los angeles

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

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."

Tags: estate, Estate of the Day, Josh Altman, Los Angeles, Million Dollar Listing, reality TV stars

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

The Best of Architecture Meets Interior Design in 'America's Finest Rooms'

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Books, Architecture & Design

Refinement is not about expense, notes Thomas Jayne in his new book "The Finest Rooms in America," a definitive, luxuriously illustrated record of the country's best interior design from the 18th century to the present day. Jayne, a top-drawer interior designer and scholar of American decor, includes a complete cross section of rooms covering a broad range of American periods and styles, beginning with the Tea Room at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

Tags: American design, American interiors, architecture, best design books, best interior design, best+interior+design+books, bestinteriordesignbooks, books, coffee table books, decor, deign books, Frank Lloyd Wright, George Washington, interior designer, Los Angeles, Monticello, Mount Vernon, Oscar de la Renta, The Finest Rooms in America, Thomas Jayne, Thomas Jefferson, Vizcaya

Continue reading “The Best of Architecture Meets Interior Design in 'America's Finest Rooms'”

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

Eva Longoria Spotted in Miami on Utopia III Superyacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Desperate Housewives stunner Eva Longoria was spotted in Miami over Super Bowl weekend enjoying a romantic rendez-vous aboard the 150 ft. Utopia III superyacht (above). Barely a week after her divorce from Tony Parker was finalized, she was seen making waves with 25-year-old Spanish singer Eduardo Cruz, actress Penelope Cruz's younger brother, the London Daily Mail reports. There were on the yacht as guests of cosmetics mogul Loren Ridinger, who hosted a Super Bowl viewing party.

Built by Trinity Yachts in 1999, the Utopia III has accommodations for 10 guests in addition to nine crew – not that we're implying Eva and Eduardo shared a bunk, though they did spend the night on board. The yacht has been in the news before thanks to Kim Kardashian strutting around the decks in a bikini. Longoria first sparked rumors of a romance when she was spotted with Eduardo at her Los Angeles restaurant Beso in October; Eduardo was then seen leaving Eva's house on Christmas Eve.

Tags: actress, celebrity, Eva Longoria, Kim Kardashian, Los Angeles, Miami, Penelope Cruz, Super Bowl, superyacht, tony parker, utopia+iii, utopiaiii, yacht

Gore Vidal Lists His Hollywood Hills Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Back in 2005, we mentioned that Gore Vidal's Italian retreat La Rondinaia is up for sale. It eventually sold for a reported $17.87 million and now can be rented out as a luxury vacation retreat. That probably won't be the fate of Vidal's Los Angeles home which recently hit the market for $3.495 million. The Real Estalker reports that Vidal bought his home in the Hollywood Hills way back in 1977 for just $149,500. The five-bedroom home is on nearly half an acre. The main house is a Mediterranean style home with four bedrooms. The property includes a pool and a one-bedroom guest house. The home is crammed full of the author's treasures including overstuffed furniture, objets d'art and plenty of books. The home has rustic carved wood beamed ceilings, wide-planked floors and a living room with a carved stone fireplace. The bibliophile's delight includes a library, bookshelf lined office, music room, and a meditation room.

Gallery: Gore Vidal In Hollywood Hills

Our sister site, ShelterPop, is hosting a design challenge -- cast your vote for the student-designed product you like best

Tags: california real estate, celebrity real estate, Gore Vidal, hollywood hills, los angeles, los angeles real estate

Rolling Stone LA Restaurant and Lounge Set to Open

by Ann Brenoff (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

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

Tags: hollywood and highland, los angeles, Los Angeles restaurants, Rolling Stone, rolling stone magazine

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

$13 Million Gift Means New Pavillion For Natural History Museum In Los Angeles

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity, Big Givers, Architecture & Design

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County will have a dramatic new glass entrance pavilion thanks to a $13 million gift from the Otis Booth Foundation. The gift is the largest made to date by the Los Angeles-based private foundation and the largest private gift dedicated to the Natural History Museum in Exposition Park in its nearly century-long history. The foundation is a legacy of Franklin Otis Booth, Jr. (1923-2008), the great- grandson of General Harrison Gray Otis, founder of the Los Angeles Times.

The Otis Booth Pavilion will feature a 63-foot fin whale specimen that was first exhibited at the museum back in 1944. The 7,000-pound specimen was re-articulated to give the whale the appearance of a whale in the midst of a dive. The light-filled, three-story entrance will be connected to Exposition Boulevard by a pedestrian bridge. It was designed for the museum by CO Architects in association with Cordell Corporation. The Otis Booth Pavilion is scheduled for completion by November 2013, in time for the celebration of the Natural History Museum's 100th anniversary. The museum is in the middle of a six-year renovation that also includes the opening of the new Age of Mammals experience and exhibitions inside the Haaga Family Rotunda, the new Dinosaur Hall and a new exhibition exploring the natural and cultural history of Los Angeles and Southern California. The Museum's $135 million NHM Next Campaign has raised $84 million to date. The Otis Booth Foundation donation was made outside of the current campaign.

[via the LA Times]

Tags: los angeles, los angeles museums, natural history museum, natural history museum of los angeles county

Los Angeles Art Show Focuses On China

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Art

The 16th Annual Los Angeles Art Show gets under way January 20-23 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and this year the focus in on China. Chinese collectors have entered the global art marketplace in a big way and Chinese artists have also started to become collected more widely around the world. The China Today program at the Los Angeles Art Show includes a curated exhibition, exhibitions by prominent Chinese galleries lecurres and film screening. A special exhibit, 'Three Walkers – Crossing Over' presented and curated by Mr. Hu Zhen of Guangzhou-based 53 Art Museum and sponsored by Asian Art Magazine Art Gallery Magazine features celebrated artists Feng Feng, Liu Qing-yuan and Qin Jin. China Today provides visitors an opportunity for to see what's really hot in Asian Art.

The Los Angeles Art Show Symposia Series offers afternoon lectures and special events centered on contemporary art, fine prints and choosing art for your home. This highly respected series brings together art and design experts and professionals. Events included artist Tao Dong Dong discussing his work and being a contemporary artist in today's China; a panel of feminist art in Los Angeles; a panel discussion on printmaking and a conversation on art in architecture sponsored by Dwell Magazine.

Tags: china, los angeles, los angeles art show

Continue reading “Los Angeles Art Show Focuses On China”

Barker Black Brings its Edgy English Style to Los Angeles

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Shoes, Men's Style, Modern Gentleman

In 1880, cobbler Arthur Barker broke ground on a factory in Earl's Barton, Northamptonshire, England. He was trying to fulfill outrageous retail demand for the highly regarded shoes and waterproof peg-sole boots that bore his surname.

In 2004, Derrick Miller took a walk through the Barker factory, chose the best craftsmen as his own and created a luxurious line of shoes with lambent style. The next year, he set up a retail post in New York to fulfill retail demand for shoes that bore the name Barker Black.

In 2010 the march west made The Other Coast, with Miller bringing Barker Black to Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles. Luxist was there, and we had a chat with the founder to find out how timelessness, The English Way of Shoes, rock-n-roll, and the Duke of Cambridge's Own 17th Lancers are all supposed to fit on a gentleman's feet...

Gallery: Barker Black Arrives in Los Angeles

Source

Tags: barker, barker black, barker shoes, derrick miller, los angeles

Continue reading “Barker Black Brings its Edgy English Style to Los Angeles”

LA Auto Show: Porsche Cayman R

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

We regularly report on what seems like an endless stream of new variants on Porsche's iconic 911. But the latest model from Porsche isn't a 911 at all: it's the ultimate version of the smaller Cayman.

Called the Cayman R, it packs more power and less weight: 330 horsepower from the 3.4-liter flat-six engine and 120 lbs less heft. There's also a revised suspension and an interior decked out in Alcantara microsuede and leather, plus straps for door handles (like on the similarly treated Boxster Spyder) as well as some visual tweaks to let everyone know this isn't an average Cayman.

With a 0-62 time below 5 seconds and a 175 mph top speed, the Cayman R was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show and will hit dealerships within a year from now with a $66,000 price tag.

Source

Tags: 2010 la auto show, 2010 los angeles auto show, cayman, cayman r, la auto show, los angeles, los angeles auto show, porsche cayman, porsche cayman r

LA Auto Show: Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Performante

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Performante

There are two things which Lamborghini does better than just about anyone else: high performance and incredibly long names. And if the outgoing Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 Super Veloce wasn't enough for you on either front, the Italian automaker has now unveiled its latest: the Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Performante.

Unveiled in Los Angeles, the Spyder Performante is the ultimate convertible Lamborghini. Think of it as a Gallardo Superleggera, only without a roof. Compared to the "standard" Gallardo Spyder, the Performante version drops some 140 pounds of excess weight thanks to the extensive use of that magical material: carbon fiber. The aerodynamics have also been improved, helping the Spyder Performante accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds, according to Lamborghini, but we wouldn't be surprised if it were even quicker than that.

Source

Tags: 2010 la auto show, 2010 los angeles auto show, gallardo, la auto show, lamborghini, Lamborghini Gallardo, Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Spyder Performante, los angeles, los angeles auto show, Spyder Performante

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

Thanksgiving Dinner, Beverly Hills Style

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Prefer to lay by the pool rather than slave over a hot stove? In Los Angeles, you can have your Thanksgiving catered by The Beverly Hill Hotel's Polo Lounge. This Thanksgiving, the iconic pink retreat is offering their traditional "Holiday-To-Go," a complete elegant meal prepared by the master chefs in the Polo Lounge for enjoyment at home. The dinner serves from 6-8 people and includes a 20-pound roasted free range organic turkey with all the trimmings which include giblet sage gravy; poached pear, red endive and watercress salad with Poire William vinaigrette; chestnut, pine nut and brioche bread stuffing; candied yams; whipped Yukon Gold potato puree; buttered baby carrots and fine green beans; glazed Brussels sprouts with toasted almonds; wild flower honey and ginger infused cranberry sauce; classic pumpkin pie with Chantilly cream and rolls and butter. The whole package costs $440 and needs to be ordered no less than 24 hours in advance. It can be picked up or get it delivered within five miles of the hotel for $75.

While you are stopping by the hotel to pick up dinner you might want to sample some of The Polo Lounge's season cocktails including the Fig Sidecar, made with fresh fig-infused Remi Martin Cognac or the seasonal eggnogs at Bar Nineteen12 which include pumpkin, raspberry, hazelnut, cappuccino, banana and mint chocolate flavors.

Tags: beverly hills, beverly hills hotel, holiday cocktails, los angeles, polo lounge, seasonal cocktails, thanksgiving, thanksgiving dinner, thanksgiving food, thanksgiving recipes, the polo lounge

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