hollywood

"Just Don't Call it Wolf's Lair," Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates

What's not to love about a castle that sits under the Hollywood sign? Especially if the price has been chopped from $7.5 million (the price the house was listed for in June 2008) to $4.7 million?

TV personality Debbie Matenopoulos and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Lionsgate Entertainment music executive Jay Faires have re-listed their Norman-style castle, once known as Wolf's Lair. The couple reportedly bought in 2002 for $2.9 million. Because of the association with Hitler's bunker of the same name, plans are to change the name to something, well, more castle-y.

The turreted 5,485-square-foot castle that sits on 3.3 acres was built in the 1920s and includes a two-bedroom guest house designed by architect John Lautner. The main house was built by and named after L. Milton Wolf, the developer of Hollywoodland. In fact, the Hollywood sign that sits behind the home was put there by Wolf to advertise Hollywoodland. ( The original sign bore that name and was covered with 4,000 flashing electric light bulbs.) There is a heart-shaped black-bottom pool and eight bedrooms total on the property, which sits high above Los Angeles' Beachwood Canyon.

Lure about this property is legendary. Wolf, something of a ladies' man, reportedly installed a secret apartment under the gatehouse where he entertained, ahem, privately.

Bugsy Siegal's former castle -- the one Madonna owned subsequently -- is right up the road a piece. Castillo del Lago is listed at $9.95 million, making the former Wolf's Lair a relative bargain.

Ernie Carswell of Teles Properties, Beverly Hills, has the listing.

Gallery: Just Don't Call It 'Wolf's Lair'

Tags: bugsy siegel, BugsySiegel, castillo del lago, CastilloDelLago, celebrity real estate, CelebrityRealEstate, debbie matenopoulos, DebbieMatenopoulos, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, hollywood, john lautner, JohnLautner, madonna

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The Lofts At Cherokee Studios: Has Elvis Really Left the Building?

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

For those who find their muse in their surroundings: The hallowed ground of the old Cherokee recording studios in Hollywood is being converted into 12 work-live lofts, including some equipped as music studios to keep the tradition alive. The Lofts at Cherokee Studios project by Los Angeles-based sustainable developer, REthink Development, is about six weeks away from completion, with a model expected to open in mid-September.

Two penthouses have dedicated music production space; powder rooms can be outfitted as recording booths and acoustical insulation and sound attenuation measures were built behind and in the walls. Four other units can be similarly outfitted. So if Motley Crue moves in next door, no need to worry about the late-night jam sessions.

The lofts range in size from 1,190 to 2,300 square feet and cost $700,000 to $1.4 million. There is also more than 2,700 square feet of retail space available -- not to mention the ghosts of some heavyweights in the music business.

Elvis recorded "Burning Love" here and Frank Sinatra's orchestral studio was housed in this building. (A beam that was part of Sinatra's studio was salvaged and is part of the lobby.) David Bowie, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Dave Matthews and dozens of others made music here; more than 300 gold and platinum albums were cut on this site, which Cherokee vacated in 2006.

Before it was Cherokee Studios, it belonged to Sinatra's manager, Don Costa. MGM and Republic both ran film sound stages here as well.

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Tags: cherokee studios, CherokeeStudios, hollywood, lofts

W Residences Hollywood Announces New Nightclub

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

It's still months away but Gatehouse Capital and HEI Hotels & Resorts, co-owners of the W Hollywood Hotel & Residences have announced a deal with nightclub impresario Victor Drai to open a new multi-level signature nightlife venue, Drai's Hollywood within W Hollywood Hotel & Residences in December 2009. The residences are located at the corner of Hollywood & Vine and the nightclub will span more than 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. The club will include a ground-floor lounge as well as a rooftop nightclub with views of Hollywood, and an open-air rooftop pool bar. The nightclub will compliment a 6,000-square-foot restaurant fronting Hollywood Boulevard. The restaurant, Delphine, will strive for a south-of-France feel. The complex will feature 143 W Residences many with private terraces, offering views of the Hollywood Hills, Hollywood Boulevard, the Pantages Theater, Capitol Records building and the Hollywood sign. Residence owners will have access to all facilities and amenities at W Hollywood including private in-home catering, maid service, room service and more.

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Tags: hollywood, hollywood blvd, HollywoodBlvd, w hollywood, WHollywood

Jason Statham At The Broadway, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Action star Jason Statham may live in a home in mid-Century home in the Hollywood Hills but he also owns a spare and bare apartment in the Broadway Building on Vine in Hollywood. Statham's unit at the Broadway is on the eight floor and takes up 2,140 square feet with two bedrooms. The Real Estalker Mama reports that he picked up this home for $1,543,515. If this was an investment property it may not have been such a great investment. He has listed the home at $1.395 million.

The corner apartment has views over Hollywood Blvd. including a nice view of the Capital Records building.The living room tries for the sexy lair look with a huge white sofa, low slung coffee table and white shag rug. There's a clean and cool kitchen and a pair of rather clinical bathrooms. Not a lot of warmth in this place.

The Boradway does have a few celebrity owners including Danny Masterson, WIlmer Valderama, Jack Osbourne, Emma Henning and Charlize Theron. It offers Kelly Wearstler designed common areas, valet parking, a fitness center and the main draw a swimming pool, spa, sun deck, outdoor fireplace and lounging cabanas up on the roof over looking the lights of Hollywood.

Gallery: Jason Statham At The Broadway

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Tags: broadway building, BroadwayBuilding, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, hollywood, jason statham, JasonStatham, los angeles, LosAngeles

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Major Props Store Closing Down, Planning Huge Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

The recession has hit the movie and film industry in Southern California and a huge props emporium in North Hollywood is now looking at closing. 20th Century Props of North Hollywood is planning to close next month. The prop shop has supplied props for major movies and television shows for over 20 years and has a huge 118,000-square-foot warehouse. But the prop house has been losing money as film production has fallen for a variety of reasons. First the industry was hit by the writers' strike. Then the recession kicked in and many productions were postponed or scrapped. Also filmmakers are finding it prohibitively expensive to film in California and are increasingly heading to other places which offer tax breaks and other incentives. The owner says he has lost close to $2 million over the past year. The prop store employed 28 full-time workers.

The LA Times reports that the the shop will auction off the inventory which owner Harvey Schwartz says consists of 93,752 pieces including rattan furniture set used on the TV series "The Golden Girls" and a desk owned by Howard Hughes and used in the movie "The Aviator." The insured value of the props is around $8 million but the sale value could be as much as $30 million. The props store also sells items on eBay and is a fantastic decorating resource for fans of retro styles. Offerings on eBay range from the small and inexpensive such as Art Deco clocks to the huge and more expensive items like a 1940s flying horse gas station sign.

Gallery: 20th Century Props on eBay

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Tags: auction, ebay, hollywood, props

The Classicist: Cannes Gives Up on Glam

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing, Events, The Classicist, Wealth

Sad but true: the recession has hit the upcoming Cannes Film Festival in the South of France next month, an international symbol of glamorous excess. Cutbacks are being made everywhere, from ritzy parties to the type of food being served, the AFP tells us. For starters, Vanity Fair has canceled its annual star-studded party, the social highlight of the festival, while the VIP nightclub Jimmy'z lost two key sponsors, Fendi and Swarovski, and Louis Vuitton said it would skip AmFar's big-ticket AIDS charity fundraiser.

"We're experiencing an unprecedented world crisis and it's also affecting the Riviera and Cannes," says Michel Chevillon, head of Cannes' hotel association. "Companies are sending fewer people, for shorter periods." 70% of the area's hotels have frozen their room rates compared to last year, and many are taking bookings for less than the full 12-day period, something normally unheard of at festival time, Chevillon tells the AFP.

Overall attendance at the festival is expected to be down for the first time in decades. "People are afraid it will hurt their image to be seen in a place associated with wealth," Cannes deputy mayor David Lissnard tells the AFP. Yacht charters are also suffering, as brokers struggle to find clients in Cannes' port, where all 60 berths for megayachts were booked up in anticipation. "There's a lot less demand this year for yacht rentals and a lot of pressure on prices," says broker Valerie Ruiz, who rents out yachts up to 200-ft. for the festival.

Gallery: Cannes Film Festival

Tags: Cannes, Cannes Film Festival, CannesFilmFestival, celebrity, entertainment, Fendi, festivals, France, Hollywood, hotel, LOreal, Louis Vuitton, LouisVuitton, movies, Riviera, South of France, SouthOfFrance, Swarovski, Vanity Fair, VanityFair, yacht

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Blade Runner Gun Coming to Auction

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

In 1982, you ran around your living room with a makeshift blaster, aping the mannerisms of Harrison Ford. The film Blade Runner grabbed hold of your imagination, and your life was changed forever. Now, you can take your childhood dream of humanoid hunting to the next level. The very gun that you imitated with what seemed like a large stick is going to be auctioned by Profiles in History on April 30 and May 1, 2009.

If Blade Runner wasn't your childhood obsession, you may find satisfaction from some of the other memorabilia that's coming under the gavel at the end of the month. Profiles in History, an auction house, anticipates a total take of around $3 million from the two days.

The famous weapon comes from science fiction promoter Forrest Ackerman's collection. Also from his stash are a puppet used in the 2005 movie Corpse Bride, costumes from Blade Runner (worn by Ford) and a ring worn by Bela Lugosi when he played Count Dracula.

The Blade Runner weapon is expected to fetch between $100,000 and $150,000.

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Tags: auction, auction-house, auctioneer, auctionhouse, auctions, bela lugosi, BelaLugosi, blade runner, BladeRunner, collectible, collectibles, collecting, dracula, harrison ford, HarrisonFord, hollywood, memorabilia

Rihanna Eyeing Seinfeld's $6 Million Hollywood Mansion

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Embattled pop star Rihanna is recovering from the recent Chris Brown debacle by shopping for a brand new Los Angeles mansion, according to reports. She's eyeing a lavish Hollywood Hills house formerly owned by Jerry Seinfeld, on the market for $6.25 million, E! Online reveals.

The 5,913-sq.-ft. mansion has three bedrooms, five baths, a pool and hot tub, and and a hilltop view of Tinseltown. "She wants a home with a great view," the star's real estate agent Russell Filice told E!. "She hasn't made any decisions on anything yet. I think it's early on in the process."

The Real Estalker reports that Rihanna also scoped out a five-bedroom, four bath house on Sunset View Drive that measures over 5,000-sq.-ft. and has an asking price of $4.495 million. It features a mirrored wet bar in the living room, an infinity edged pool looking out over the lights of L.A., and Cameron Diaz as a neighbor.

Tags: celebrity, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, HollywoodHills, Jerry Seinfeld, JerrySeinfeld, Los Angeles, LosAngeles, mansion, pop star, PopStar, Rihanna

The Hip New Andaz West Hollywood

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts just opened its second property under its hip new Andaz brand, located on Los Angeles' legendary Sunset Strip, the Andaz West Hollywood. The first Andaz opened in 2007 in London. Eschewing the usual check in process, Andaz guests are received in the Andaz Lounge, a "non-traditional multi-use social space" where they're greeted by an Andaz Host who serves the functions of the front office agent, concierge and bell attendant as well as providing insight into the neighborhood. At the 14-story Andaz West Hollywood, New York-based architecture and interior design firm Janson Goldstein LLP developed a "series of engaging spaces featuring design sensibilities tied to the locale."

Beginning with a dramatic glass garden pavilion set off the main entrance, the hotel showcases a commissioned cascading hand-painted metal disk 11-foot sculpture by renowned New York-based artist Jacob Hashimoto. Throughout the hotel, there are installations from Los Angeles artists and impromptu music performances from some of the city's up-and-coming musicians. The public spaces , from the dramatic rooftop terrace (above) with heated pool and daybed seating to the vibrant restaurant and bar are the focus at Andaz. The hotel boasts spectacular panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills on one side and the Sunset Strip and downtown Los Angeles on the other.

In addition to the magnificent views, the Andaz's 257 rooms, including 20 expansive suites, include sitting areas and many also features a glass-enclosed sunroom overlooking Sunset Boulevard. The design incorporates eco-conscious elements, with features such as special coating on the sunroom windows to reduce solar heat gain and bring in more natural light, as well as wood flooring that has been harvested under regional environmental guidelines using sustainable forestry practices. The Andaz is the site of the former Hyatt West Hollywood, known until 1997 as the Continental Hyatt House, a favorite of traveling rock bands.

Gallery: Andaz West Hollywood

Tags: Andaz, Andaz West Hollywood, AndazWestHollywood, Hollywood, Hotel, Hyatt, Los Angeles, LosAngeles, Sunset Boulevard, SunsetBoulevard

Sean "Diddy" Combs Can't Afford His Private Jet

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

Sean "Diddy" Combs' relentless (and so far fairly fruitless) pursuit of an acting career has apparently taken a toll on his finances. In the latest installment of his video blog, the rap mogul complains that the gas price explosion has forced him to forego the use of his private jet on his now frequent trips to Los Angeles to meet with movie people. "Gas prices are too f-ing high!" he complains in the clip. "If I'm flying back and forth to L.A. twice a month, that's like $200,000 - $250,000 round trip. F-k that!"

As a result, Diddy says, he's gone back to flying commercial, and throws in an appeal to his "Saudi Arabian brothers" to "please send me some oil for my jet." He then insists, "This is really happening!", filming himself boarding an American Airlines flight, adding, "and I'm in coach!" We're pretty sure Diddy, who makes $35 million a year, is joking about that last bit.

Tags: Airlines, Diddy, Gas prices, GasPrices, Hip-hop, Hollywood, Private jet, PrivateJet, Rap, Sean Combs, SeanCombs

Ryan Murphy's Midcentury Modern, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Writer Ryan Murphy created two shows which take a slant look at the focus on appearance, the plastic surgery drama "Nip/Tuck" and the underrated high school dark comedy "Popular" as well as writing the screenplay and directing the 2006 movie "Running With Scissors." This talented man has some lovely taste in real estate. The Real Estalker Mama reports that he bought the home in the hills above West Hollywood in 2001 which has been restored into a modern beauty. The home is tucked in a woodsy lot with plenty of privacy. The home, which was designed by modernist architect Carl Maston has big glass walls, concrete floors, and gleaming wood.

At 3,210 square feet the home might be a little small by Los Angeles mansion standards and some of the smaller rooms seem a little dark but overall it's a rather perfectly decorated with furniture that fits the era of the home. Like the Real Estalker Mama, I don't love the use of a urinal in a home bathroom and the kitchen seems like a tough place to cook dinner with more than one person. Small quibbles on a truly charming residence. It is listed at $4.195 million.

Gallery: Ryan Murphy's Midcentury Modern

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Tags: estate of the day, hollywood, luxury real estate, LuxuryRealEstate, ryan murphy, RyanMurphy, west hollywood

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Spa Living Goes Hollywood

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spas, Real Estate Developments

Spa living comes to Hollywood in the form of the W Hollywood Hotel & Residences. The newest Bliss Spa will be located at the new complex and will be a 4,800 square foot indulgence with seven treatment rooms, a retail beauty boutique, a nail lounge for manicures and pedicures and Bliss trademarks like a a signature menu of tension taming treatments, rhythm and blues tunes and legendary brownie buffet. Residents of the W Hollywood will have the benefit of in-home services and perks like priority booking.

The W Hollywood will have 300 rooms and 150 W Residences, a signature restaurant, a rooftop bar and pool, a PURE nightclub, fitness center, business center, concierge services and a real Hollywood detail, an outdoor silver screen for viewing movies. Owners will receive VIP access throughout the hotel. Prices range from $800,000-$8 million+ and opening is scheduled for October 2009. Check out Curbed LA for pictures of the construction.

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Tags: bliss spa, hollywood, w hotel

Tables of Ten: Dining for a Cause in West Hollywood

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events, Charity

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.

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Tags: california, events, fundraiser, hollywood, west hollywood

Slash's Lawsuit Special, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Rock star Slash, real name, Saul Hudson, and his wife Perla have piqued the interest of real estate watchers with their lawsuit against real estate agent Gregory Holcomb and Sotheby's International Realty for misrepresentation regarding their Los Angeles home. Slash, who is the guitarist of both Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver bought the house in December of 2005 for $6,250,000. In spring of 2006, the Hudsons filed for divorce. The house went back on the market earlier this year at $6,995,000 where it has sat for a good long while and the price has now been (say it with me) slashed to $5,996,999 (with an option to lease at a ridiculous $50,000 a month). What's the problem with the home? The Hudson says that they were told the house was on a private, gated street (turns out the street is gated but not private and there are, as the lawsuit puts it "severe parking restrictions"). They also say the home is much smaller than the 7800 sq. ft. in the listing. In the lawsuit they say they never moved into the home. They allege that they suffered "grief, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, anger, worry, disappointment, nervousness, stomach disorders, backaches, loss of appetite and inability to concentrate on work" and are suing for an amount in excess of $1 million.

One has to wonder whether the couple actually checked out the five-bedroom home before buying? It's hard to say what is so wrong with this one that it inspired a lawsuit. It certainly seems like a nice celeb home. Great view, nice pool, a big kitchen, a guest house, large garages. Perhaps the home was nothing like their other home, a home in Sherman Oaks that they bought in March of 2002 for $2,150,000 and which the Real Estalker Mama reports was a very private house up a long gated driveway.

I can see why it might not be absolutely perfect for Slash, The wood beam ceilings, while lovely, can seem a little oppressive and the pool area in the back is a bit small. Petty complaints on a gorgeous home with swoonworthy details such as tiled steps and a massive arched window in the living room. Still, I suspect this lawsuit is more a case of buyer's remorse in a sluggish market than any nefarious machinations on the part of the agent. The Zillow zestimate on this one is $6,507,374. I bet Slash wishes he could get that for it.

Gallery: Slash's Lawsuit Special

Tags: estate of the day, hollywood, los angeles, slash

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Wolff House, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

I couldn't settle on a celeb house to feature for my Sunday estate so instead we are looking at one that might be a bit of candy for a celebrity with an architecture jones. The Wolff House was built by John Lautner in 1961 (you may remember the name from the recent sale of Courtney Cox Arquette and David Arquette's sale of a Lautner in Malibu). This home a three-bedroom in the Hollywood Hills, is a a modernist treasure in wood and stone and glass. The house is on a private cul-de-sac and has an amazing view. Other features include a one-bedroom guesthouse and a beautiful pool. An article in Variety from 2005 indicates that the home was sold in 2005 for around $4 million. It is listed now at $5.995 million.

Gallery: Wolff House