michael smith

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli in Bel Air, Estate of the Day

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Last time we looked at a home owned by actress Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli (he of the Mossimo brand ubiquitous at Target), they were asking a lot for a little in Laguna Beach. Now the Real Estalker reports that the pair are back at it with another renovated home. Today's estate is a five-bedroom home in the Bel Air area of Los Angeles that the pair bought in 2002 for $8,010,580 according to property records. The 1.43 acre estate once includes a smaller nearly 5,000 square foot mansion built in 1942. According to the Real Estalker, the couple hired Ferguson & Shamamian Architects to add on and renovate and then Obama-approved designer Michael Smith to create the decor.

The resulting home is restrained, a mix between California casual and East Coast country house. It reminds me a bit of the home of Loughlin's 90210 castmate Jennie Garth's home only with a little less of a sense of humor. The grounds include a pool, tennis court, a pool pavilion with a fireplace, wet bar and pool table and a separate tent structure that serves as a fitness studio. The home is listed at $19.5 million.

Gallery: Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli in Bel Air

Tags: Bel Air, california real estate, celebrity real estate, Lori Laughlin, los angeles real estate, michael smith

Continue reading “Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli in Bel Air, Estate of the Day”

Ousted CEO And Obamas Share The Same Decorator

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth

John Thain, the former Merrill Lynch & Co. chief executive officer who was kicked to the curb yesterday shares something in common with President Obama, the same decorator. Thain spent $1.2 million redecorating his Manhattan office last year at a time when the company was in turmoil. Bloomberg reports that his decorator was Michael Smith, who chosen by the Obamas to redecorate the White House. Thain's office includes a $25,000 pedestal table and a $68,000 19th Century credenza as well as $87,000 spent in area rugs. More than just the furnishings led to Thain's troubles, he also went on a ski trip to Vail, Colorado at what was considered a crucial time for the company and was planning to attend the upcoming Davos meeting, even though parent company Bank of America had advised against it.

Critics say that spending the company money on the renovation at a time when the company was in peril sends a bad message and that if he wanted to redesign his office he should have paid for it himself. President Obama has said that the government will scrutinize companies that have been given taxpayer assistance to make sure they are spending appropriately. The Bloomberg article does quote an antiques dealer who states that the antiques will likely hold their value. This may well be true but I can't help but think of the case of Tyco's Dennis Kozlowski and his infamous antique desk which was worth far less than he paid for it.

Source

Tags: john thain, JohnThain, merrill lynch, MerrillLynch, michael smith, MichaelSmith

The Michael S Smith Collection for Agraria

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Cosmetics and Fragrance

There's no easier or simpler way to both boost your mood and give an entire room a makeover than to infuse it with a beautiful scent. The Michael S. Smith Collection for Agraria is a great way to do that, with two scents available in your choice of mix and match candle, fragrance sheets, and AirEssence options. The new fragrances, Angkor and Palma, are born of quite different inspirations -- Angkor coming from deep in the Cambodian rainforests and Palma heralding from sunny Mallorca. Prices range from $28 to $105, depending.

Gallery: The Michael S. Smith Collection for Agraria