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      in Luxury

      ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Screenwriter Scores Hilltop L.A. Home With Panoramic Views

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      Perched atop a knoll high above L.A.’s trendy and expensive Silver Lake neighborhood, this stylish Spanish Colonial Revival-esque home may appear to be a classic 1920s example, but it was actually built in the early 2000s. Although initially designed as a Tuscan-style villa, the roughly 4,000 square foot house underwent a dramatic refresh circa 2020 by its second owner, filmmaker/musician Robert Schwartzman, a member of Hollywood’s famed Coppola family.

      Schwartzman and his wife Zooey bought the house in 2019, paying $2.3 million, but their modifications caused the property’s value to soar. Over the summer, they flipped the place for a hefty $4.3 million to Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Peter Craig and his third wife, educator Cristina Esposito. 

      But it’s not hard to see the home’s attraction. Set high up and far back on its relatively generous 9,300-square-foot lot, the house lies completely out of sight from public view, shielded behind a detached two-car garage and a dense canopy of oak and eucalyptus trees. Behind a locked gate, several short flights of stairs lead up to a flat patio with a grassy lawn and dozens of native plantings.

      The formal dining room harkens back to the glory days of Old Hollywood, albeit with some chicly modern-day wallpaper.

      Inside the double-height foyer, the home’s Old Hollywood feel is especially pronounced – there are intricate iron details and terracotta tile floors that blend surprisingly well with the dark brown hardwood floors found on the staircase and throughout the rest of the home. From the foyer, an arched passageway leads directly under the staircase to the great room, which packs in a fireplace, casual dining space and an open kitchen with premium appliances and two islands, plus several sets of French doors leading to various outdoor patios.

      Other stylish home highlights include a bonus room/studio and a wine cellar, plus a formal dining room that connects via an arched doorway to a fountain-equipped terrace. All three of the residence’s bedrooms lie upstairs, where two guest rooms share a single bathroom; the primary bedroom features a sumptuous bath, two walk-in closets and a private, covered balcony with stunning city lights views.

      The house gets the full benefit of L.A.’s famous sunsets.

      Those vistas continue throughout the backyard, where various patios and terraces drink in unobstructed sightlines of Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood Sign and the Downtown L.A. skyline. And while the property does not currently sport a swimming pool, the watery beauty of Silver Lake Reservoir is just a short jog away.

      Craig, 53, is the eldest son of Oscar-winning actress Sally Field. Originally a novelist, he made his screenwriting debut with the 2010 crime thriller The Town , which garnered critical acclaim. In 2022, he co-wrote the screenplays for both The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick, both major box office successes; the latter project earned him an Academy Award nomination.

      Click here for more photos of Peter Craig’s Silver Lake house. More

    • 150 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Sally Jessy Raphael Lists 43-Room Upstate New York Mansion for $6.5 Million

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      Former radio host and Emmy-winning tabloid chat show dynamo Sally Jessy Raphael, whose eponymous daytime talkfest, The Sally Jessy Raphael Show (later shortened to just Sally), ran from 1983 to 2002, has decided to part with her longtime country estate in New York’s historic Dutchess County. The 25.5-acre spread in Pawling, about 70 miles north of midtown Manhattan, is available for $6.5 million via Harriet Norris of Douglas Elliman.

      Raphael, famous for her acerbic wit and her collection of bold, bright red eyeglass frames, and her late husband of 57 years, Karl Sodlerland, who passed away in 2020, purchased the sprawling property back in 1997 for a bit more than $1.7 million. It had previously been in the same family for nine generations. In addition to the Elizabethan-style Tudor manor house, the property, known as Elmwood Farm, comprises two caretaker homes, a carriage house with chauffeur’s quarters, a yoga studio, and a 12,000-square-foot stable. 

      The grand oak staircase features hand-carved wooden animals atop the newel posts.

      The main house, an impressive edifice built in 1860 and situated at the end of a long driveway amid towering trees, measures about 15,000 square feet with a whopping 17 bedrooms and nine bathrooms, plus four more powder rooms. There are 10 fireplaces dispersed across the mansion’s 43 rooms. The exterior features a three-story turret, a four-story tower, Gothic spires, and numerous high-pitched gables with carved timber fascia. 

      The 19th-century mansion could use a bit of spit and polish but still oozes with old-world craftsmanship and the fanciful, OTT elegance and gracious proportions of a bygone era. Lavish embellishments abound, including harlequin leaded and stained-glass windows, elaborate hand-carved woodwork, and hand-painted plaster ceiling accents. A separate wing on the second floor features hand-painted storybook murals.

      The fireside dining room will comfortably accommodate more than 18 for a sit-down meal.

      The grand oak staircase in the foyer, where portraits of Raphael and Soderland hang facing each other, is enhanced by dozens of newel posts topped by hand-carved animals; stacks of books and an eclectic array of comfy furniture take the stuffiness out of the stately, wood-paneled living room; and a classic Fortuny chandelier hangs from the red ceiling in the baronial dining room.

      Elsewhere, there’s a huge kitchen with marble counters and an industrial stove, a marble-floored music room, a small chapel, a solarium with floor-to-ceiling arched windows, and a cozy den with a groin-vaulted ceiling. Bedrooms are ample, each large enough to accommodate a roomy seating area, and each decorated in its own scheme.

      The estate includes a 12,000-square-foot stabling block.

      The back of the house overlooks a large, somewhat overgrown formal garden, and flanking the carriage house is a swimming pool and a tennis court, both in need of some TLC. A vast lawn stretches from the house to the equestrian facilities, which include a fenced pasture and a picturesque stabling block that wraps around a central courtyard. It, too, could use some fixing up.

      Tax records indicate Raphael, now in her late 80s, still owns a townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan that she acquired from Broadway composer and lyricist Jerry Herman in 1993. It had previously (and very briefly) been owned by billionaire businessman Nelson Peltz.

      Click here for more photos of Sally Jessy Raphael’s Upstate New York home. More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      Designer Rachel Ashwell’s Dreamy Shabby Chic House Is Up for Grabs in L.A.

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      If you’re a fan of the Shabby Chic aesthetic, then this particular listing is sure to set your heart aflutter. Owned by none other than Rachel Ashwell—the British-born mastermind behind the iconic decorating brand—the charming abode is now on the market in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles for the first time in 16 years, complete a practical amount of space, relaxed atmosphere, comfortable beauty, and naturally, plenty of white paint.

      The 64-year-old who originally coined the design term in the late 1980s—and went on to launch an eponymously named home furnishings company—is asking a tad under $7 million for the English country-style villa, which she purchased for $4.15 million back in October 2007.

      The home is sited on a large flat lot replete with fragrant beds of lavender, roses and herbs.

      Sited near the Santa Monica coastline, and just steps from Brentwood Country Mart, the creamy stucco and pale blue-shuttered structure was built way back in the early 1930s. Since updated and beautifully decked out by Ashwell in her signature style, the dwelling features four bedrooms and three baths in a little more than 12,500 square feet of open-concept living space adorned throughout with hardwood floors, vintage light fixtures, half-painted walls, and a mix of wood-paneled and glossy painted ceilings.

      Nestled amid a flat parcel of land spanning over a quarter of an acre, the two-story home is fronted by a pathway that leads through a trellised gate before emptying out at a covered porch, with a gated driveway tucked off to the side. Once inside, an entrance hall flows to a formal living room warmed by a brick fireplace boasting a wood-beam mantle, and a combined family room and dining area connects to a galley-style kitchen outfitted with a diagonal tile backsplash, open shelving, a farmhouse sink and newer stainless appliances.

      The classically updated kitchen sports a farmhouse sink and top-tier Viking range.

      Elsewhere on the main level is an office space and en-suite bedroom with its own entrance; and three additional bedrooms upstairs include two that share a bath, as well as a serene primary suite equipped with dual balconies, a wallpapered dressing area, and spa-like bath spotlighted by a pedestal sink, built-in soaking tub and walk-in shower.

      In addition to picturesque gardens and towering trees, the private grounds also host a grassy lawn surrounding a heated saline pool and spa, plus numerous spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. There’s also a separate structure dubbed “The Barn,” which is actually a converted two-car garage with a full bath that could easily be used as an artist studio, office or a guesthouse.

      The listing is held by Juliette Hohnen of Douglas Elliman.

      Click here for more photos of Rachel Ashwell’s Brentwood house. More

    • 200 Shares159 Views

      in Luxury

      In the South of France, a Former Home of Charles de Gaulle Charges Onto the Market

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      A hillside estate along the Côte d’Azur that was once home to Charles de Gaulle has hit the market for $30 million. The decorated military officer and statesman, who served as President of France from 1959-69 and died in 1970, occupied the property in Beaulieu-sur-Mer, between Nice and Monaco, shortly after WWII. Indeed, as the story goes, he wrote his famous speech about the liberation of France while staying here.

      The 1.2-acre spread sits behind imposing gates in the rocky foothills that rise above the charming seaside commune. Indeed, the house is just a block from the wealthy resort village’s main square, Place du General de Gaulle. Though he’d likely recognize the estate’s various Tudor-style outbuildings, it’s unlikely de Gaulle would recognize the main residence today, as it’s been transformed into a glass-walled contemporary villa that is now for sale with an asking price of $30 million. The property is represented by Andrea Wohl Lucas at Douglas Elliman.

      With its contemporary updates, it’s unlikely de Gaulle would recognize the Tudor home today.

      Just inside the gates, there’s a carriage house and a parking area. A cobblestone drive sweeps up the hill, through professionally lighted and landscaped grounds, to the front of the approximately 11,000-square-foot residence. An elevator services all three floors of the home, which has nine ensuite bedrooms and a total of 11 bathrooms.

      Glass towers, one of which houses a floating staircase, flank the glass front door. There are wood floors and floor-to-ceiling picture windows in a trio of reception rooms, including an enormous living room that overlooks the pool and a spacious formal dining room with built-in cabinets for linen and tableware storage. According to listings, there are two state-of-the-art kitchens on the main floor.

      Curtain walls of glass overlooking the mosaic-tile pool fill the house with natural light.

      All nine of the bedrooms are on the upper two floors, each with extensive storage, a dressing room, and a private bath. The principal suite spans nearly 1,000 square feet and includes two dressing rooms and a large bathroom, while a penthouse-level guest bedroom is housed within an all-glass aerie that opens to a private terrace with gorgeous coastline views.

      There’s a large terrace for relaxing and entertaining, a mosaic-tiled zero-edge swimming pool for cooling off, and meandering, impeccably maintained grounds that have a stunning lighting program. In addition to the main house, the property includes caretaker’s accommodations and several studios for guests or household staff. 

      Click here for more photos of 20 Avenue Déroulède. More

    • 175 Shares179 Views

      in Luxury

      Bret Baier Is Looking to Flip His Amenity-Packed Washington, D.C., Estate for $32 Million

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      Now that Bret Baier has upgraded into a new $37 million mansion in the Sunshine State’s affluent Palm Beach community, the chief political anchor of Fox News Channel, and anchor and executive producer of the network’s Special Report program, has decided to put his residence the upper northwest section of Washington, D.C., back on the market, as was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

      The asking price is a speck under $32 million—or $32.5 million more than the Baier and his longtime wife Amy forked over for the 1.5-acre property a little more than five years ago, back in September 2018, before they spent a reported three years and $25 million to completely rebuild every inch of the existing premises in collaboration with developer Michael Banks and architect David Jones.

      Should the house go for anywhere near the hefty list price, it would set a record for the city, topping the sale of a circa-1810 mansion that traded for $24.5 million back in 2007.

      The limestone-clad mansion is fronted by a cobblestone motorcourt boasting a central fountain.

      Studio Trejo/Mid-Atlantic Drones for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

      Completed in April 2022, and Inspired by France’s Hotel Chateau du Grand-Lucé, the stately limestone and mansard-roof structure features five bedrooms and nine baths spread across 16,250 square feet of Thomas Pheasant-designed living space.

      A gated driveway empties out at a spacious cobblestone motorcourt bolstered by a marble fountain and flanked by a pair of three-car garages. Arched double doors beneath a portico entryway lead into the main level of the multi-level home, which greets with a soaring rotunda-topped foyer displaying a decorative Nero Marquina marble floor imported from Italy and curving floating staircase.

      A grand entry foyer is decked out with Nero Marquina marble flooring from Italy.

      Studio Trejo/Mid-Atlantic Drones for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

      From there, the fireside living room has a temperature-controlled wine display, seated wet bar and French doors spilling out to a terrace, and a formal dining room flaunts another fireplace, plus a bespoke wood-and-glass table that seats 14. A gourmet kitchen is outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier Miele, Wolf, and Sub-Zero appliances, and an adjoining breakfast nook that connects to a glass-lined family room.

      Upstairs, an opulent master retreat hosts a fireplace, sitting area, an expansive balcony, and dual walk-in closets and luxe baths. Additional en-suite bedrooms can be found on the third floor and lower level, which also has a wet bar-equipped lounge, game room with golf simulator, movie theater, gym, sauna and an indoor basketball court spanning two stories.

      A two-story indoor basketball court occupies the home’s lower level.

      Studio Trejo/Mid-Atlantic Drones for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

      Outdoors, the tired grounds were crafted by landscape architect Richard Arentz, and hold a 56-foot pool and spa, chipping and putting green, and numerous spots ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. There’s also a whole-home 72-kilowatt generator, as well as eight geothermal wells providing 20 tons of cooling capacity.

      Per WSJ, Baier visited Florida frequently during Covid and decided to move there full-time this past summer. He will continue to commute weekly to Washington, where he hosts his live shows, and look for a smaller place there. Baier—whose net worth is estimated at $72 million—also happens to own a second home in Palm Beach that he paid fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger $12 million for in 2022, according to the South Florida Business Journal.

      The listing is held by Daniel Heider and Jaclyn Mason of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty.

      Click here for more photos of Bret Baier’s Washington, D.C., house.

      Studio Trejo/Mid-Atlantic Drones for TTR Sotheby’s International Realty More

    • 200 Shares159 Views

      in Luxury

      Mary Berry’s Former U.K. Home Where She Filmed Her Cooking Show Just Listed for $4.3 Million

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      If you ever watched Mary Berry Cooks and wondered what it would be like to make a meal on the powder blue AGA range in the beloved chef and food writer’s cozy country kitchen, well, now you can.

      The former Buckinghamshire residence of the OG Great British Bake Off judge has hit the market with Savills, asking £3.5 million (or about $4.3 million). Better known as Watercroft, Berry purchased the property back in 1988 alongside her husband, Paul Hunnings. Together, the couple lived at Watercroft for about 30 years before they handed the place over to its current owners in 2019. Interestingly enough, it’s also where the beloved Queen of Cakes shot many episodes of her eponymous TV shows. 

      The spacious kitchen still has the powder blue AGA range featured in many of Berry’s televised cooking shows.

      Savills

      Altogether, the property offers about 9,000 square feet of space between the six-bedroom Queen Anne-style main house, detached two-bedroom guest cottage, coach house, and multiple outbuildings. Across the four-acre grounds, you’ll also find a tennis court, formal gardens, and a natural pond.  

      “Watercroft exudes character and charm with some wonderful period and historical features,” says Ben Dommett, head of Savills Beaconsfield, in a press statement. “Being the former home of a well-known food writer, chef, baker, and TV presenter, the kitchen is naturally kitted out with the very best appliances and fittings, including a rather famous AGA, along with a refrigerated larder.” 

      The Grade II-listed residence presides over four acres.

      Other than the kitchen, the main house comprises three reception rooms, including a wood-paneled dining room with an open fireplace and concealed cupboards. Additionally, there’s a drawing room with bow windows, a family room, and an office. 

      And don’t be surprised if Berry comes knocking on the door. “Since we’ve been here, Mary appears quite often if there’s something going on in the village,” seller Lucy Patten tells The Times. “She’ll come over and have a cup of tea. When we moved in, she hosted a party to introduce us to all of the neighbors. They are all very friendly.” 

      On your marks, get set, bid! 

      Click here to see all the photos of Mary Berry’s former home. 

      Savills More

    • 150 Shares169 Views

      in Luxury

      A Prominent Attorney Is Seeking $33 Million for This Historic Montecito Gem

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      Back in 2004, Robert Lieff and his then-wife Susan paid $4.5 million for a historic residence in the seaside enclave of Montecito and then spent another $2 million on renovations. A year later, the couple divorced and the home went to Susan, with Lieff relocating to Napa and San Francisco to be closer to Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, the plaintiff law firm he founded in 1972 that’s widely known for representing landmark civil cases such as the Exxon Valdez oil disaster.

      Fast-forward a few years, and Lieff ultimately ended up repurchasing the place from his ex-wife for nearly $12 million in summer 2012. “I knew I would get this house back sooner or later,” he told The Wall Street Journal at the time. “I always wanted this house.” 

      But that was then; and now, over a decade later, Lieff and his current wife Gretchen have decided to put the Spanish Revival mansion dubbed “Los Sueños” (translated to “The Dreams”) up for sale, asking a hefty $33 million. The listing is held by Cristal Clarke of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties.

      A lengthy tree-lined driveway empties out at a motorcourt bolstered by a central fountain.

      Jim Bartsch

      Built and designed by noted Santa Barbara architects George Washington Smith and Lutah Riggs way back in the late 1920s for Rachael Ogilvy Douglas, daughter of a linen manufacturer, the dwelling was later owned in the ’80s by Joan Cohn Harvey, the widow of Columbia Pictures President Harry Cohn. During their tenure, the Lieffs restored the premises and updated a garden originally designed by landscape architect A.E. Hanson.

      Tucked away behind a lengthy gated and tree-lined driveway, on a parcel spanning just over 3 acres, the white stucco and terra-cotta-roof structure features seven bedrooms and nine baths in almost 11,000 square feet of living space adorned throughout with a mix of marble and hardwood floors, custom chandeliers and groin-vaulted ceilings. There’s also a four-story tower guesthouse, which has a spiral staircase that travels from a bottom living area up to a kitchen, bath and top-floor bedroom offering ocean views.

      A fountain-clad motorcourt greets, with the front door opening into an entry foyer that flows to an impressive central hallway displaying black-and-white marble floors, a soaring rib-vaulted ceiling, and fanlight-topped French doors spilling out to a red brick terrace nestled alongside a square pool flanked by sculptures. Back inside, a formal living room is adorned with a fireplace and trio of green-trimmed French doors leading out to a balcony, while the gourmet kitchen is outfitted with an eat-in island, top-tier stainless appliances, a butler’s pantry and an adjoining breakfast nook.

      A striking wood-paneled living room has a fireplace and multiple doors opening to a terrace.

      Jim Bartsch

      In addition to a formal fireside dining room boasting checkered marble floors and handsome wood-paneled library/office, a hotel-like master retreat sports a fireplace, sitting area, and dual walk-in closets and baths; and outdoors, the manicured grounds are dotted with rose gardens, olive trees and an orchard, and host the aforementioned courtyard and pool, along with a tennis court and four-car garage.

      Lieff, 87, and his wife Gretchen, a former TV journalist, also own and operate wineries in the California cities of Napa and San Luis Obispo.

      Click here for more photos of Robert Lieff’s historic Montecito estate.

      Jim Bartsch More

    • 125 Shares199 Views

      in Vacation Homes

      Mid-Tier Hamptons Homes Are Seeing Massive Price Cuts. Here’s Why.

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      After a pandemic-era boom, home prices in the Hamptons are starting to plunge.

      Last month, the interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage hit a whopping 8 percent for the first time since 2000. Back in 2020, the average rate clocked in at around 3 percent, and it’ll likely be a long time before rates dip that low again.

      As a result, a slew of properties in the $2 million to $5 million range—the middle range for luxury homes in the notoriously expensive string of Long Island communities that comprise the Hamptons—are seeing major price cuts, the New York Post reported. In recent months, seven-figure homes in the affluent enclaves of Sag Harbor and Amagansett have seen asking price reductions of up to 20 percent as rising interest rates continue to spook buyers.  

      The asking prices of homes listed in the $2 million to $5 million range are being slashed across the Hamptons.

      Susan Wood/Getty Images

      In addition, New Yorkers who fled to the Hamptons during the pandemic are now facing a return-to-office push that’s putting an end to the work-from-home era. “Now that people are back at the office, they don’t need all that space for a ‘Zoom room’,” a source told The Post. “I know a lot of people turning their remote offices in the Hamptons back into bedrooms and putting them on the market.”

      According to a report by Douglas Elliman, the median sales price for a Hamptons home was $1.4 million, an 11.4 percent drop from a year ago, while the average price for a luxury property was just shy of $6.2 million, a 3.2 percent decrease. Conversely, sales at the top end of the market are booming. Deals in the East End spiked 11.6 percent from the second to the third quarter, while trophy home sales were up 11.5 percent. In fact, it was the second time in almost 20 years that there were more transactions between July and September than between April and June. 

      “There’s a ton of wealth, and people will always want to be in the Hamptons,” David Mazujian, a realtor with the Corcoran Group, told The Post. “There’s a ton of demand.”  More