplace connects to a “completely reimagined” kitchen outfitted with an eat-in island and top-tier stainless appliances. Elsewhere are an office space and a dining room topped by a wrought-iron chandelier.

      Upstairs, the spacious primary bedroom is showcased by a sitting area, walk-in closet, and spa-like bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and separate shower; and outdoors, the secluded backyard hosts a sundeck-encased pool and spa flanked by a barbecue and kitchen setup with a fireplace, along with a covered terrace ideal for al fresco entertaining. There’s also a barn with three horse stalls, as well as a motorcourt and an attached three-car garage out front.

      The formal living room is highlighted by an exposed-beam ceiling, a bay window and floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace incorporating built-in shelving.

      Lacey Wood Photography

      Listed by Steve Clark of Backbeat Homes, the Bell Canyon property also comes with a $280-per-month HOA fee that provides the new owner with access to the community’s clubhouse and fitness center, tennis courts, and hiking, biking and horse trails.

      Now 28, the New York native is signed to Atlantic Records, through which she released her debut single and EP Dollhouse. The eccentric, visually oriented musician followed that up with the studio albums Cry Baby and K-12 (with an accompanying film), and the EP After School. Most recently, Martinez released Portals, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

      Click here for more photos of Melanie Martinez’s Bell Canyon house.

      Lacey Wood Photography More

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      A Tech CEO’s Oceanfront Florida Mansion Is Up for Grabs at Nearly $22 Million

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      After barely two years of ownership, Mike Tuchen has decided to hoist his Florida estate on an exclusive Hillsboro Beach barrier island in northeast Broward County back on the market. The San Francisco-based tech executive is asking a smidge under $22 million for the waterfront spread, which rests on almost three-quarters of an acre of land tucked between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway.

      The CEO of Onfido, a global provider of identity and verification services, and his wife Sarasina purchased the property from Russian casino owner Maxim Smolentsev for almost $17 million in spring 2021. Built and designed in 2009 by Everton Development, the stately pink and white-trimmed structure offers five bedrooms and 10 baths spread across nearly 11,000 square feet of chic living space adorned throughout with a mix of marble and dark hardwood floors, decoratively trimmed walls and high wood-beam ceilings.

      The home is located on a barrier island known as “Millionaire’s Mile,” between the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean.

      The Carroll Group

      “This trophy estate represents the pinnacle of coastal living, offering the best of both worlds overlooking a pristine beach on one side and the Intracoastal with a boat dock on the other,” says listing agent Chad Carroll of The Carroll Group at Compass. “The property offers everything one could ever need; from prime location and gated privacy to immaculate design and incredible amenities, the level of luxury is incomparable.”

      Sited in the sought-after “Millionaire’s Mile” community, about 20 minutes north of Fort Lauderdale, the three-story structure boasts numerous amenities, including a club room, golf simulator, bar, wine cellar and gym. There’s also a spacious five-car garage, plus 100 feet of waterfront footage on the Intracoastal sporting a 70-foot dock and 30,000-pound boat lift.

      A cozy fireside club room is the ideal spot for entertaining guests.

      The Carroll Group

      Especially standing out inside is an entry foyer flanked by recessed wall niches. From there, a living room with a fireplace is highlighted by sliding glass doors spilling outside, a formal dining room has a built-in buffet, and a gourmet kitchen is outfitted with an eat-in island and top-tier stainless appliances. An adjacent dining area connects to a family room, while a posh upstairs master retreat is tricked out with a sitting room, private balconies, and a luxe bath flaunting a soaking tub and separate rainfall shower.

      Outdoors, the palm-laced grounds are showcased by Italian marble terraces a summer kitchen, and pool and spa abutting a grassy lawn and lounging patio, along with steps leading directly to the beach below.

      A set of steps leads directly to the beach below.

      The Carroll Group

      Per property records, the Tuchens also maintain an ocean-view residence in Pebble Beach, Calif., that they paid $6 million for a little more than six years ago, back in winter 2017.

      Click here for more photos of Mike Tuchen’s Florida house.

      The Carroll Group More

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      Michelle Pfeiffer Pays $10 Million for a Sophisticated L.A. Estate on the Palisades Riviera

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      It’s no secret that Michelle Pfeiffer and her television producer husband David E. Kelley have a thing for the posh Westside of Los Angeles. The couple has bought and sold a number of homes there over the past few years, frequently at eye-popping prices. Two years ago, they inked a widely publicized deal to sell a Pacific Palisades mansion for $25 million to the ex-wife of a major TikTok investor. And way back in 2005, they sold a palatial Brentwood home for $18 million to its current owner—Disney CEO Bob Iger.

      Now the serial house flippers are at it again; records indicate they’ve ponied up $10.6 million to acquire a house located in a particularly prime pocket of the so-called Pacific Palisades Riviera. The 7,600-square-foot mansion happens to sit right next door to Bill Cosby’s longtime L.A. home, and it’s also sugar-borrowing distance from the lavish estates of Steven Spielberg, Sugar Ray Leonard and Dan Castellaneta.

      Built in 1993, the Mediterranean-inspired mansion last sold in 1995 for $2.8 million to legendary winemaker Al Scheid, who died in the house earlier this year. Kelley and Pfeiffer were eager to secure the keys to their very beige new castle, as they paid some $130,000 over the Scheid family’s initial asking price.

      The flat 0.38-acre lot is defined by the exceptionally tall trees that ring its perimeter; they dominate the front motorcourt, which is double-gated and features an attached three-car garage. Arched double front doors open into a grand formal entryway highlighted by a sweeping staircase. To the right of the foyer lies a fireplace-equipped living room brightened by multi-pane windows.

      Many of the other rooms are pleasingly luxurious ’90s decorative throwbacks, including the family room—with its granite-topped wet bar and burled hardwood floors—and the kitchen, which spills out into “an informal secondary family room,” per the listing. Upstairs are four of the home’s five bedrooms, all of them decked out in wall-to-wall carpeting. The supersized primary suite features a fireplace, dual closets, a sitting area and a private balcony overlooking the grassy yard.

      Out back, a vine-draped loggia hosts an outdoor dining patio, while terracotta tile steps lead down to rectangular swimming pool shaded by manicured hedgerows and multiple palm trees.

      Pfeiffer and Kelley also have ties to this smaller Palisades home, currently for sale at $7.4 million.

      Open House Foto

      Records also indicate that this is not the only Pacific Palisades property Pfeiffer and Kelley currently own. They’ve also got a far smaller and older house elsewhere in the neighborhood, which happens to be currently up for grabs at $7.4 million. The couple quietly bought that 1940s place in late 2021, paying $6.9 million. More

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      Rodney Dangerfield’s Widow Relists Snazzy Art Deco Home in L.A. at New Lower Price

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      This property surely deserves more respect! Almost nine months after it first hit the market with a nearly $18 million price tag, Joan Dangerfield’s contemporary art deco residence in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles has lingered on the market with no takers. But now it’s popped up for sale again, this time with freshly staged interiors, updated listing photos, a new agent and substantially reduced $17 million ask.

      The widow of legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who passed away in 2004 due to heart surgery complications, plucked up the premises some 18 years ago for $6.25 million. She recently told The Wall Street Journal, “I stepped 3 feet into the house and I knew it was the place for me…It swept me away.”

      So why hasn’t the estate sold? Though it’s comparably priced with other homes in the area, perhaps one reason is because the full-price offers she has received to date have included complicated contingencies, per WSJ, such as requiring her to provide seller financing. “I figured it would sell in a week, but didn’t quite work out that way,” she has said, adding that it’s been a shock “to just watch it sit there on the market.”

      The two-story structure has been described in previous listings as a “rarified art deco contemporary home.”

      Built in 2004, and designed by John Andrews Group Architects, the two-story white structure features four bedrooms and six baths in around 5,400 square feet of living space boasting floor-to-ceiling walls of glass providing jetliner views stretching from Downtown L.A. to the ocean and Catalina Island.

      Tucked securely away behind lush greenery, on a corner parcel spanning over a quarter-acre of land on the coveted front row of the Bird Streets enclave of L.A., the dwelling is accessed via a gated driveway that empties out at a spacious motorcourt flanked by a two-car garage. A striking art deco-inspired entryway then opens via a glassy front door into a double-height foyer, which displays a circular skylight sporting a dangling chandelier and curving wrought-iron staircase heading up to the primary living area.

      A central living room is accented by a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows framing picturesque vistas.

      From there, a fireside living room is lined with retractable glass doors opening seamlessly to a backyard decked out with an infinity-edge pool and spa nestled alongside a fire-pit and bust of Dangerfield himself, plus a terrazzo-clad patio ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining; and other highlights include a formal dining room, as well as a sleekly designed gourmet kitchen outfitted with top-tier stainless appliances, a center island and breakfast nook bathed in natural sunlight.

      Sequestered off by itself is a massive primary bedroom suite, which comes complete with a fireplace, “boutique-worthy” closet, and luxe bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and an oversized shower. Rounding it all out down below: a plush movie theater and direct access to the attached garage.

      The listing is held by Aaron Kirman of AKG | Christie’s International Real Estate.

      Click here for more photos of Joan Dangerfield’s House. More

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      Fashion Designer Gigi Caruso Spends $9.5 Million on a Dreamy California Home

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      She’s just 23 years old, but Gianna “Gigi” Caruso is already the CEO and founder of a successful clothing company with the sort of finger-on-the-collective-pulse clout many more established apparel moguls would kill to have. Founded in 2017, Caruso’s Gigi C swimwear line is a pricey hit, with her $200 bikini sets having racked up a host of celebrity fans that include Eva Longoria, January Jones, Selma Blair and Elizabeth Banks. And it’s no wonder that the brand’s continued growth, coupled with its owner’s chic personal style, has turned Caruso a popular social media influencer.

      Of course, it’s also worth noting that Caruso is the only daughter of Rick Caruso, the high-profile real estate developer and onetime L.A. mayoral candidate who has built and owns some of the country’s most successful shopping malls. The elder Caruso’s personal net worth tops $5.3 billion, per Forbes.

      So it’s hardly a surprise that Gigi Caruso can afford some very nice things. The recent USC grad recently forked out $9.5 million for a stunningly refined house in prime Pacific Palisades, the seaside neighborhood well known for the upscale, and Rick Caruso-developed, Palisades Village outdoor shopping area.

      The 100-year-old heritage olive trees arguably upstage the elegant house itself.

      Built in 2007 but extensively renovated in 2019, the contemporary quasi-Spanish-Mediterranean villa was in demand, with Caruso ponying up $30,000 over the asking price just to secure the keys. Gnarled, century-old olive tees line the long private driveway, which is guarded by an electronic gate and butts up against an attached two-car garage. Also on tap outside are tranquil gardens and a private studio space ideal for the at-home artist.

      Inside, the long and narrow house packs a generous seven bedrooms and seven baths into nearly 6,000 square feet of sun-drenched living space. Medium brown hardwood floors neatly contrast against the pale decor, a neutral palette filled mostly with whites and some pops of light gray.

      The main floor features numerous sets of French doors and multiple fireplaces.

      On the main floor are dual fireplaces and a dizzying number of open living and dining areas, plus two guest bedrooms and a fashionably updated chef’s kitchen. Upstairs is the primary suite, where a private balcony overlooks the lush backyard, along with four additional family bedrooms.

      Out back, the 0.33-acre lot is defined by its oversized swimming pool, which neatly connects the main house to a detached casita. Guests will enjoy dining al fresco amid the manicured gardens, along with a built-in bbq center and a separate lounge area with a fire pit overlooking impressive canyon views.

      Privately surrounded by hedges and eucalyptus trees, the backyard is a resort-style sanctuary.

      Records reveal the seller home’s was James Barker, a trucking mogul and private equity veteran who recently paid $16.5 million to upgrade into a significantly larger and more lavish estate elsewhere in the Palisades. As for Caruso, she’s certainly not new to the area. Her parents have long owned one of the largest properties in L.A.’s Brentwood Park community; Vanity Fair recently described the palatial Caruso family estate as “a creamy Italianate compound of rolling grasses, waterfalls, a pond, a rowboat, a tennis court, and an outdoor bar.” More

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      Joe Francis’s Parents Quietly Sell Their Ocean-View Mansion in SoCal for $25 Million

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      Though it was never officially on the market, a lavish Laguna Beach residence long owned by businessman Raymond Francis and his wife Maria, the parents of Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis, has sold to a neighbor for $25 million, a large number for Orange County’s guard-gated Emerald Bay enclave and among the biggest sums ever paid for an Emerald Bay home without direct beach access.

      Records show the buyer is veteran mortgage lender/entrepreneur Evan M. Stone—cofounder and CEO of Champions Funding, a provider of non-traditional mortgage financing services—who also purchased a smaller Emerald Bay home last summer, paying $8.5 million. Stone also serves as chairman of Community Savings Bank, as well as a co-owner and partner of Rep 1, a sports agency for pro athletes such as Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff that was recently acquired by Excel Sports Management.

      The Francises paid $2.2 million for the Emerald Bay property some 27 years ago, back in May 1996, before completely leveling and rebuilding an existing home on the site. Completed in 2007, and resting on a nearly quarter-acre parcel, the resort-like abode features five bedrooms and seven baths spread across almost 7,600 square feet of two-level living space overlooking sweeping views of the Pacific coastline and surrounding bluffs.

      Upon entry, a glamorous living room is warmed by a floor-to-ceiling fireplace and crowned with a massive chandelier.

      Once inside, the interiors are decked out with high coffered ceilings, bespoke millwork, ornate stair railings, hand-crafted chandeliers and clerestory windows. Posh amenities range from two wood-paneled offices and a wine-tasting chamber, to a seated wet bar, screening room and sauna-equipped gym.

      Additional highlights include formal living and dining rooms, plus a gourmet kitchen outfitted with custom cabinetry, stone countertops, a center island, top-tier stainless appliances, a butler’s pantry and an accompanying breakfast nook. There’s also a sumptuous master retreat, which sports a fireplace, sliding glass doors opening to a private ocean-facing patio, a walk-in closet, and spa-inspired bath boasting dual vanities, a dressing area, soaking tub and separate shower.

      Several rooms in the house open to terraces offering up picturesque ocean vistas.

      Outdoors, the landscaped grounds host numerous terraces adorned with fire features, along with a fountain, built-in barbecue and putting green. Rounding it all out: an attached two-car garage, plus an $8,200 annual HOA fee allowing Emerald Bay residents access to a private beach, junior Olympic-size pool, tennis courts, parks and playgrounds.

      The listing was held by Tim Smith of Coldwell Banker Realty; Maura Short and Michelle Cormier of Compass repped the buyer.

      Click here for more photos of 145 Emerald Bay. More

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      An MTV Founder Snaps Up a Stunning 1970s Time Capsule in Santa Monica for $8 Million

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      Looking for a real estate throwback? Check out this fun and funky—but still remarkably luxurious and searingly expensive—house on the Westside of Los Angeles. Situated mid-block on what has long been considered one of Santa Monica‘s most prestigious streets, the property boasts panoramic views that sweep from the mountains to the sea. Neighbors include Paul Attanasio, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, and Steve Jobs’s sister Mona Simpson.

      The well-positioned house just sold for $7.9 million to John Sykes, a veteran entertainment industry executive who co-founded MTV and has been iHeartMedia’s president of entertainment enterprises for over a decade. Sykes, 68, is also the former president of VH1 and the current chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.

      Built in 1941 and expanded in the late 1940s, the offbeat traditional-style house sold in 1972 for just $150,000. Those lucky buyers held onto the property for 50 years, selling it last fall for exactly $9 million to a non-famous L.A. family. But unfortunately for them, that family appears to have had a change of heart — nine months later, the house was back on the market, asking $9.5 million. After a big price reduction, Sykes came along and negotiated an even deeper discount.

      The 1970s-throwback interiors will have you hooked on a feeling.

      Inside, there are five bedrooms and five baths in just under 4,000 square feet. And nearly every inch of those square feet is a 1970s time capsule, with wood paneling galore, groovy wet bars, charmingly outdated wallpaper and a smattering of pastel colors setting the beat. Dozens of oversized windows scattered throughout the house flood the place with natural light, while sliding glass doors allow ocean breezes to waft inside and back out.

      Speaking of outside, the backyard definitely dates to a bygone era but is remarkably well maintained — much like the home itself. The generous half-acre lot includes grassy lawns, mature palm trees, a towering hedge wall for privacy, and a large swimming pool encircled by a patio sure to delight sunbathers and entertainers alike. Also on tap are rose gardens, flowering bunches of bougainvillea and an attached two-car garage.

      Per the listing, “the property yearns for one to bring it back to all of its glory or reimagine the lot,” so it seems likely the estate will be altered considerably in the coming months and years.

      No word yet regarding what exactly Sykes and his wife Laurie plan to do with their new West Coast outpost, or whether they plan to eventually make the spread their main residence, but records reveal the couple has long owned a compound that sits less than 50 yards from the beach in New York’s posh East Hampton neighborhood.

      Click here for more photos of John Sykes’s new Santa Monica house. More

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      YouTuber Cody Ko’s Cozy Oceanfront Beach House in Malibu Resurfaces for $3.7 Million

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      Now that Cody Ko has had a few months to settle into Reese Witherspoon’s former vacation home resting in the foothills just above Malibu’s Zuma Beach, the popular YouTuber/podcaster and his fellow influencer wife Kelsey Kreppel are doubling down on their efforts to unload the oceanfront getaway in the far western reaches of the same city that they’ve shared since winter 2021. First listed for a smidge under $4 million, the house just popped up for sale again, this time with a reduced $3.7 million asking price.

      Purchased by Ko for $3.6 million barely two years ago, back in winter 2021, the dwelling was built in the early 1970s and has since been extensively renovated. Nestled within a gated community right next to a contemporary Ed Niles-designed mansion that’s currently listed for nearly $60 million, the property includes a two-bedroom, two-bath main house, plus a detached guesthouse with its own bedroom and bath, for a total of almost 1,800 square feet of living space offering sweeping coastline views stretching from the Channel Islands to Catalina.

      An open-air courtyard separating the main home and guesthouse is spotlighted by a custom-built fireplace.

      As for the main two-story home, highlights include a living room displaying a floor-to-ceiling stacked-stone fireplace and glass doors spilling out to a covered wood deck overlooking the Pacific. Also standing out on the bottom floor is a small yet sleekly designed kitchen, which comes complete with granite countertops, top-tier stainless appliances and an accompanying dining area.

      The primary bedroom has wall-to-wall windows framing picturesque ocean vistas.

      Two en-suite bedrooms can be found on the upper level, including a glass-lined master retreat sporting a luxe bath equipped with a snazzy vanity and soaking tub/shower combo; and rounding it all out is the aforementioned guesthouse, which is separated from the primary home by an open-air courtyard warmed by another large fireplace. There’s also access to two sandy beaches, outdoor sport courts and deeded parking for four vehicles courtesy of a $740 per month fee.

      Homeowners enjoy access to a half basketball court on the premises.

      Born in Canada, Ko is probably best known for co-hosting the award-winning Tiny Meat Gang podcast with longtime friend Noel Miller, while Los Angeles native Kreppel is a former preschool teacher who now vlogs about fashion, owns her own fashion and accessories line, and hosts the Circle Time podcast.

      The pair—who collaborate on certain series like Couples Cringe—were wed earlier this year, and picked up a 1.8-acre Malibu estate for $7.7 million in April from Meg Haney—the Tennessee-born daughter of Chattanooga real estate billionaire Franklin Haney—who purchased the spread from Witherspoon and ex-husband Jim Toth for $6.7 million back in 2020. Ko and Kreppel also recently sold their architectural compound in Venice’s Silver Triangle for the exact asking price of $4.3 million. 

      The listing is held by Eric Haskell and Billy Rose of The Agency.

      Click here for more photos of Cody Ko’s Malibu beach house. More