Luxist

The Sexiest Bachelor Pad in Los Angeles: Estate of the Day

Ann Brenoff — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:01:00 EST

It takes one to know one. Josh Altman, arguably one of Los Angeles' sexiest and most successful bachelors, has listed a home at $6,250,000 that he describes as "the sexiest bachelor pad I've ever sold."

Continue reading The Sexiest Bachelor Pad in Los Angeles: Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates, Auctions

The Sexiest Bachelor Pad in Los Angeles: Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Red Tibetan Mastiff: World's Most Expensive Dog Sells for $1.5 Million

Ann Brenoff — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:35:00 EST

A coal baron living in northern China just spent $1.5 million to buy what is considered the world's most expensive dog, a red Tibetan Mastiff. It's hard to know precisely where in that sentence you spurt out your mouthful of coffee: that a dog is worth that much or that there is a millionaire willing to buy one in China.

Continue reading Red Tibetan Mastiff: World's Most Expensive Dog Sells for $1.5 Million

Filed under: Pets

Red Tibetan Mastiff: World's Most Expensive Dog Sells for $1.5 Million originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Shoot 'n Share Camcorder Projector: Simple Enough for a Child to Use

Ann Brenoff — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:01:00 EST

Gadgets are great and I especially love the ones that fill a legitimate need instead of being a gadget for gadgetry's sake. Take our camcorder. As much as I love my iFlip -- the camcorder that's the size of a smartphone and is just as easy to use -- I've missed the ability to check my shot. The iFlip's viewing screen is less than two inches square and in sunlight is rendered unusable by the glare. I have no idea whether I've loped my daughter's head off at the Halloween parade (I did) or caught my son sliding into home base (I didn't).

The Shoot 'n Share Camcorder Projector, which retails for about $300 plus a memory card through Hammacher-Schlemmer, provides a nifty solution. You can instantly project what you just shot on to the nearest wall or flat surface, zooming in to check facial expressions and zooming out to check backgrounds.

Continue reading Shoot 'n Share Camcorder Projector: Simple Enough for a Child to Use

Filed under: Gadgets

Shoot 'n Share Camcorder Projector: Simple Enough for a Child to Use originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Time Is Right for a Talking Watch

Ann Brenoff — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:01:00 EST

Eyes, they say, are the first thing to go. And with the first wave of Baby Boomers turning 65 this year, the timing is perfect for the Reizen Radio-Controlled analog Talking Watch, sold through Hammacher-Schlemmer. What a great retirement gift: A watch that will tell you the time instead of making you squint to read it.

The beauty of this beauty is that the watch face is sufficiently large that you may not actually even need the watch to verbalize the time for you. But the easy-to-use watch feature -- you just push a button -- has a pleasant and clear male voice that is happy to help.

Continue reading Time Is Right for a Talking Watch

Filed under: Gadgets, Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style, Luxury Shopping

Time Is Right for a Talking Watch originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Neater Feeder for the Drooling Dog in Your Life

Ann Brenoff — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:00 EST

"Don't blame your pet, blame your bowl." Easy for the Neater Feeder people to say. With a 90-pound Golden Retriever whose middle name is Slobber-Puss, I was anxious to try the patented feeding dish with the logo, "Spoil the pet. Spare the floor."

A simple construction that basically provides a dish with a perforated drain and an overflow catch basin below, it is nonetheless nothing short of brilliant. Sign me up, no more wiping up the wood floors or having the mat under the dish get sopping wet. It also eliminated my Mommy Dearest moments whenever my son would inadvertently kicked the water dish with his foot or roll his soccer ball into it. The water still spilled with the Neater Feeder dish during these family life moments, but immediately drained into the basin below and protected my distressed cherry-wood flooring from yet another encounter with water that destroys.

Continue reading Neater Feeder for the Drooling Dog in Your Life

Filed under: Pets

Neater Feeder for the Drooling Dog in Your Life originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Santa Monica Penthouse Oceanview, Estate of the Day

Ann Brenoff — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:01:00 EST

There are certain landmark properties in the Los Angeles area that always cause tourists to lean far out the car window to snap a photo or two to show the folks back home. The building overhanging the Pacific Coast Highway just past Santa Monica's California Incline is one of them. Maybe it's the circular nose that hangs over the highway, or maybe it's the skinny little front legs it seems to perch on. But whatever the appeal, it's a magnet for lookie-loos. Even I find myself straining my neck upward to peek inside some of the units as I whiz by on the road.

And now the 4,000-square-foot penthouse unit has just come on the market at $4,925,000. While not as breath-taking a price-tag as faithful readers of Luxist's Estate of the Day have become accustomed to, it's a breath-taking unit in a eye-catching landmark. And for you faint-of-hearters, we have every reason to believe that the hillsides around it, despite their precarious look each time it rains, aren't going anywhere. Hey, this is L.A. Toughen up!

Billed somewhat immodestly as the most-sought after penthouse in Santa Monica, we are hard-pressed to disagree. It's the only two-story unit of its size in the building and has ocean views from every room, plus 180-degree jetliner views of the city lights. There are three large bedrooms and three bathrooms plus an over-sized master suite with two large walk-in closets, floor-to-ceiling windows, marble and hardwood floors and high ceilings. Amenities in the building include a gym, pool, spa and valet parking. There is around-the-clock security. With the main entrance on Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica restaurants and shops are a short walk away.

Next time I drive by, I hope you'll wave.

Josh and Matthew Altman of Hilton & Hyland Real Estate, Beverly Hills, have the listing.

Gallery: 101 Ocean

Continue reading Santa Monica Penthouse Oceanview, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates

Santa Monica Penthouse Oceanview, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Love-Sick Package at the W Hotels of New York, Hoboken

Ann Brenoff — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:01:00 EST

Ready for a "love sick" Valentine's Day package? The W Hotels of New York and the W Hotel of Hoboken have something special planned for the Big V Day. The hotel group is offering what it hopes will be the yummiest Valentine's package around. And of course it starts with chocolate.

Guests can indulge in a Max Brenner Chocolate Syringe as part of the hotel's remedy for what ails you. The W New York Downtown will provide private skating at the hotel's one-of-a-kind ice rink as part of its WOW package.

Continue reading Love-Sick Package at the W Hotels of New York, Hoboken

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Love-Sick Package at the W Hotels of New York, Hoboken originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Swiss Villa With Italian Flair, Estate of the Day

Ann Brenoff — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST

This 10,500 square foot villa sits high above the Swiss city of Lugano in Ticino. The home sits at the end of a cul-de-sac in the famous 1,000-year-old artist colony known as Carona, on Mount San Salvatore. It is bordered on one side entirely by forest; the other three sides have panoramic views of the mountains. It is east-facing with lots of sun, private and so quiet you could probably hear a yodeler if the Swiss ever did that anymore.

Price tag: About $9 million U.S.

The luxury Mediterranean style villa was built in 1992 and recently underwent a renovation and enlargement, adding an indoor pool and sports facilities including a squash court, golf simulator and sauna. It has a first-class home gym and private spa. The five-bedroom home has a thermal heat pumping system, solar panels, and a three-car garage. The master suite is located on the ground floor and the home has an elevator. The large living room is on the garden level, and has a fire place. There is an eat-in kitchen with a fireplace. There is a detached guest unit. The pool has a retractable roof.

But perhaps the most magical part of this property is where it is located -- the so-called Italian Switzerland. In ancient times, the area was settled by a Celtic tribe and later became part of the Roman Empire. Located in the south of Switzerland, it is surrounded almost entirely by Italy.

Carona has been around since the Middle Ages. The village's possessions include the still-existing church of Santa Maria in Torello. Because of the village's loyalty to the Viscounti and Guelph families, it was given its own coat of arms and under Swiss Confederation law, had special status that exempted it from certain law and taxes. Carona's artists included the Aprile, Casella, Scala and Solari families, who remained active throughout Europe during the 15th through 18th centuries.
The village was a sleepy agricultural and sheep community until Lugano -- a 10-minute drive away -- developed into a tourist destination in the beginning of the 19th century. The village today has a population of just 775, 20% of whom are foreign nationals.

Peter Rabitz, director of Wetag International, has the listing.

Gallery: Swiss Villa

Continue reading Swiss Villa With Italian Flair, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates

Swiss Villa With Italian Flair, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Cupcake Wars Find Peace in Laguna Beach

Ann Brenoff — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:01:00 EST

Who doesn't love a good cupcake? Cupcakes have replaced cakes in the hearts and minds of all the cool kids, and it's been downright entertaining to watch how elaborate cup-caking has gotten. There's even a Food Network TV show "Cupcake Wars" that brings high drama to the art of what was once the simplest thing to throw together in your kitchen for when the kids got home from school.

One of the players in the cupcake battles has been Casey's Cupcakes, the brainchild of Casey Reinhardt, whose parents own the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside, Ca. Her first shop opened in her parents' hotel in December 2009 and she just announced that a second shop will open on Feb. 14th -- Valentine's Day -- in her home town of Laguna Beach.

Continue reading Cupcake Wars Find Peace in Laguna Beach

Filed under: Dining

Cupcake Wars Find Peace in Laguna Beach originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 28 Jan 2011 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pet Water Bottle: Fido Goes Green

Ann Brenoff — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:01:00 EST

Some of man's (beast's?) greatest inventions have been borne from necessity. And one of those necessities is carrying water for the big thirsty dog who goes with you on your morning run or mountain trail hike. The problem is, dogs don't pucker and suck water from a spout. They lap it up with their tongues and hence have always needed a water dish lugged along on the outing.

Good Life Gear to the rescue, with its newly patented Pet Water Bottle, which retails for about $22.

What makes the Pet Water Bottle patent-worthy is the stainless steel rolling ball at its mouth that stems the flow of water until the dog's tongue pushes the ball up to trigger the release of the water inside. Simple, perhaps. Brilliant, absolutely, for anyone -- me included -- who has messed around with the various ways of transporting and dispensing water for the dog on hikes. In my case, I've lugged an extra bottle and various containers in which to pour a drink for Buddy, our Golden Retriever -- which wastes water when I pour too much and drips in my pack once the dish gets wet. Plus if I don't take a pack, I'm stuck holding the stupid dish for miles.

The patented Pet Water Bottle comes in two sizes -- 16 oz. and 24 oz. -- and various pet-adorable designs, including a bone pattern and one with colorful paws. It is a BPA-free stainless steel bottle that is lightweight and easy to carry with a hook for back or fanny pack attachment. The bottles fit into most automobile cup holders. The wide mouth enables it to easily hold ice cubes. M.K. Distributors, Inc. also distributes a pet pedometer and a Go Green Lunch Kit -- the latter for your human children.

Gallery: Patented Pet Water Bottle

Filed under: Pets

Pet Water Bottle: Fido Goes Green originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Marisol Malibu Showcase Home For $17 million, Estate of The Day

Ann Brenoff — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST

Marisol Malibu is the largest major residential development project to rock Malibu in more than a decade. Tucked away near the end of Malibu's 27-mile stretch of coastline near the Ventura County line, the 80-acre development's main showcase home was just listed at $17 million. Also being sold are 16 additional ocean bluff home sites, starting at $4 million.

Malibu hasn't seen this level of pristine land since May Rindge locked up her gates and tried to block the railroad and county road from coming through her home. The Rindges bought the 13,300 acres of Rancho Malibu for $10 an acre in 1892 and while developer Richard Morris is certainly looking to fetch a little more, you can totally see what the Rindges saw way back when. It's just a breath-taking location, and as they say, nobody is manufacturing any more oceanfront land, are they?

Marisol Malibu features a 10,000-square-foot single-story main home. It has a 60-foot-wide great room with 14-foot tall ceilings, a fully equipped wet bar and two master bedroom suites both with oak ceilings and views of the surfers below. There are two other bedrooms with mountain views. The home has a state-of-the-art home theater, an open chef's kitchen, refrigerated wine cellar, gym and landscaped grounds with an infinity-edge lap pool and three patios. There is an outdoor dining pavilion and an ironwood deck on the 4,000 square foot bluff "beach." The home has a water wall of rock quarried from the site and set in a a fern and oak garden. The driveway is made of hand-hewn cobblestones of native rocks. There is parking for 10 cars. All the electronics are centrally controlled b a Creston smart system and 10 security cameras patrol the property.

Including the showcase property, Marisol has 13 oceanfront one-acre estate sites and three two-acre flat sites for estates to be built elevated above the oceanfront sites. There is also a 57-acre hillside retreat that overlooks the whole project and 10 miles of rugged coastline. The lots range from $4 million to $9 million.

Jack Pritchett of Pritchett-Rapf & Associates of Malibu, and Chris Cortazzo of Coldwell Banker Malibu, share the listing.

Gallery: Marisol Malibu

Continue reading Marisol Malibu Showcase Home For $17 million, Estate of The Day

Filed under: Estates

Marisol Malibu Showcase Home For $17 million, Estate of The Day originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rolling Stone LA Restaurant and Lounge Set to Open

Ann Brenoff — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:01:00 EST

Rolling Stone, the magazine, has grown up along with its readers. How do you translate that political edginess that's the magazine's trademark into a Los Angeles restaurant and lounge? To do that, Rolling Stone turned to designer Gavin Brodin. The result, which opens to the public on Feb. 1, is time travel adventure set in vintage industrial with an urban street vibe.

The restaurant and lounge, located at Hollywood and Highland, debuted with a private VIP party after the American Music Awards in November. This is the first time the Rolling Stone name has been licensed for a U.S. restaurant. Designer Brodin describes it as "entering a world of privilege." He called it a place where "The travel lounges of the British ruling class meet the conceptualized Paris of the 1870s -- a place and time reminiscent of the rise of Bohemia, of Edouard Manet, Jean Paul Sartre and the famed art salon once housed under the sky-high glass and steel girdered domes of the Palais Royale."

Basically, it's a 10,500-square-foot two-story space that fuses classic and modern culture. We're hoping the food is good.

Patrons enter at the second level into a lobby with cobblestone-like limestone floors and an antique floor cart salvaged from an old citrus factory that serves as the reception desk. The upstairs dining room can accommodate up to 140 diners, with another 40 on the patio. Larger-than-life images of famous musicians are hammered into the concrete walls. And antique ceilings, curved caged domes of glass and iron hang from the ceilings and the room is lit by street lamps and custom-made crystal chandeliers right out of a Jack the Ripper London scene.

There is a dedicated bar and DJ booth. The room has 80 speakers and computerized lighting.

So is this the beginning of a Planet Hollywood-like chain?

Gallery: Rolling Stone Los Angeles

Filed under: Dining

Rolling Stone LA Restaurant and Lounge Set to Open originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Riverside's Mission Inn: A Destination Onto Itself

Ann Brenoff — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:01:00 EST

Most people visit an attraction and spend the night at a nearby hotel. In the case of Riverside's Mission Inn Hotel and Spa, the hotel is the attraction that people come to see.

There's an upside and a downside to this. The upside is that it's obviously a very lovely place with 239 rooms, 28 of them suites. The holiday lights show that the Inn has hosted for the past seven years has made it Greater Los Angeles' must-see Christmas attraction, a West Coast version of posing for photos in front of the tree at Rockefeller Center. Tourists from around the world visiting Los Angeles detour to the Mission Inn, just to see it and the famed festival of lights -- all 3.5 million of them.

But the downside is that the people who come to see the Inn and the lights do tend to make the lobby and public areas a crowded experience, one that has led the hotel to hire security guards to check that only guests are entering the elevator to the floors with hotel rooms.

Continue reading Riverside's Mission Inn: A Destination Onto Itself

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Riverside's Mission Inn: A Destination Onto Itself originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

11 Biggest Luxury Home Price Drops 2010

Ann Brenoff — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:01:00 EST

Some believe that the Great Recession hasn't been an equal opportunity devastater. While we can all agree that it has shot a cannonball through what was once the middle class, not everyone thinks that the uber-rich have experienced their fair share of the misery. Here are some examples that might prove otherwise.

1) Albemarle House, an elegant mansion located in Virginia's Blud Ridge Mountains, came on the market in 2009 at $100 million. In a blink, the price was slashed to $48 million and now it sits listed at $24 million -- a $76 million or 76% price cut. Think that didn't hurt?

The home is near Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and James Monroe's Ash Lawn-Highland. The 25,000-square-foot main house has 45 rooms and includes a theater, card room, library, and Islamic gallery that features an antique Syrian fountain. There is a pool, pool house, log cabin, greenhouse and a number of staff cottages. The grounds are large enough to install an 18-hold golf course -- which Arnold Palmer has already conveniently designed.

Sotheby's has already auctioned off the artwork and furniture, bringing in $15.2 million and the owner's jewelry fetched another $5 million.

Who are the poor souls behind this financial disintegration?
Patricia Kluge and her husband Bill Moses opened the 907-acre Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyards in 1999. Expansion plans -- and the loans that came with them -- appear to have been their Achilles' Heel. That and the recession, of course. The bank that foreclosed on the business last fall wasn't interested in producing wines and instead sold off the pieces.

Michael Rankin, Sotheby's International Realty, has the listing.

Gallery: Albemarle

Continue reading 11 Biggest Luxury Home Price Drops 2010

Filed under: Estates

11 Biggest Luxury Home Price Drops 2010 originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

10 Sports Guys Who Wish You'd Buy Their Houses

Ann Brenoff — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 07:02:00 EST

Sports stars are the kids who won't grow up. How else can we explain their constant misbehavior? (Yes Tiger, you know who we're talking about. Now please return to the Bad Boys' Corner.)

While we don't condone the philandering, the drug use, or the lying about the both, we do take the higher road when it comes to beautiful homes in need of new owners. So, for the sake of beautiful homes everywhere, here is Luxist's List of 10 Expensive Homes owned by Sports Guys. And for those on the list haven't actually crossed the law or resigned in shame over anything, our apologies for lumping you with the other boys in the locker room.

1) Greg Norman--Tranquility--$65 million
Uh, how to put this nicely? Golfer Greg Norman has clearly been having a rough go of things -- including his understanding of the real estate market. His 25-year marriage ended in divorce and the couple listed their Florida estate for sale. Here's where it gets confusing: First it was listed at $65 million in 2007, then reduced to $47.5 million, and now it's back to $65 million. You don't have to know which end of a golf club is up to know that the market -- in Florida of all places -- has crashed big time. So what's up with raising the price? Get real; get it sold. Make listing agent Suzanne Frisbie of the Corcoran Group happy.

It's a nice enough place for those to whom Florida appeals. Personally, I prefer my mosquitoes smaller. The eight-acre property has nine bedrooms and 13.5 bathrooms.

Gallery: Greg Norman's Tranquility

Continue reading 10 Sports Guys Who Wish You'd Buy Their Houses

Filed under: Estates

10 Sports Guys Who Wish You'd Buy Their Houses originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

A Red Carpet Makeover Experience

Ann Brenoff — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:01:00 EST

Ever wish you could look as fabulous as those Hollywood stars walking down the red carpet in their stunning gowns, hair perfectly coiffed, decked out in expensive bling? Just in time for the upcoming awards season -- not to mention trying to buy a gift for someone who lacks nothing -- The Peninsula Beverly Hills has launched a promotion called "The Red Carpet-Ready Experience" for its guests.

Continue reading A Red Carpet Makeover Experience

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

A Red Carpet Makeover Experience originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bel-Air Architectural Home with $17.5 million Price Tag, Estate of the Day

Ann Brenoff — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 13:02:00 EST

If Modern estates are your thing, get your drool-wiping cloths ready. Located in a Bel-Air guard-gated community of just 11 houses, this 12,000-square-foot totally remodeled home is listed at $17.5 million. What's nice about this modern manse is that it's actually got a warm feeling to it, yet you recognize it for what it is: a piece of art that you happen to live in.

There's tons of light, city lights view, a pool with two infinity edges and an impressive entry gallery with a bar. There's an open floor plan with a large kitchen with a 20-foot eat-in island, tons of skylights, and formal living and dining rooms with 13-foot ceilings. The home has a lounge; a gym with a marble-walled bathroom with a sink carved from a chunk of mesquite; a walk-in wine room and a home theater with three tiers of leather seats. In addition to the 2,100-square-foot master suite, which has a sitting room with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall, two bathrooms and two closets, there are five additional bedroom suites. Since we all know that first impressions count, the home is entered through a 9-foot-square pivoting oak door. The guest apartment has private entrance.

The remodeled home is the work of architect David Thompson of Assembledge+ in Los Angeles, with interior spaces designed by the listing agent, Billy Rose of Prudential California Realty.

The exterior of the two-story home is brick with steel gray stucco and lots of glass. It sits on a bluff top and has views of the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Fernando Valley. We are especially pleased that the architect left the mature Chinese elm trees in place when creating the granite motor court.

There is a glass-tiled infinity pool and terraced orchards on the 1.5 acre property. Being a smart house, wall keypads control the home's climate and electronics.

Gallery: Stone Ridge Lane

Continue reading Bel-Air Architectural Home with $17.5 million Price Tag, Estate of the Day

Bel-Air Architectural Home with $17.5 million Price Tag, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 19 Dec 2010 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

10 Most Expensive Properties Listed for Sale in 2010

Ann Brenoff — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:04:00 EST

Wasn't 2010 the year that we rejected our gluttonous spending ways, when we convinced ourselves that less was more and that Dante intended to have a circle for those who couldn't make do with any fewer than five bathrooms? Well, no doubt the following homeowners just want to join the downsizing party.

Presenting, the Luxist List of the 10 Most Expensive Properties on the Market in 2010. (An asterisk or two: Some of these listings are holdovers from 2009, one even from 2006. And while it's inconceivable that a publicly listed home in this price bracket would escape our attention, frequently homes are available as pocket listings -- the owner will sell them for the right price, but oh-so-quietly.)

1) The Manor -- or aka, Candyland, as the Candy Spelling mansion is dubbed. On the market at $150 million for eons now, the mistress of the mansion appears unwilling to bequeath the title of "most expensive home in America" to anyone else. Fair enough. But unless the frog she kisses turns into a Saudi prince, we fear this palace will be heading our list in 2011 too.
Besides, in this new era of austerity, what does one woman really need with 123 rooms and 56,500-square feet? It's the largest home in Los Angeles County and was built by Candy and her deceased husband Aaron Spelling, the entertainment mogul who created -- among other things -- "Beverly Hills 90290" that starred their daughter Tori Spelling. The two-story house has a level between the second story and the attic that is just for closets. There is a screening room, bowling alley, three rooms for wrapping presents and a parking lot for 100 cars. Oprah is said to have looked but if she did, she didn't buy. Listing agent: Jeff Hyland of Hilton & Hyland in Beverly Hills, who shares it with partner Rick Hilton and Coldwell Banker agent Sally Forster Jones.

Gallery: The Spelling Manor

Continue reading 10 Most Expensive Properties Listed for Sale in 2010

Filed under: Estates

10 Most Expensive Properties Listed for Sale in 2010 originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Malibu's La Villa Contenta Listed at $75 Million, Estate of the Day

Ann Brenoff — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:02:00 EST

We can't even look at this house without weeping at the thought it might be sold in pieces. Breaking up is hard to do and all that... Yet this Malibu eight-acre ocean-view estate is in the MLS twice: Once, as a buy-the-whole-enchilada for $75 million and then again as buy just the main house for $35 million.

Let's dispense quickly with the 12,000-square-foot main house. Yes, yes -- gorgeous and all that. There is a two-story hand-carved limestone entrance-way and the floor is hand-laid Pietra-dura mosaic made from antique reclaimed marbles.

The double living room is paneled in pale maple and a private covered loggia overlooks the lawn and sea. The dining room seats 24 and has an intricate hand-carved limestone ceiling. There's a Hermes marble fireplace in the library and 18Th century reclaimed floors in the kitchen. The lower level houses the English pine billiards room, a wine cellar, a 14-foot screen home theater and a full gym. The home has an elevator.

The upper level is home to the master suite, with a fireplace, large terrace overlooking the Pacific and his-and=-her bathrooms and closets. There are three additional bedroom suites on this level.

There is an outdoor infinity pool that is chlorine-free. and the pool area has a state-of-the-art outdoor kitchen. There is a championship quality north-south facing tennis court and an organic kitchen garden planted with a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, herbs and cutting plants.

And then there's the rest of the estate -- the parts that make this a $75 million estate.

There is a carved marble natatorium -- an indoor pool that is Romanesque in style with a frieze over the doorway. It's a regular underwater baroque fantasy inside made of a million seashells. The two changing rooms are paneled in rare onyx and decorated with seashells. Each has a large steam shower and every spa amenity you could want.

The lap pool is tiled in Murano glass and has swim jets to provide the necessary resistance. The glass ceilings are 20-feet tall. Just outside is a covered loggia with hand-painted whimsical sea creatures and yet another swimming pool.

The estate has one of the largest private greenhouses in California, designed to accommodate several thousand orchids and other delicate exotics. There is also a desert garden between the pool pavilion and greenhouse, connecting the two buildings via a walkway of travertine slabs that "float" on water.

Chris Cortazzo of Coldwell Banker, Malibu West, has the listing.

Gallery: La Villa Contenta

Continue reading Malibu's La Villa Contenta Listed at $75 Million, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates

Malibu's La Villa Contenta Listed at $75 Million, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chad Rogers Talks to Luxist

Ann Brenoff — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:01:00 EST

Talk is cheap, or so says Chad Rogers, who is as much a realty rock star these days as he is a real estate agent. He likes the "talk is cheap" phrase so well that he has had it emblazoned on tee-shirts -- that he sells off his website. Yes, he has a website store for Chad products.

Truth is, in between posting Twitter and Facebook photos of his seemingly endless red carpet walks and attendance at movie premieres, Chad Rogers actually does sell homes -- about $65 million worth thus far this year. And he's quick to point out that the year isn't over yet. He's an associate in the prestigious boutique agency of Hilton & Hyland Real Estate in Beverly Hills.

"This has been my best year to date," said the baby-faced Rogers, who looks well younger than his 33 years. Rogers acknowledges that he carefully cultivated becoming a celebrity personality in the national real estate market. He works the social media circuit like a pro and has built up a following that he stays in touch with at least daily. And of course, his multiple seasons on Bravo's hit series, "Million Dollar Listing," brought him into the living rooms of more than a million viewers each episode. Without question, of the three featured agents, his role was the quirkiest.

Rogers had story lines about getting $600 haircuts and ordering $700 cakes bearing his likeness to serve at open houses. He also propelled his chihuahua, Starla, into stardom along with himself. He carries Starla with him everywhere and the dog has her own Twitter and Facebook fan pages. Rogers, as viewers learned, is an obsessive compulsive neat-freak, fluffing up couch pillows and finger-dusting the smallest crevice.

Rogers grew up in Malibu assuming that he would one day work in his father's business of owning and developing mobile home parks across the country. His dad had other ideas and set some tough bars for him to cross: Get a Realtor's license, get through college with nothing less than straight A's, and then maybe, the young Chad was told. With a Realtor's license under his belt and a perfect GPA, Chad was sent to work one college summer in his dad's mobile home park in Apopka Florida.

Gallery: The Fabulous Life Of Chad Rogers

Continue reading Chad Rogers Talks to Luxist

Filed under: Estates

Chad Rogers Talks to Luxist originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

South Africa Nature Preserve Vacation Rental for $70,000 a week

Ann Brenoff — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:01:00 EST

Remember learning the haunting melody of "In the Jungle" at summer camp? Well, now you can live it. A private outpost in South Africa's Mapungubwe Private Nature Reserve is listed for lease at $70,000 a week. No neighbors, unless you count the lions and elephants who roam freely around you.

The owner has most thoughtfully arranged private security for this experience. The 10,000-square-foot home comes staffed and has nine bedrooms and eight baths. Located in South Africa's Limpopo Province, the unique home is the ultimate nature and safari experience. Surrounded by elephants, leopards, lions, antelopes, zebras and other animals, guests are flown in by helicopter or private plane. There is access to telephone and Internet but this is truly intended to be a "get away from it all and commune with nature experience" -- luxury style. The staff are all native-born, familiar with the preserve, and live on site in separate quarters. There is a full building master suite with a view of the South African countryside. The home is built in true African style with a thatched room and decorated appropriately for the environment. All modern conveniences are provided.

There is an open air shower and an outdoor living room with fireplace. Inquiries about leasing the home may be made of Magnus Hellberg, Partners Trust Realty in Los Angeles.

Gallery: $70,000 a week South African Rental

Continue reading South Africa Nature Preserve Vacation Rental for $70,000 a week

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

South Africa Nature Preserve Vacation Rental for $70,000 a week originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

15% of Chestnut Hill Home Sale Profits Will Go to Charity

Ann Brenoff — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:02:00 EST

Mark Andrus, who made his fortune selling Stacy's Pita Chips to Frito-Lay, is giving back. He's listed an historic Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts estate that he recently renovated at $12.5 million and will donate 15% of the profits from the sale to to the Boston Food Bank. With this home, Andrus is launching RH Design and Development, his new real estate development company devoted to helping people in need.

We think he couldn't have picked a better time and hopefully more millionaires and billionaires will join in the "give back" drumbeat.

For the 45-year-old Andrus, giving back has been a way of life. Both his parents gave generously despite their own struggles. His dad, a physician, lost his eyesight to diabetes and went back to school to become a psychologist, a path that Andrus himself pursued. Even when the company he co-founded with his ex-wife Stacy was a struggling upstart, it offered free English as a Second Language classes to the community.

"When we sold, I wanted there to be an aspect of my life where I could continue giving back to the community. For this new company -- where we're building high-end homes -- it only feels right to be to be giving back to those in need. Yes, we build great beautiful things, but you can't forget about or ignore those who are struggling and can't partake in this," he said.

Andrus bought the 1929 brick Balemore estate for $3.5 million and spent $7 million and 2.5 years renovating it. He always intended to sell the 6-bedroom, 5-bath home, which has 12,000 square feet and sits on 2.2 acres, although he celebrated Thanksgiving in the house with his family both to "do a test run" and to inaugurate the company's first project.

The Georgian Revival mansion, a stunner, is fused with modern resort-like features, including a spa garden with a plunge pool, indoor-outdoor living areas, a wine cellar and state-of-the-art Crestron audio-visual system. There are two laundry rooms, a library and a studio apartment with a small kitchen. There are stone terraces and formal gardens.

Andrus, who lives in Boston, sold Stacy's Pita Chips in 2005 to Frito-Lay.

Allison Mazer of Sotheby's International Realty has the listing.

Continue reading 15% of Chestnut Hill Home Sale Profits Will Go to Charity

Filed under: Estates, Charity

15% of Chestnut Hill Home Sale Profits Will Go to Charity originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Riverside's Mission Inn Lights Up Christmas Season in Los Angeles

Ann Brenoff — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:01:00 EST

New Yorkers may mark the start of the holiday season with the lighting of the tree at Rockefeller Center and Washingtonians may feel the same about the lighting of the White House Christmas tree. But in greater Los Angeles, holiday cheer-seekers head east -- to the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside.

Inn owner Duane Roberts illuminates his landmark hotel with more than 3.5 million lights and stages a free Festival of Lights show, replete with an elaborately decorated Christmas tree, Dickens carolers, horse-drawn carriages and more than 400 animated characters dressed in 17th Century costumes. There's even free hot cocoa, eggnog and holiday sweets. (No, there's no snow, but truth is most of us moved here because we weren't that attached to it in the first place.)

Continue reading Riverside's Mission Inn Lights Up Christmas Season in Los Angeles

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events

Riverside's Mission Inn Lights Up Christmas Season in Los Angeles originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Luxist Gift Guide for Spoiled Pets

Ann Brenoff — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:01:00 EST

While every fashionable poodle worth her pastel hair bows knows that nothing beats the gift of a forever home and a reliable bowl of kibble, human companions have long sought ways to help Fido and Fluffy experience a little holiday cheer -- and that certainly doesn't include a taste of the bubbly. As such, we here at Luxist have some recommendations for pet products that set our whiskers twitching.

1) Smart Interactive Toy for Dogs -- a Nina Ottosson puzzle toy, recommended by Victoria Stilwell on Animal Planet's "It's Me or the Dog" show. $54.95. Dogs need to be intellectually challenged, just like our human children. Teaching them to problem solve will go a long way toward building self-confidence. And should you not be blessed with a canine Einstein, we guarantee you'll be amused for hours watching your goofy Golden figure out how to find the treat you stashed under one of the little wooden pegs. Just be careful that Dumbo doesn't start chewing the wood. Available from various retailers, including Poochie Heaven.

Continue reading The Luxist Gift Guide for Spoiled Pets

Filed under: Pets

The Luxist Gift Guide for Spoiled Pets originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wanted: Five Real Bitches

Ann Brenoff — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 14:04:00 EST

Taking a little tinkle on "The Real Housewives" franchise, Bitch New York, a premiere source for designer dog clothing and carriers, has announced a New York City-wide search for new celebudogs for its upcoming Web profile series called "The Real Bitches of New York."

The site has an open casting call and is looking for "5 fabulous dogs from 5 New York City boroughs." A press release asks: "Does your dog have what it takes to be in the spotlight? Does she love to be showered in attention? Does your dog represent the best of New York City?"

Photos and stories should be sent to darren@popculturepr.com for consideration. All chosen dogs must be accessible to photographers and video crews for up to 90 days.

We imagine the Manhattan dog to be a tiny teacup from the Upper Eastside, purebred of course. Will Brooklyn offer up a yuppie Golden or a pit bull (after all, gentrification takes time)? Can't wait to see the muscle tee on the dog from the Bronx, but will the Staten Island bitch be wearing a lot of fake bling and have her hair teased? Queens? Do they even allow dogs there?

Filed under: Pets

Wanted: Five Real Bitches originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 14:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Kelly Van Halen Launches Cashmere Travel Blanket with Fred Segal

Ann Brenoff — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:01:00 EST

Given that we live in a time when we are all busy reinventing ourselves, perhaps it's not such a stretch that interior designer Kelly Van Halen is launching a line of cashmere travel blankets. Van Halen, who went from being hard rock drummer Alex Van Halen's second ex-wife to being a real estate developer, house flipper, interior designer, and now blanket designer, will be selling her soft-as-can-be cashmere travel blankets exclusively at Fred Segal.

The blankets are the first product in the new line designed by KellyBaron -- the company named after Van Halen and her partner Baron Rogers -- that will be carried by the up-end Fred Segal stores.. The 4"x6" blankets come in matching 8"x10" silk-lined cases that look like pillows. The cashmere used is of superior quality and is 287 grams, or two-ply cashmere. The label is crafted in cashmere as well. Retail price is $425.

Continue reading Kelly Van Halen Launches Cashmere Travel Blanket with Fred Segal

Filed under: Decor

Kelly Van Halen Launches Cashmere Travel Blanket with Fred Segal originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Wrap Your Car in Hello Kitty

Ann Brenoff — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 07:02:00 EST

Sanrio, the company that produces the Hello Kitty line, has just released a car customization package for Smart ForTwo vehicles that start at $1,700 for full wraps and $550 if you can contain your feline craving to just the two door panels. It's the latest entry by Hello Kitty in the adult product market. There are Hello Kitty wines, adult clothing and kitchen appliances. In fact, there may be a Hello Kitty everything.

Continue reading Wrap Your Car in Hello Kitty

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Wrap Your Car in Hello Kitty originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 22 Oct 2010 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spending Returns to the Luxury Market or Please Pass the Ferragamos

Ann Brenoff — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST

Wearing the same pair of Manolo's may have been fine for 2009, but frugality and self-denial has simply grown tiresome for the wealthiest Americans and the nouveau riche Chinese. Global sales of luxury items are beating expectations, according to the results of a new study.

People, this is seriously good news! While the fact that people were shopping at the 99-Cent Store did little to kick the recession to the sidelines, economists have been saying right along that what was needed was a return of consumer confidence and for consumption to begin in earnest. While we're holding our collective breathes for jobs to be created so we can actually start spending again, relief came from an unsuspected corner: The rich, it seems, have grown bored with their wardrobes. Being seen twice in the same dress was just so 2009!

The study by Bain & Co. has forecast that sales of designer clothes, leather goods, watches, jewelry and other indulgences would surge 10 percent in 2010, recovering from a sit-on-your-Dolce-&-Gabbana-wallet 8 percent decline in 2009. The study was commissioned by Italy's Fondazione Altagamma association of high-end producers.

Sales in the U.S. market grew up 12 percent. Asia saw a 22 percent growth in high-end spending and European shoppers spent 6 percent more. Leather goods, which held steady despite the 2009 dramatic decline, is predicted to grow by 16 percent in 2010.

Of course the holiday season will be the litmus test. And even Bain is hedging its bets a bit, saying growth could range from 9 percent to about 11 percent, depending on shopper turnout.

The real story though may be coming from Asia, where the Chinese are powering luxury sales to the point where they grew a whopping 30 percent. Chinese tourists have begun traveling the world and spending as they go.

Some other encouraging factoids: larger brands are faring better than smaller ones -- perhaps because they had the resources to weather the recession. And menswear is growing faster than womenswear -- for which there is simply no explanation known to (wo)mankind.

Filed under: Wealth, Luxury Shopping

Spending Returns to the Luxury Market or Please Pass the Ferragamos originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Four New W Hotels Set to Open Starting in December

Ann Brenoff — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:01:00 EST

File this under: You can never have too much of a good thing.

Four new W Hotels are debuting beginning this December. The new W's are in Austin, Texas; Taipei; Koh Samui Thailand; and a W Retreat and Spa in Bali. All are built-from-the-ground new facilities and all feature high-end resort-style amenities including cutting-edge restaurants and bars. Room rates vary by location and season, but are approximately $300 a night. The rollout plan begins in December and ends in February.

The W Austin, acknowledging the city's unofficial slogan of "Keep Austin Weird," captures the city's local flavor -- although hardly in a weird way. The 251-room hotel, with a rooftop pool and bar is surrounded by the city's hippest night spots and restaurants just steps from Sixth Street and the Warehouse District.

Continue reading Four New W Hotels Set to Open Starting in December

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Four New W Hotels Set to Open Starting in December originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tongabezi Lodge in Zambia for the Holidays, Dr. Livingstone?

Ann Brenoff — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 09:02:00 EST

"Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" The man to whom Sir Henry Morton Stanley posed that now-famous question was Scottish missionary David Livingstone, who had been out of contact with the world for several years when Stanley found him. Livingstone explored these parts of Zambia and today, his legacy lives on with much named in his honor.

The banks of the Zambezi River is where the 5-star Tongabezi Lodge is located. The lodge was founded in 1990 and consists of small cottages, each assigned its own valet to care for his guests and act as a private concierge. Game drives, bush walks and boating rips are all included in the price. Nearby Victoria Falls can be seen either by boat or helicopter and the best views may be from Livingstone Island, where one can also take a swim in the Devil's Pool, a unique falls experience where conflicting water currents allow for (semi-)safe swimming described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The lodge is the first river lodge at Victoria Falls in Zambia, and it's offering a three-night holiday package that combines celebration with Zambian traditions at Christmas and New Year's. The all-inclusive costs for each three-night stay is $1,350, which includes accommodations, meals, bar drinks, one spa treatment and all entertainment.

Gallery: Zambia TongabeziHoliday Package

Continue reading Tongabezi Lodge in Zambia for the Holidays, Dr. Livingstone?

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Tongabezi Lodge in Zambia for the Holidays, Dr. Livingstone? originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Stonepine Estate: The Grand Dame of Carmel Valley

Ann Brenoff — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:01:00 EST

The doors of the famed Stonepine Estate and equestrian center in California's Carmel Valley are now open to the public full-time. The resort has remained open for private weddings and special events but is now again welcoming vacationers. A luxury resort with the feel of an exclusive private home -- which it once was -- has long catered to the rich and famous and clearly has written the textbook on how to serve up the pampered resort experience.

Beautiful grounds of this size -- 330 acres -- ensure guests' privacy and seclusion, which is probably why so many celebrities have been drawn here through the decades. It's a Gatsby-esqe experience with society soirees, picturesque and meandering gardens, waterfalls, immaculately kept grounds, world-class equestrian facilities and a European flair where people still dress for dinner and wouldn't dream of answering their Blackberrys during cocktails.

Stonepine Estate provided the accommodations and some meals to the writer.

Gallery: Stonepine Estates

Continue reading Stonepine Estate: The Grand Dame of Carmel Valley

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Stonepine Estate: The Grand Dame of Carmel Valley originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Esquire's Ultimate Bachelor Pad Listed at $18.9 million

Ann Brenoff — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:02:00 EST

Each year since 2003, Esquire Magazine has taken a house and turned it into a design showcase. They call it their "Ultimate Bachelor Pad" but it really does serve a higher purpose: The remodeled space is used to host some of the season's biggest charity and celebrity events. And the house for sale winds up getting a lot of terrific exposure.

This year's house is located in the Doheny Estates in the storied Hollywood Hills. The 9,000-square-foot house was completely rebuilt from the ground up and newly outfitted by top designers. What was once a family home was transformed into a contemporary indoor-outdoor lifestyle property for Esquire under the watchful design eye of Elaine Culotti of Porta Bella.

It has 11 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, an infinity pool, two-story pool house, hot tub and gym. The home was given a $500,000 music studio complete with state-of-the-art recording equipment, a one-of-a-kind flight simulator costing $200,000 that responds to body movements (created by Luxurious Animals), and an interactive 65-inch multi-touch video wall from Obscura Digital featuring Hard Rock memorabilia. The world premiere of the Esquire House is Oct. 15 with a benefit for the International Medical Corps, a global humanitarian relief organization. The event will be hosted by Sienna Miller, Jude Law and Felicity Huffman. Other fundraisers scheduled for the Esquire House include ones by OXFAM, City of Hope and Oceana. Minnie Driver, Emile Hirsch, Colin Firth and Mark Ruffalo are among the spotlighted celebrities expected to be in attendance. All events are by invitation only and attract a mix of celebrities, high-profile philanthropists and Esquire clients. For those not invited in, there's always the Facebook page.For the first time this year, there will be a cable TV show on the re-making of the Esquire House. The DIY Network has scheduled it to air in January, hosted by Amy Matthews, host of various DIY Network shows. This is the fourth property Esquire has created in Los Angeles. The concept began in 2003 and has since alternated between New York and Los Angeles. The original property remodeled was the Esquire Apartment at the Trump World Tower.

Some of the top designers who contributed to this year's project include Mark Cutler, who did the study; Annette English who designed the master bedroom; Lonni Paul on the gym; and Ron Boren did the landscaping.

Mauricio Umansky of Hilton & Hyland in Beverly Hills is the listing agent for the property.

Gallery: The Esquire House

Filed under: Estates

Esquire's Ultimate Bachelor Pad Listed at $18.9 million originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

"Sex and the City's" Malibu Home, Estate of the Day

Ann Brenoff — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:02:00 EST

The beachfront tri-level that was used to film the first "Sex and the City" movie has come on the market as a $55,000 a month lease. It is also available for sale at $13 million as a pocket listing, not in the MLS. At the time the 2008 film was shot here, it was listed at about $17 million and rents out in the summer for $75,000 a month.

The property was portrayed as the home of Kim Cattrall's high-powered public relations character and filming occurred for about two weeks here. In the film, sexpot bombshell Samantha Jones shares the home with her fictional actor boyfriend, Smith, who encourages Samantha to spend less time traveling to New York and more right here. Easy to see the argument why. It's an incredible property with five cantilevered balconies overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A second Malibu property was used to film the girls' "Mexican" honeymoon hotel in the same movie -- the one that put Carrie in a "Mexi-coma."

Since the movie was shot, the beachfront home's entry level has been redone, bringing the square footage to almost 5,800. The architectural home has a contemporary kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances, CaesarStone quartz countertops and travertine floors. There is a large entertainment room, a wet bar, wine cellar and a maid's quarters with separate entrance. Being smack on the oceanfront has it's advantages too, of course. The ocean side has floor to mid-roof arched glass for a dramatic ocean and sky view. There are balconies on both sides, creating a transparent sea-and-sky environment.

The home was designed by architect Jay Vanos and sits on 50 feet of prime Malibu beachfront. There are five bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. The gourmet kitchen features stainless steel appliances and high-tech lighting. Hosts five bedrooms and six and a half baths. Features gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances, high-tech lighting, and Wenge cabinetry. Many elements of the home are customized, including the state-of-the-art sound system, premium cherry wood and limestone floorings, a remote control skylight screen. Each of the three fireplaces is made of Santa Barbara sandstone.

The showcase home has a dramatic master suite, well-displayed in the movie with some of the original furnishings. The master bath has a freestanding tub with ocean views.

Ani Dermenjian of Coldwell Banker, Malibu Colony office, is the listing agent.

Gallery: Sex and the City Malibu House

Continue reading "Sex and the City's" Malibu Home, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates

"Sex and the City's" Malibu Home, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

La Habra Heights "Toy Box" Listed at $21 Million, Estate of the Day

Ann Brenoff — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:01:00 EST

There are some houses that are elegant and other houses that are, well, sort of giant toy boxes for their owners. This one is both.

First the fun stuff: There's an incredible pool worthy of Vegas, right down to its waterslide with a ring of fire, a swim-up bar and a pool house with glass walls. There's also a waterfall, grotto, cave and fountain. There's a full kitchen poolside and sports bar so you really never have to leave the resort, I mean pool area. The property is in La Habra Heights, which borders Los Angeles and Orange County, perhaps not the toniest of addresses. But who's leaving?

The 9,000-square-foot house has a casino room with multiple TVs so you can keep current with your online sports betting. There are slot machines and video games, again very Vegas-like. Enough neon to bring on a migraine, just like the real Vegas does! The home has a professional theater, a wine cellar and library. There are five bedrooms and nine bathrooms. The $21 million asking price includes an extra buildable lot.

And now for the more serious things: The home has hand-painted ceilings and walls, hand-carved moldings, crystal chandeliers, etched glass mirrors in the bathrooms, custom carpets, draperies and Versace furnishings.

Marguerite Wheery of Teles Properties, Brentwood, is the listing agent.

Gallery: La Habra Heights

Continue reading La Habra Heights "Toy Box" Listed at $21 Million, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates

La Habra Heights "Toy Box" Listed at $21 Million, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Majorca Marvel Bejewels the Spanish Coast, Estate of the Day

Ann Brenoff — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:02:00 EST

There are some estates that just scream bling! at you. Love it or hate it, this place is a talker. Located on the
Spanish island of Majorca, this is a 'hood where if you have to ask the price, you can't afford to be here. Which is pretty much the owner's attitude about it. German prince and talk show host Karl-Heinz Richard Furst von Sayn-Wittgenstein says "price upon request." We spotted it in an eBay classified listed at $28 million.

Known as Villa Colani, inspired by the legendary designer Luigi Colani, this estate was finished in 2009. There's about 10,700-square-feet of living space that includes a spherical kitchen for which the appliances (even the spherical ones) were designed by Sheer and flown in from Italy. More than 1,230 square feet of 24-carat gold (the gold weighed 60 pounds and at the time cost more than $1 million) was used in the swimming pools and house. There are golden fixtures and crystal chandeliers. Specialists and security experts from Austria, Germany and Switzerland were brought in for the installations. And yes, there is a safe room.

Everything in the house runs by remote control -- appliances, curtains, the closed circuit TV, and security systems.

It's a home full of gadgets, glitter and gizmos. But of the highest quality and expense. The estate is a series of circular structures, connected by terraces, water features and wrapped in a package where the exterior is bright orange (although it appears more taxicab yellow in the online photos.) There's an eclectic mix of statues, blue marble columns with gilded plinths, genuine gold mosaic in the bath, and a pool that abuts directly to the exterior of the house. White spindle banisters, gold elliptical balls, iron gates, palm trees, stone lion guardians -- a mishmash or a masterpiece? You decide. It all says Majorca to me, which is perhaps the point.

The exclusive Colani door, as well as the doors to the five other entrances, are all adorned with genuine Swarovski crystals artistically inset into the panel so that they sparkle from both the outside and inside the house. The exacting renovation of the villa was followed closely by the media in Majorca and Germany. And the crowning media moment came when Colani himself visited to witness the installation of the Colani entrance door. He apparently was pleased.

Gallery: Villa Colani

Continue reading Majorca Marvel Bejewels the Spanish Coast, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Design

Majorca Marvel Bejewels the Spanish Coast, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Marilyn Monroe Died Here: Mark it Sold!

Ann Brenoff — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 07:01:00 EST

The house that Marilyn Monroe died in sold for above asking price, raising the perennial question that surfaces every time someone successfully markets a house based on the fact that a celebrity once owned it: Does celebrity ownership add sufficient cache to make buyers reach for their checkbooks?

The short answer: No. But it's a great way to attract free media attention. No one actually buys a house based on the fact that a celebrity once lived in it. The fact that Marilyn Monroe not only lived here, but died here as well? Still a no.

So how to explain why the Brentwood home that Monroe owned sold for $3.85 million when it was listed at a mere $3,595,000 and went into escrow within two weeks of hitting the market? Easy: It was priced well for the area and that attracted more than one buyer who could afford it.

It's a nice house, but there are plenty of nice homes on the market. For those who fret over the details, it's a 1929 hacienda that sits on a little over a half acre. It has a funky kidney-shaped pool that screams "Old Hollywood" and has lots of period details such as hardware and tiles. Beamed ceilings, a couple of fruit trees and a nice big lawn.

It was priced right. Plain and simple. The same thing was true of the home owned by actress Beverly Garland, which sold a few months ago for $100,000 more than its $1,765,000 asking price in just 11 days. It really had nothing to do with the charming Ms. Garland, who died two years ago. And she even died of natural causes.

But what do I know? The Manhattan apartment that Heath Ledger rented for $22,000 a month skyrocketed to $26,000 after the 28-year-old actor died in it of a drug overdose. Or could that just be Manhattan greed?

Gallery: Marilyn Monroe's Brentwood home

Filed under: Estates

Marilyn Monroe Died Here: Mark it Sold! originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tommy Bahama's New Electric Bike "Pedaled" In Time for the Holidays

Ann Brenoff — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:01:00 EST

The king of palm trees, Tommy Bahama, has partnered with Pedego to produce an electric bike just in time for the holiday gift season. The product is debuting Sept. 22-24 at the Interbike International Trade Expo at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.

The lightweight aluminum electric bikes comes in the classic cruiser and step-thru styles. It has a manual six-speed gear box, allowing for better grade navigation or you can simply to switch to the 36-volt lithium battery and let the bike do the work for you. The bike, which comes in vibrant orange, features custom-padded handgrips and an adjustable contoured seat. It travels at a top speed of 20 mph and gets about 40 miles per charge, depending on the rider's weight and the terrain.

The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $2,575.

Tommy Bahama, best known for its tropical living styled sportswear and home furnishings, sees this as a natural extension of its outdoor living branding. Electric bikes are being promoted as a green alternative for gas-powered transportation, a good forem of exercise and a hip style of recreation.

Filed under: Gadgets, Holiday Guides, Luxury Shopping

Tommy Bahama's New Electric Bike "Pedaled" In Time for the Holidays originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

10 of the Most Expensive Celebrity Homes on the Market that We Love

Ann Brenoff — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:01:00 EST

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Whose house is the fairest of them all?

Which celebrities have the most expensive properties on the market right now? Let's apologize up front for not including any pocket listings that we don't know about. (In fact, if you'd be so kind as to let us know about them, we'd be most grateful.)

And sorry, but we aren't counting Candy Spelling's Bel-Air listing at an unrealistic $150 million here -- not because it isn't a super property (if overpriced) but because despite her befriending us on Facebook, we still don't quite consider her a celebrity. We're also not including Dennis Hopper's estate, no disrespect intended toward the recently departed but if we opened the cemetery floodgates, there wouldn't be enough room in cyberspace to list them all. And lastly, we're so sick of athletes who misbehave that we'll pass on considering them celebrities for the moment. Overgrown kids maybe, but not celebrities.

So with those caveats, here's the unofficial Luxist list of 10 of our favorite and most expensive celebrity homes on the market.

1) Billy Joel's Sagaponack Village house for $19.9 million. We love love love this beachfront house in Sagaponack Village South that sits on 145 feet of oceanfront. We even loved it when it was first listed at $22.5 million. Classy, elegant, blends with the surroundings. You half expect a seagull to land on you while you stare at the photos. High beamed ceilings, white-washed, New Englandy without the pretensions. It was renovated in 2009 and clearly is a place where great music could be made -- although apparently not between Billy Joel and his soon-to-be-ex wife Katie Lee Joel. Nothing like a divorce to force the issue of liquidating the real estate. And nothing like a recession to keep things from moving. The piano man and his fourth wife also listed the property next door to this one for $12 million. There are some reports it sold in the $10 million vicinity.

Gallery: The Joels In Sagaponack #1

Continue reading 10 of the Most Expensive Celebrity Homes on the Market that We Love

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

10 of the Most Expensive Celebrity Homes on the Market that We Love originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

EMUs New Water-Resistant Boots Make a Splash

Ann Brenoff — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:01:00 EST

I have nursed my faithful pair of tan sheepskin boots through three years of rain, visits to the snow and -- since I live in southern California where we wear our boots for reasons of style over substance most days -- blistering heat. And sadly, they are now of retirement age -- long ago losing their shape, their sheen, their very high coolness factor sacrificed to the elements. And at the risk of sounding like someone who casts aside an old friend in favor of the new kid on the block, I am doing precisely that: UGGs, begone. Make room for my new EMUs, which have already passed the -- get this -- water test.

A sheepskin boot, warm and cozy on the inside and covered with the smoothest suede-like leather on God's green Earth -- and they are waterproof?? OK, water-resistant, but the company has submerged them in water and out they came looking good as new, which makes them waterproof in my book. Bring on the El Ninos. Mammoth Mountain ski area, here we come. The leather didn't dry or crack. The color deepened, but in a weathery happy way. The shape kept. I'm sold.

Gallery: Emu Boots

Continue reading EMUs New Water-Resistant Boots Make a Splash

Filed under: Apparel, Shoes, Luxury Shopping

EMUs New Water-Resistant Boots Make a Splash originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Controversial Wells Fargo House in Malibu Colony Sold

Ann Brenoff — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:01:00 EST

The foreclosed-on house where a Wells Fargo vice president moved herself in and threw wild parties has been sold for $14,950,000, according to the MLS. The house had been originally listed at $21 million and then dropped to $18 million.

The four-bedroom, four-bath home is located in the famed Malibu Colony and has unobstructed ocean views. It has walls of glass, and features an indoor/outdoor living space with glass pocket doors leading to the outdoors. There are state-of-the-art appliances in the chef's kitchen and the master suite has a steam shower, spa tub and large walk-in closet.

The 3,800-square-foot house drew international attention last September when it was learned that a Wells Fargo bank vice president had moved herself in after the bank had foreclosed on the property. She was fired once her escapades became public. Some local Realtors said the bank blocked showings of the home. Neighbors reported large parties being thrown at the property, including some where guests would be ferried to the house from a yacht anchored off shore. The original owners were a couple who had been duped by Bernie Madoff.

Hilton & Hyland agent Chad Rogers had the listing and is believed to have also represented the buyer. Rogers declined to comment on the sale.

Gallery: Malibu Colony Road

Filed under: Estates

Controversial Wells Fargo House in Malibu Colony Sold originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments