Actor Jamie Foxx hasn't lived in his Tarzana, California home for a while, moving on to a 40-acre spread in Thousand Oaks. This three-bedroom in Tarzana had been his home since 1997 when he bought the home for $930,000. As the Real Estalker mentions, the home has been the site of some of Foxx's famous wild parties and the police were once called over a nude basketball game being held on the home's half court. The home has been customized by Foxx with details such as aquariums in the living room, a game room in the basement, a media room and a recording studio. The home has since gone through a major renovation which explains the blandness of the current decor.
Renowned entrepreneur and broadcast veteran Art Astor is selling off part of his famous car collection in Anaheim, California this weekend. The sale, conducted by RM Auctions, mainly features American cars with a few classic imports of the kind we're partial to thrown in. We're particularly fond of this 1970 Jaguar XKE Series II Roadster, for example, which with an estimate of only $40,000 - $60,000 is something of a bargain. Also included in the sale: a 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I "Playboy" roadster which was used as a movie car and has been driven by Bette Davis and Robert Redford, est. $175,000 - $250,000; a 1968 Jaguar XKE Series I.5 2+2 Fixed Head Coupe, est. $30,000 - $40,000; a 1961 Jaguar XK150 3.8 Roadster, est. $80,000 - $120,000; a rare 1941 Chrysler Town & Country Nine-Passenger Estate "woody" wagon, est. $250,000 - $300,000; and a 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster. est. $125,000 - $150,000. See the gallery for pix, and place your bids online at LiveAuctioneers.com.
Paul Michael Glaser is best known for playing Detective Starsky in the 1970s cop show Starsky and Hutch and has gone on to have a career as a television director. Glaser has separated from his second wife, Tracy Barone. His first wife Elizabeth, who died from AIDS and contracted HIV through a blood transfusion during childbirth, founded the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. The home that Glaser and Tracy Barone Glaser shared in the town of Agoura is five bedrooms and includes a gourmet kitchen, walnut wide-plank floors and tasteful and casual decor designed for a family. The grounds include a dressage arena with lights and corrals, a pool and spa, gazebo, and a study/loft with views over the grounds. This home is listed at $2.424 million.
Lake Tahoe, the 22-mile long natural wonder in the Sierra Nevada mountains that's a renowned vacation spot - and site of this amazing Estate of the Day, among others - is the subject of a beautiful new book by photographer Thomas Bachand. Lake Tahoe: A Fragile Beauty (Chronicle Books, $35), features a decade's worth of Bachand's images presenting "a timeless vocabulary of water, rock and sky," as well as "the transition that the lake and its surroundings are undergoing due to tourism and development." Pictured above is a sunset storm at Sugar Pine Point State Park. A must-have for anyone "enchanted by Tahoe's beauty, engaged by its history, and concerned for its welfare," the book goes on sale in a couple of weeks but you can pre-order it on Amazon now.
Pepin's Payusnaya is the first in the Chef's Selection Series creating the first domestically pressed caviar available in the U.S. through the California Caviar Company. Jacques Pepin's blend of white sturgeoun, hackleback and paddlefish caviar can be spread, sliced, shaved, molded, or added to sauces to complement your dining preferences. This type of caviar is a great option for beginners and for those of you concerned, the caviar is sustainably harvested which never hurts. I like the versatility of the product and its unique combination -- sounds like a winner to me!
Today's home won't appeal to everyone. Unless you enjoy Moroccan style this isn't the place for you. If you like it though, welcome to Casa Blanca, a dramatic home located on the Carpinteria coast next to Montecito, California. This estate which was finished in 1996 has a history that reaches back to the 1920s. Upon entering the iron gates of the home, you are welcomed into a courtyard with a water fountain. Once inside, there is a a lighted dome with skylight above the entry The six-bedroom home has some dramatic features including a living room with 19-foot ceilings and sliding glass doors that disappear into the sides of the walls. The dining room has hidden built-in cabinets and a Murano glass chandelier. The master bedroom suite has coffered ceilings, fireplaces and a terrace. The master bath opens to a secluded patio with a tiled spa. Every bedroom has a deck or a terrace. The back of the house has 180 degree views of the ocean, islands and coast line with direct beach access. The exterior of the house is very beautiful and evocative but the home's rather bland interior doesn't deliver on the exotic promise of the exterior facade, at least in the pictures I've seen.
The home is one of eight in a gated enclave. The property shares a tennis court and pool pavilion with kitchen. The best shared amenities is the Natatorium which was designed by famed local George Washington Smith and has historical significance. This pool house has a pool room, game room and men's and women's separate showers done in a Moorish style with painted arches, marble fireplace, tiled walls and floors. The most interesting feature is a sumptuous indoor pool area with elaborate mosaic tile work that is capped by a large retractable skylight. This home is listed at $12.9 million.
Last week L'Auberge Del Mar re-opened in Del Mar, California with a new design that's more like a high end private estate than a typical luxury resort. The renovation cost about $25 million dollars, or $200,000 per room, and the result is a combination of both upgraded appearance and upgraded services and amenities. There's too much detail to talk about it all here but some of the new features that caught my attention are the Waterfall Terrace (which includes a 14-foot illuminated waterfall) and the 4500 sq ft luxury spa. The rooms all have walk-in showers, marble-topped vanities, the best in technologically advanced amenities (i.e. 42" plasma TVs and iPod docking clock radios), and many have fireplaces. Where do I sign up?
Today's home has an admirable spot in Santa Barbara, California along Channel Drive. It overlooks Butterfly Beach with views to the Channel Islands and up along the sweep of the coast. It is located in a great neighborhood with easy beach access. The home itself is a bit of a question mark. Built in 1951, it's got a modernist style but it seems a bit dated. The home has three bedrooms which are positioned for ocean views. There are cool details here, the gated property is entered through a large courtyard containing a two-car garageand the approach to the house is via wide pebbled stairs that appear to float above a reflecting pool lined with blue mosaic tiles, and bordered by plantings. The living and dining areas offer floor-to-ceiling glass windows wrapped around two sides of the building with clerestory windows for added light. The entire site has been arranged for maximum privacy so there is no need for window shades. The living room is linked to a sunken dining area with a large black circular chimney hood descending from the ceiling and hanging above a circular raised fire pit. The home sits on less than a half and acre and is listed at $35 million. Even for this area that's a lot for a house that I suspect might end up being a teardown. What say you, update and expand or scrap it and start over?
Carmel Valley Ranch, the California retreat set on a stunning parcel of 400 lush acres with views of the Santa Lucia Mountains, just finished the final phase of an elegant $12 million makeover with the opening of a branch of acclaimed Washington, D.C. eatery Citronelle. Among the many improvements are a remodeled main Lodge and a refurbished Pete Dye-designed 18-hole championship golf course and clubhouse. CVR's 144 suites - that's 2.7 acres per suite, by the way - take advantage of the dramatic setting with a refined country aesthetic, many featuring wraparound decks and wood-burning fireplaces. Chef Michel Richard's Citronelle serves light, modern French cuisine "infused with locally grown ingredients and produce for a uniquely Californian twist." See the gallery for more.
Earlier this month we mentioned Navigenics -- a DNA testing service where you send in a swab of your spit to be analyzed for a variety of genetically testable diseases. Now there seems to be a growing controversy concerning these over-the-mailbox testing kits. Both New York state and California have issued warning letters to such companies including Navigenics and 23andMe stating these tests should not be administered without oversight from a practicing physician. Although no formal charges have been made yet, interested customers from New York have been put on a waiting list at Navigenics until this mess can be sorted out. At least that particular company offers genetic counseling services for individuals who find out they may be predisposed to get Alzheimers and other diseases... a small step in the right direction.
A large chunk of land in California's Santa Ynez valley has been carved into large ranch property. The Ranches at Figueroa Canyon are five ranches being being offered for sale. Four architects are designing conceptual main house and ranch site plans, each tailored to specific ranch properties: Howard Backen of Backen Gillam Architects based in Sausalito and St. Helena, California; Barry Berkus of B3 Architects and Berkus Design Studio in Santa Barbara, California and Scottsdale, Arizona; Jonathan Foote, Architect in Tucson, Arizona and Livingston, Montana; and David Leavengood of Leavengood Architects in Seattle, Washington.
Each architect will provide a conceptual design for one of the ranch properties, covering the main ranch house and a site plan for ancillary buildings such as a ranch manager's residence, guest house, barns, entry or pool. Buyers may opt to work with the architect who provided the conceptual plans for their ranch, choose one of the other Preferred Architects or select an architect outside of the Preferred Architects Program.
The Ranches at Figueroa Canyon range from 187 to 1,176 acres and each has one or more legal parcels served by water and utilities. The areas were traditionally used for cattle ranching but could now be home to vineyards and equestrian facilities, as well as a private residence. The five ranches – College Ranch, Ranger Peak Ranch, Vista Largo Ranch, Corrales Creek Ranch and Lost Trail Ranch – range from $6 million to $24.5 million.
I wouldn't generally think of Earth Day as a vacation holiday but the Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort and Spa and the City of Palm Desert, California are trying to turn it into one with an "Escape! Earth Day" travel package during the month of April. The package, starts at $399 a night and includes a stay in a standard guest room at the Desert Springs, two 50-minute organic date scrub spa treatments, use of spa/fitness facilities, breakfast buffet for two at the resort's Lake View restaurant (including an organic honey tasting) and a free admission to Palm Desert's Living Desert (in exchange for turning in a used cell phone). The Living Desert is Palm Desert's natural zoo which fosters conservation through preservation. Ten percent of the proceeds from the package will be donated to the Living Desert Organization. While I might debate the eco-friendliness of travel, at least if you go to the Palm Desert in April you likely won't need the air conditioning.
Another hotel Destination Resorts Hawaii is offering a $250 carbon credit for guests traveling to Maui this spring. Their Honua Makuahine (Mother Earth) package includes five nights lodging, a complimentary Dollar rental car, free parking and a $250 carbon credit per booking. The offer is valid April 1 through June 15, 2008 and pckage rates begin at $1,080 based on lodging in a one bedroom condominium. The $250 carbon credit offsets an average of 3.5 roundtrip flights from Los Angeles to Maui based on calculations from Carbon Planet.
Tables of Ten:Dining for a Cause is a unique fundraiser held by the Avenues of Art & Design and Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, CA on May 30. Designers, showrooms, restaurateurs and chefs set up tables on the outdoor plaza of the Pacific Design Center. Each chef creates unique cuisine for one table and each table is outfitted in extravagant design from distinguished designers and showrooms. This year's chefs include: Ben Ford of Ford's Filling Station, David Schanhals from The Palm West Hollywood, Javier Plascencia of Romesco, Yoshinura Kojima and Wolfgang Puck from Red Seven by Wolfgang Puck, Michael Bryant, David LeFevre of Water Grill, Kerry Simon from Simon L.A., Evan Kleiman with Café Angeli, Crustacean Beverly Hills, and Antonia Lofaso of SBE's Foxtail (and contestant on BRAVO TV's hit show "Top Chef"). Designers for the tables include Willard Ford of Ford/Brady, Leslie Frankenheimer for Architectural Digest, FIDM: Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Hutton Wilkinson for Baker Furniture, Daniel Vandenbark for Dezine, Inc., Brooke Ziccardi, Michael Berman, Tracy Murdock, Karen Brady for RL Homes, and Inner-City Arts, featuring tables decorated by the children. Proceeds from Tables of Ten will benefit Inner-City Arts and kicks off the Avenues of Art & Design's 11th Annual Art & Design Walk. on May 31. The Art and Design Walk is a free event from 4 PM to 8 PM along West Hollywood's Melrose Avenue, Robertson and Beverly Boulevards. Over 300 fashion boutiques, design/furniture showrooms, fine art/antique galleries and restaurants will open their doors to guests offering special reception, food and entertainment.
The latest West Hollywood hotel, The London West Hollywood is set to open. The hotel, which is located where on the site of the former Bel Age Hotel boasts the first Gordon Ramsay restaurant on the West Coast. The hotel was designed by the David Collins Studio which also worked on The London NYC, Nobu Berkeley Street, The Blue Bar at The Berkeley, Claridge's and the National Gallery. Ramsay's restaurant will have two main dining rooms that mirror each other, centered by a cocktail bar. There will also be five private dining rooms and a 3,960 square foot ballroom. Guests of the hotel will also be able to order from a special in-room dining menu created by Gordon and his team.
The 223 guest suites include bespoke furnishings in a luxury neutral palette with details such as embossed leather, velvet upholstery, bleached oak, hand-cut mosaic tiles and Italian linens. Each suite has a private terrace and the bathroom has a walk-in, glass shower with both jet and raindrop shower heads, a separate soaking tub and a dual vanity with ample shelf storage. Rooms will be wired with plenty of docking outlets for your electronics and will have a high-definition flat screen television. And unlike some hotels, the London West Hollywood will offer complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access. The hotel also has a rooftop panoramic pool deck adorned with trees and white roses and plans to open a rooftop spa later this year. The hotel opens April 1 and is offering a special of $249 per night including a continental breakfast until May 31.
