california

$100 Million for a Second Home in California? A Russian Billionaire Just Bought One!

Filed under: Estates

Yuri Milner $70 million home in Silicon Valley California

The Russian billionaire, Yuri Milner, has paid $100 million for a second home in California's Silicon Valley, in Los Altos Hills. According to the Wall Street Journal's Market Watch, March 30th, it is the highest known amount paid for a home in the United States.

This home is 25,500 square feet of living area, and was inspired by 18th-century French chateaux (see above). It has 25,000+ square feet of living space with five bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a central entry court, ballroom, home theater, wine cellar, spa/gym, a tennis court, car wash, swimming pool and formal gardens. The living areas are all located on the second floor to take advantage of the dramatic San Francisco Bay Bay view. It was designed by the prestigious Hablinski + Manion Architectural & Planning Group.

Mr. Milner's primary residence is in Moscow, where he lives with his wife and two daughters, but he is a frequent visitor to the high-tech enclave in northern California.

The 47-year-old Internet tycoon appeared on the cover of the most recent issue of Forbes magazine and has invested heavily in Facebook, Zynga and Groupon through his investment firm DST Global. His company is said to control about 10 percent, or $5 billion worth, of Facebook's shares. He also has had positive dealings with the Russian online company Mail.ru.

The home was bought from another tycoon, Fred Chan, founder of ESS Technology, who has reportedly decided to live in Hawaii after building the Silicon Valley mansion.

Mr Milner reportedly made the transaction through a limited liability company called La Paloma Property. After years of relative market flatness, this sale has been seen as a sign that the market in high-end properties on the West Coast are becoming more, well, effervescent.

Gallery: $100 Million Home in Silicon Valley

Tags: California, DST Global, ESS Technology, Fred Chan, Hablinski + Manion Architects, luxury homes, luxury homes Los Altos, second homes market in California, Silicon Valley, Yuri Milner, Yuri Milner Forbes Magazine

The Swanson Late Bloomers: A Late Harvest Wine Trend in Napa Valley

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

Swanson Winery Entrance

Napa Valley is an environment committed to preservation, populated with those who perfect the essence of multi-layered taste -- be it food, wine or both.

French Laundry and Bouchon are in Yountville, also known as nirvana for Thomas Keller pilgrims. Exceptional wineries are tucked away, often from highway view, in Rutherford, Saint Helena, Oakville, and Calistoga. Resorts are also hidden: The Inn at Carneros (up a side road, behind a garden wall), Calistoga Ranch (in a private canyon), Meadowood (at the end of Meadowood Lane and near the base of Howell Mountain) all removed from plain sight, all worthy of joyous discovery.

Those who retreat to Napa that often engage in wine tastings also discover trends. On a recent journey, I uncovered the emergence of late harvest wines that are becoming increasingly well-known and more appreciated than ever before. Swanson Vineyards makes three exceptional late harvest wines, and has evolved into one of the leaders in this field.

Tags: California, Calistoga Ranch, Dessert Wine, Inn At Carneros, Late Harvest Wine, Meadowood Napa Valley, Mission Grapes, Napa Valley, Napa Valley Wine Trends, Swanson Angelica Wine, Swanson Crepescule Late Harvest Wine, Swanson Late Harvest Wines, Swanson Tardif Late Harvest Wine, Swanson Winery, Wine Trends, Yountville

Continue reading “The Swanson Late Bloomers: A Late Harvest Wine Trend in Napa Valley”

Steve McQueen's Husqvarna Motorcycle Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, The Classicist

The Husqvarna 400CR motorcycle pictured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in August 1971 ridden by Steve McQueen, aka The King of Cool, will be auctioned off on May 14 at Quail Lodge in Carmel, California during Bonhams' sale of Exceptional Motorcycles & Related Memorabilia. McQueen's favorite motorcycle for a number of years, which he rode at the Elsinore Grand Prix among other events, it's sure to fetch a significant amount. The bike is featured prominently in the cool new edition of McQueen's Machines: The Cars and Bikes of a Hollywood Icon from Motorbooks.

The Husqvarna was originally purchased from the Steve McQueen Estate Sale in 1984 at Harrah's Auto Collection in Las Vegas. In addition to being impeccably restored and fully documented it comes with a wooden trunk marked "Husky" full of accessories. More McQueen ephemera will be offered at the sale including numerous racing trophies won by the legend of the silver screen and die-hard motorbike enthusiast. As we reported on March 10, McQueen's 1970 Porsche 911 is also headed for auction this summer.

Gallery: Steve McQueen's Husqvarna Motorbike

Tags: 1970s, actor, Bonhams, California, celebrity cars, Hollywood, Husqvarna, motorbike, motorcycle, Porsche, Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen's Famed 1970 Porsche 911S at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, The Classicist

RM Auctions, the world's largest collector car auction house, will offer Steve McQueen's iconic 1970 Porsche 911S, featured in his epic Hollywood film Le Mans, at its highly-anticipated Monterey sale in California on August 18 – 20. Built to the highest 1970 specification, complete with air conditioning and a full complement of factory options, the slate grey 911S stars in the film's legendary opening sequence as McQueen's character, hotshot Porsche driver Michael Delaney, drives through the French countryside reflecting on life, death, and racing.

In addition to its starring role in the film, the Porsche 911S was used as Steve McQueen's personal transport during the movie's production, later joining his own stable of extraordinary motor cars in California – a collection that over the years included everything from a Jaguar XK-SS, multiple Ferraris, Porsches, airplanes, motorcycles and everything in between. Today, the 911S is presented in exceptionally original condition, and is offered from the collection of one of America's foremost Porsche aficionados.

Tags: 1970+911s, 1970+porsche+911s, 1970911s, 1970porsche911s, amelia+island, ameliaisland, auctions, California, car collection, celebrity car, classic cars, king of cool, king of cools cars, Le Mans, McQueens Machines, Porsche, Porsche 911, Porsche 911S, porsche+911+auction, porsche911auction, RM Auctions, Steve McQueen, Steve McQueen cars, Steve McQueen Porsche, steve+mcqueen+911, steve+mcqueen+911s, steve+mcqueen+car+auction, steve+mcqueen+porsche+911, stevemcqueen911, stevemcqueen911s, stevemcqueencarauction, stevemcqueenporsche911

Kaley Cuoco Lists Her Sherman Oaks Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Lovely blonde actress Kaley Cuoco has a hit on her hands with her role in "The Big Bang Theory." Perhaps that's why she's decided to move on and leave her home in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles behind. The LA Times reports that Cuoco has put her three-bedroom home on the market for $995,000 listed with Stephanie Vitacco of Coldwell Banker.

The gated Spanish-style house was built in 1937 and listing pictures show that Cuoco has already decamped. The home has distressed hardwood floors and recessed lights. French doors that open to a covered patio and the home has a separate dining room. The kitchen is updated with a breakfast area and stainless steel appliances. The master suite has a walk-in closet and a bathroom with an oversized shower. There is not pool but the listing describes the home's grounds as "parklike." Records on PropertyShark.com show that Cuoco bought the home in 2005 for $1.355 million.

Gallery: Kaley Cuoco in Sherman Oaks

Tags: california, celebrity real estate, Kaley Cuoco, los angeles real estate, sherman oaks

Continue reading “Kaley Cuoco Lists Her Sherman Oaks Home”

Parabellum Bison & Kevlar Leather Tote

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Men's Style

Parabellum, makers of hand-crafted leather goods with a military flair in California, have come out with a new tote bag that's as tough as it is stylish. The Archer Tote is reinforced with Kevlar and finished in deep textured bison hide with a removable / washable brushed cotton liner. Made entirely by hand in Los Angeles it features a removable shape-holding leather base, zippered pocket, adjustable straps and a hand-stitched brushed cotton case to protect it when not in use. Priced at $1,800, it's available at Union and Maxfield in Los Angeles as well as Colette in Paris. Parabellum's deep textured Bison hide comes from free-range American ranches, and is tanned domestically in small batches using age old techniques.

Tags: bags, Bison, California, leather, Los Angeles, mens bags, mens style, Parabellum, tote bag

Fairfax Hotel Hosts Second Annual Capital Wine Festival

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

With the swearing in of the 112th Congress this week, there's either plenty to celebrate or a crucial need to dull the pain. Whichever mood your political leanings have put you in, the good news is that the Fairfax Hotel at Embassy Row (part of the Starwood luxury group) will be hosting the second annual Capital Wine Festival, starting on the 20th of January. Located in Dupont Circle, the festival is the creation of Chef Daniel Bruce, who helms the kitchen at the Boston Harbor Hotel and founded its sister event, the Boston Wine Festival. Since organizing Boston over twenty years ago, he's expanded the event to include New Orleans (2007), Berkeley (2010) and DC (2010). Two disparate, yet equally popular and significant, wine regions are covered by this year's festival: the US West Coast (California and Oregon) and Italy. Over the course of eight dinners, festival participants will experience the wines of vineyards such as Poggio al Tesoro, Continuum Estate and Ponzi Vineyards, all presented by representatives from the wineries. A food and 45-label wine gala reception kicks it all off, but unlike most festivals, there's no need to run between events to cram everything in. The Capital Wine Festival is spread out over a leisurely two months, meaning that the party/pity-party will continue long into the 2011 session.

Tags: california, dupont circle, fairfax hotel, italy, oregon, StarwoodHotels, washington dc, wine, wine festival

Cipriani Family to Launch Luxe New "Mr. C" Hotel Brand in Beverly Hills

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Ignazio and Maggio Cipriani, fourth generation of the famed Cipriani family internationally renowned for its restaurants, landmarked banquet spaces, clubs, and residences, have announced the debut of Mr. C, a chic new signature hotel brand opening its first property in Beverly Hlls this April. Mr. C is designed to be "a modern version of old-world simplicity and stylish European glamour, providing today's traveler with a comfortable, elegant and effortless experience blending contemporary amenities with discreet, personalized service." The 138-room property will feature 12 Signature Suites and Classic Suites, alongside spacious guest rooms ranging from 365–800 square feet, each with a private balcony and many with panoramic views of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles. The interior design aims to be "rich and welcoming" with dark hardwood floors, burgundy and gray color palettes, and crisp white accents. Vintage black and white photographs from films like La Dolce Vita bring iconic and historic cultural moments to life on the walls, and well-appointed bathrooms feature teak flooring, marble accents, and luxe amenities.

Additionally, the property will feature five multi-level, residential-sized bungalows averaging approximately 3,000 square feet, each with a private garden, gourmet kitchen, plunge pool and views of Beverly Hills. Renowned Californian architect Ray Kappe designed the bungalows, which will feature all the Mr. C amenities including spa treatments, housekeeping, and room service from the signature Mr. C restaurant. The restaurant will welcome guests and Angelenos alike with a menu featuring classics from Cipriani's famed kitchens alongside grilled specialties and pizzas from morning to night. The restaurant will offer indoor and outdoor seating, a separate entrance for non-hotel guests, and two private rooms for more intimate occasions. The hotel will also feature an outdoor swimming pool for hotel guests only and an indoor/outdoor private event space boasting 360-degree panoramic city views from the 12th floor of the hotel, with a private exterior glass elevator. Rates will run from $429 for a Deluxe City View room to $2,009 for a Specialty Suite.

Gallery: Mr C, Beverly Hills

Tags: Beverly Hills, bungalow, California, Cipriani, hotel, hotels, interior design, Los Angeles, luxury hotel, Mr. C, restaurants

Malibu Estate and Winery Gets $16 Million Price Cut

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

As real estate watchers visiting this site have probably noticed, I'm spending a little time digging through the archives looking at some of the results from this past year. While dawdling through the Malibu MLS, the words 'huge price reduction' caught my eye. It turns out that Rocky Oaks Estate, a property that first popped up on the market in late 2009 for $65 million has had $16 million carved off the list price.

For your $49 million you get a 37-acre parcel amidst the winery-rich area of Malibu on Kanan Dume Road. The estate has its own award-winning vineyard, a large Tuscan home, plus additional pads for a potential helicopter landing site, guest house, and guard gate. The acreage includes terraced vineyards and orchards of approximately 75 citrus trees and 50 fruit and nut trees. The hillside location also offers panoramic views of the ocean and distant vistas of city lights in all directions. Listing pictures show lush green hillsides and jaw-dropping views but no peeks at the interior of the newly constructed home. Will the price drop be enough to get this one a "Sold" sign? Given the wealth of Malibu property on the market I'm predicting another price cut before that happens.

Gallery: Rocky Oaks Estate

An earlier version had the price cut at $14 million, thanks to Rod for pointing out that my late-night math had gone awry.

Tags: california, malibu, malibu real estate

The Best Of California Wine Country, 2010

by Michael B. Dougherty (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Don't call it a "gift guide" (although you can certainly use it as such). Instead, this is our wholly unscientific, criminally biased, fervently defended and lovingly curated paean to California's wine country. Despite all the doom-peddling and sky-falling tales that seemed to dominate this year's coverage of the industry, the Napa and Sonoma regions continue to startle and surprise, competing on equal footing with any of the world's traditional or au courant wine terroirs. Check out our celebration of the highlights, and then let us know what we missed in the comments.

Tags: best of 2010, california, napa, Quivira, robert mondavi, Sequoia Grove Vineyard, ShaferVineyards, wine

Continue reading “The Best Of California Wine Country, 2010”

First American Richard Mille Boutique Store Opens In Beverly Hills

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The last year has seen a venerable onslaught of dedicated high-end watch boutique stores - opening all over the world. These stores are direct competition to the increasingly less popular independent jewelry or watch stores. Brands, in order to promote their high-class image, and fend-off inventory going to the gray market, are building boutiques dedicated to selling products from their brands alone. The next few years will see more and more interesting changes to the landscape as the old and new ways of the watch industry reconcile with one another.

One of the best performing luxury watch brands of the last few years, Richard Mille has opened up its very first US boutique in Beverly Hills. Interestingly enough more and more watch stores are populating Rodeo Drive, as well as the surrounding area. Open across the Westime - likely the most well-known high-end watch store in Los Angeles - the Richard Mille boutique will serve as a new destination for fans of the brands often over-the-top complicated sport watch offerings. The store will also be one of the best placed to go to get the brand's exclusive for US product offerings. There will be no competition with Westime that until now carried Richard Mille watches. That is because Westime's owner is also the US distributor of Richard Mille. Now open, the Richard Mille boutique is located at 222 Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: beverly hills, boutique, california, Richard Mille, store, watch

World's Most Expensive iPad Case & More from Designer-to-the-Stars David August

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Celebrity Shopping, Men's Style

Back in August we reported that famed Italian luxury goods firm Tod's was offering the world's most expensive iPad case in genuine alligator for $4,900. Now David August, the California-based boutique luxury brand that creates bespoke wardrobes for the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Will Smith, Robert Downey Jr. and various billionaires, has topped that with his new collection of exotic leather goods including an even pricier iPad sheath. Crafted of the world's finest alligator skin hand cut and stitched in Italy by a skilled family of artisans, the collection of five luxe pieces is available in both a glazed and matte finish in over 20 different colors.

The entire collection is priced at $37,800 with each piece also available individually. The five pieces include the iPad cover (above, center) for $6,900, a soft laptop attaché case for $12,900, a Dopp kit for $7,800, a watch holder for $7,800, and a change tray for $2,400. All items are made strictly to order with a 2–4 week delivery time and several personal customizing options are available as well. While far from the priciest item in the collection, the iPad case is nonetheless the world's most expensive cover for the trendy gadget, costing nearly 14 times as much as Apple's basic 16GB model itself.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: David August Exotic Accessories

Tags: alligator, alligator+ipad+case, alligatoripadcase, Apple, Arnold Schwarzenegger, bespoke, billionaire, California, David August, designer+ipad+case, designeripadcase, exotic leather, expensive+ipad+case, expensive+ipad+cases, expensiveipadcase, expensiveipadcases, gadgets, iPad, iPad cover, Italy, most+expensive+ipad+case, mostexpensiveipadcase, Will Smith, worlds most expensive

The Classicist: Los Angeles' Finest Classic Estates

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Books, The Classicist, Architecture & Design

With asking prices running to the tens of millions on the rare occasions when such treasures hit the market, owning one of the classic estates of Los Angeles remains but a dream for many. Meanwhile Douglas Woods offers the next best thing in his new stunning new book Classic Homes of Los Angeles from Rizzoli, an exclusive look into some of the finest period revival residences and gardens to be found in and around the area's legendary neighborhoods. The volume's 240 full-color photographs by Melba Levick depict a panorama of richly detailed architectural styles popular in Southern California during its "Golden Age of Expansion" from 1899 to 1938, from Craftsman, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian to Spanish Colonial and Tuscan Revival. Famous landmarks are included as well as many never-before-seen gems.

The cover of the book (above) shows the Prindle House in Pasadena built by architect George Washington Smith in 1926, a pristine example of Spanish Colonial Revival style. Also included are the 1899 Doheny Mansion with its incredible glass-domed Pompeian Room, now part of Mount Saint Mary's College; the stately Huntington Mansion with its palatial great hall, now the Huntington Library museum; the estate of the great Hollywood producer and director Cecil B. DeMille which was recently listed for sale at $18 million; the elegant 1932 Fudger House in Beverly Hills where Danny Kaye lived and entertained for many years; and Frank Lloyd Wright's famed Millard House, aka La Miniatura, from 1923 in Pasadena which was our Estate of the Day in February 2009.

In his introduction to the book, author and architecture expert D.J. Waldie poses the question, "What makes a classic home of Los Angeles?" The answer, he writes, is one that "sympathetically embraces the fundamentals of life here: light, air, landscape and romance." To achieve these qualities, "architects and their clients in the first half of the twentieth century turned to various pasts that were not their own," he notes, "but without turning away from the future they thought Los Angeles represented." For the most part, Waldie writes, "they declined to engage in the culture wars of Modernism (although many great Modernist homes are part of the city's architectural heritage). Some Angeleños thought houses had other, more consoling work to do. A house that can dream for and with its owners, that can dream of both escape and shelter, makes it a classic of Los Angeles." Check out the gallery for a preview.

Gallery: Classic Homes of Los Angeles

Petitfils-Boos House, Hancock Park, 1921

Tags: architecture, Beverly Hills, books, California, Cecil B. DeMille, celebrity real estate, coffee table books, Doheny Mansion, estates, Frank Lloyd Wright, gardens, historic houses, Huntington Library, Los Angeles, movies, Pasadena, real estate, Rizzoli, Southern California, The Classicist

McQueen Motos & Memorabilia in Bonhams California Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

An impressive collection of Steve McQueen memorabilia including two classic Harley Davidson sidecars used in his famed 1963 flick The Great Escape (above) are being offered for sale Bonhams & Butterfields' Classic California Auction on November 13th at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The items come from the collection of McQueen's good friend, racer, stuntman and Triumph dealer Bud Ekins. The Harley sidecars date from 1936 and were used in the movie set during World War II, in which Ekins, acting as McQueen's stunt double, made the famous motorcycle jump over the wire fence.

The Harleys were disguised as German motorcycles and the sidecars were made to appear as Steib sidecars in the film. Later they were repainted for use in Badge of Courage, Steven Spielberg's 1941 and numerous other war films, and are estimated to fetch $6,000 – $8,000. Also included in the sale are a five page handwritten letter from McQueen to Ekins, estimated at $1,000 – $1,500; and assorted McQueen related memorabilia, including press clippings, four books, rare photographs and two copies of Life magazine, estimated at only $300 – $400; plus several vintage Triumphs, Harleys and more from Ekins' amazing collection. Check out the gallery for pix.

Gallery: Steve McQueen at Bonhams & Butterfields

[via JamesList]

Tags: auction, Bonhams, California, celebrity, Harley Davidson, Los Angeles, motorcycle, movies, Steve McQueen, Triumph

Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic Comes to Los Angeles

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Sports

Famed French champagne house Veuve Clicquot will re-introduce professional polo to Los Angeles when it hosts the inaugural Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic Los Angeles on October 10 at the Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades. Nacho Figueras, captain of the Black Watch team and Ralph Lauren model, will go head-to-head against some of the world's best polo players for the inaugural event. In homage to the golden era of polo in Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s, guests are being encouraged to wear fashions inspired by that era, with help from Cameron Silver, super-stylish owner of Los Angeles and London-based vintage couture boutiques decadestwo and DECADES. Silver will offer on-site styling advice and sessions with guests and is consulting on the overall design of the event and its vintage inspiration.

In addition to the exclusive VIP Marquee, one side of the field will be free and open to the public. Angelenos will be able to watch the match from bleachers overlooking the legendary polo grounds – the last of Los Angeles' original 22 polo fields – where Hollywood celebrity and polo connoisseur Will Rogers used to play the sport himself along with fellow polo enthusiasts including Clark Gable, Walt Disney, and Spencer Tracy. The site is located just outside Rogers' former estate, which still stands today. Spectators can also expect plenty of Veuve Clicquot champagne bars and premium snacks, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Will Rogers Ranch Foundation and California State Parks.

Tags: California, champagne, Clark Gable, Decades, equestrian, events, Hollywood, horses, Los Angeles, Nacho Figueras, Pacific Palisades, polo, Ralph Lauren, sports, Veuve Clicquot, vintage, Will Rogers