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      in Luxury

      Following a Multimillion-Dollar Restoration, L.A.’s Historic Almidor Estate Has Hit the Market

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      Traditionally, the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles has not been known as a haven for beautiful and historic architecture. But one particular property might singlehandedly change everyone’s mind — it’s a Spanish Colonial Revival build in Woodland Hills known as “Almidor, the John Show Ranch estate,” originally constructed in 1928 and designed by architect L.G. Knipe.

      The 1920s valley was largely farmland, and Almidor certainly harkens back to that past. The 6,000-square-foot house was originally the centerpiece of a 350-acre ranch comprised largely of citrus and walnut trees. These days, Woodland Hills and the communities surrounding it are prototypical examples of suburban sprawl, and Almidor now sits on just a little over 1-acre of land. But the house and what remains of the grounds have lost none of their charm, having been expertly restored by current owners Gwilym and Peggy McGrew.

      The McGrews acquired the property in a 2002 probate sale, paying just $485,000, and have now put the revitalized estate back up for sale at $5 million. That’s a big number for Woodland Hills, but a peek at the stunning amenities and the ask starts to seem like a bargain.

      The step-down living room features original stained glass windows.

      gavin cater

      Invisible from the street behind gates and enormous trees, the house is accessed via two steep driveways that meet at a motorcourt. From there, it’s a walk up a long flight of stairs to the home’s arched façade, which covers a porch overlooking stunning gardens and a fountain.

      Inside, guests will be awed by the double-height foyer, which displays forged iron work, original tile floors and a grand staircase. Also on tap are a living room with original stained-glass windows and a decorative fireplace, a large den equipped with its own wet bar, and a library decked out in a particularly verdant shade of green. Perhaps the one interior surprise is the kitchen, which appears distinctly more modern than the rest of the home but nonetheless still packs in many charming original details — in addition to the stone countertops and high-end Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances demanded by today’s luxury homebuyers.

      All four of the home’s bedrooms are located upstairs, and each are equipped with ample closet space or dressing rooms. Out back, there are two distinct patio areas — an upper deck with a BBQ center, fire-pit and al fresco dining area, and a lower deck for sunbathing by the pool. As an added bonus, the property was recently upgraded with a new roof, new electrical wiring and the installation of a new triple-zone HVAC system. Benjamin Kahle of Compass holds the listing.

      Click here for more photos of Almidor, the John Show estate. More

    • 163 Shares129 Views

      in Luxury

      Elizabeth Perkins Has Her Los Angeles Home on the Market for $2.7 Million

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      About a year after Elizabeth Perkins took on the role of desperate, unhappy suburban housewife Celia Hodes in the cult favorite, late 2000s series Weeds, which garnered her three Emmy nominations, the veteran actress purchased her own suburban home in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley that’s just popped up for sale for $2.7 million.  

      Sitting on a corner lot of about one-fifth of an acre and partly concealed by mature trees and a tall hedge, the almost 3,400-square-foot Sherman Oaks home was built in a Spanish Mediterranean Revival style, with chalk-white stucco walls and a red clay tile roof. A secured, grassy courtyard entrance leads to the front door of the five-bedroom and four-bath family-friendly home.

      The living room showcases an elaborately tiled fireplace.

      Todd Goodman / LA Light for Sotheby’s International Realty

      Interior spaces feature dark, rich wood trim and casings, hardwood and travertine flooring, decorative wainscoting, soft arches, and vaulted and coved ceilings, while the home’s two fireplaces, one in the living room and the other in the main bedroom upstairs, have been colorfully tiled in hand-cut and hand-painted ceramic and glass tile work. 

      Complementing the adjoining living and dining rooms at the front of the house, a great room at the back incorporates a family room that spills out to the backyard, a spacious kitchen arranged around a granite-topped island, and an informal dining spot set into a bay window overlooking the pool and backyard.

      One of the smaller bedrooms is on the main floor, making it suitable as a home office or nanny suite, and the primary bedroom is on the second floor and offers a private balcony, a sleek bathroom with an oversized shower, and two walk-in closets.

      A large covered patio overlooks the swimming pool.

      Todd Goodman / LA Light for Sotheby’s International Realty

      A spacious ramada offers plenty of space for relaxing out of the heat of the sun in the backyard, and cumulous plumes of foliage provide privacy from the neighbors. There’s a fire bowl in one corner, and the kidney-shaped pool, surrounded by lawn, is trimmed in flagstone.

      The veteran actress, whose dozens of film and TV credits include Big (1988), The Doctor (1991), Sharp Objects (2018), and, most recently, Minx, and her husband, Argentinian-born cinematographer Julio Macat,” whose handiwork includes the 1990s film franchise Home Alone, purchased the then brand-spanking-new home in 2006 for not quite $1.5 million, according to tax records.

      The listing is held by Michael J. Okun of Sotheby’s International Realty, Sherman Oaks Brokerage.

      Click here for more photos of Elizabeth Perkins’s home.

      Todd Goodman / LA Light for Sotheby’s International Realty More

    • 125 Shares179 Views

      in Luxury

      Meghan Trainor’s L.A. Farmhouse Hits the Market for $2.4 Million

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      Meghan Trainor is cleaning house yet again. A little over two years after she sold a Toluca Lake estate to Modern Family star Julie Bowen for $6 million, the Grammy-winning singer has decided to offload another one of her Los Angeles property holdings. This time it’s a charming single-story farmhouse in the Valley Village neighborhood, listed for a smidge under $2.4 million.

      Purchased by Trainor for just $1.7 million in December 2016—shortly after it was newly built, and before she married Spy Kids actor Daryl Sabara—the single-story home rests on less than a quarter-acre parcel of land protected by security cameras. Inside, four bedrooms and four baths are spread across a little more than 3,400 square feet of open-concept living space boasting high ceilings, European wide-plan oak floors, Lutron lighting and surround sound throughout.

      Fronted by a grassy lawn and an attached two-car garage, the white wood-shingled structure is highlighted by a gourmet kitchen accented with custom cabinetry, an eat-in island, stainless appliances and an adjoining dining area, plus a family room displaying a gas fireplace flanked by custom built-in shelving and accordion-style glass doors spilling out to a covered patio.

      Elsewhere is a formal living room and luxe primary bedroom sporting a walk-in closet, as well as a spa-inspired bath equipped with dual vanities, a soaking tub and large rainfall shower. Per the listing held by Justin Paul Huchel of Carolwood Estates, the fenced backyard also has a large grassy area with more than enough room for a pool.

      Though she’s owned this house for nearly seven years, Trainor reportedly never made it her main residence. She currently lives in the upscale L.A. neighborhood of Encino, where back in 2020 she and Sabara splashed out $6.6 million for a glitzy mansion. More

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Nicollette Sheridan Is Selling Her French Country-Style Estate in SoCal

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      A sprawling Hidden Hills estate long owned by veteran film and TV actress Nicollette Sheridan has just popped up for sale with a nearly $16 million asking price—or almost $12 million more than the Desperate Housewives star and her ex-fiancé Michael Bolton paid Melissa Etheridge and wife Tammy Lynn Michaels for the place around 15 years ago, back in spring 2008.

      Originally built in the late 1970s and extensively updated through the years, the San Fernando Valley spread is “elegantly designed in Country French style,” per the listing, which is held by Mark S. Gruskin and Stephen Shapiro of Westside Estate Agency.

      Nestled behind a lengthy gated driveway, on an almost 4-acre hilltop parcel of land surrounded by equestrian amenities and riding trails, the ivy-clad structure has six bedrooms and seven baths in 7,500 square feet of living space punctuated throughout by vaulted wood-beam ceilings, and a mix of limestone and wide-plank French oak floors.

      Also on tap are plenty of snazzy amenities—a wine closet, tennis court, gym, freeform pool and raised spa, an outdoor kitchen boasting a pizza oven imported from Italy, and high-tech Control4, Nest, Ring and Aqua Link systems, just for starters.

      A seated wet bar and floor-to-ceiling fireplace hold court in the inviting family room.

      Marcelo Lagos

      Other standout features include formal living and dining rooms with French doors spilling out to a covered patio, plus a wet bar-equipped family room warmed by a fireplace. An adjoining gourmet kitchen sports Calacatta marble countertops, a central island, top-tier Viking and Sub-Zero appliances (including two built-in refrigerators), a windowed breakfast nook with built-in banquette seating, and butler and silver pantries.

      There’s also a wood-paneled office and an additional lounge area on the upper level, as well as a sumptuous primary bedroom that comes complete with a fireplace, sitting area, walk-in closet, and luxe bath hosting a pedestal spa tub, steam shower and sauna; and rounding it all out is a separate guest suite with its own stairway entrance, three-car garage and hefty monthly $1,132 HOA fee just for the privilege of calling the exclusive enclave home.

      In addition to a pool and spa, the grassy backyard hosts an outdoor kitchen equipped with a pizza oven imported from Italy.

      Marcelo Lagos

      The England-born actress, 59, began her career as a fashion model before landing her first TV acting job in the short-lived ABC drama Paper Dolls. She went on to star in the movie The Sure Thing, but her breakout role came as Paige Matheson on the CBS primetime soap opera Knots Landing, for which she earned two Soap Opera Digest Awards. She also received a Golden Globe nod for her work on Desperate Housewives, and most recently, she reprised Joan Collins’ part as Alexis Carrington on The CW’s Dynasty reboot.

      After dating Bolton for several years in the early 1990s, she and the Grammy-winning singer later rekindled their relationship and became engaged in 2006. Though he put his Connecticut digs up for sale at $11 million to move into the Hidden Hills property with her, the pair split just two days later. 

      Click here for more photos of Nicollette Sheridan’s Hidden Hills house. More