Luxe Living

We all know relationships can be a roller coaster ride, especially in Hollywood, and when relationships or marriages come to a screeching halt, sadly we very often see the couple letting go of a huge asset – their home. Unfortunately that is the case with two-time Oscar-winning actress Hillary Swank. Let’s jump into the ring and take a look back at the Million Dollar Baby star’s recent love affair with John Campisi and her Pacific Palisades estate.

According to property records, Swank purchased the ocean-view Pacific Palisades property for $5.8 million in March 2007, around the same time she began dating her then agent, John Campisi. Five long years of business, pleasure and Hollywood bliss passed until news of a recent split hit newsstands in May of this year. After a few months of silence it looks like it’s time to start letting go.

Fast forwarding to present day, Swank is looking to unload her semi-swanky pad for more than just a million dollars, baby. Try a $9,495,000 price tag.

Built in 1928 and designed by Mark Zeff,  the gated six-bedroom, six and a half bath estate sits in a coveted Los Angeles neighborhood known for housing noted celebs on every other block. Hardwood and Mosaic tile flooring line the 6,722 square-foot property, pairing well with Mediterranean-style arched French doors and walls. Glass walls allow plenty of natural sunlight to shine through the open space and warm Spanish-style textures and colors add to the European charm. According to the listing, the gourmet kitchen features a center island, state-of-the-art appliances, dining area seating 16-20 guests with adjacent family room. The downstairs patio and master suite balcony offer stunning ocean views.  The lower level features a lounge with wet bar, state of the art surround sound theater with custom seating for 17 guests and private cigar room and wine cellar.

Additionally the property features a guest bedroom, gym, powder room and wonderful outdoor entertaining area with fire pit, swimming pool, spa.

Jonathan Ive has had a busy past couple months to say the least! In the wake of the most anticipated tech launches of the year, the senior vice president of industrial design at Apple has reportedly been juggling designing a newer and sleeker iPhone 5, all while closing on a new $17 million San Francisco estate, reports The Wall Street Journal. Given last week’s iPhone 5 release, Ive is surely proud to show off his new project, as well as his fabulous new digs.

For the past year, it has been rumored that Ive was looking to take his family and head back to his native Britain, however it looks as if this extravagant 7,274-square-foot dream home on San Francisco’s “Gold Coast” may have been reason enough to stick around.

Located in the sought-after Pacific Heights neighborhood, the estate was originally listed for $25 million as it sits in the city’s most exclusive “Gold Coast” blocks. Built in 1927 and designed by the famous architectural firm Willis Polk & Co. – most known for designing The Palace of Fine Arts, one of San Francisco’s most famous monumental structures– the 6-bedroom, 8.5 bathroom estate offers an elegant, Bay Area escape inside and out.

The five-level floor plan includes a slate roof and top-level deck with spa and stunning views of the entire city that would take your breath away. The main and lower levels feature large formal rooms, a gourmet kitchen, a bottom-level apartment and a fabulous moss-covered brick garden courtyard. Period-authentic architectural designs are seen throughout the entire space, with antique door fixtures, plaster moldings, windows with stone and oak flooring lining the walk ways to create an authentic ambiance.

If the views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and Russian Hill aren’t enough, an elevator, polished-copper chandelier, library, various wood-burning fireplaces, fitness room and bottom-level apartment should give you an idea of the San Francisco luxury Mr. Ive will come home to.

It’d be no surprise if this stunning home will keep Ive continuing to innovate and design in the Bay Area – at least until the release of iPhone 10.

Images and details via Sotheby’s.

On July 2nd, NBA All Star Joe Johnson was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, after spending 7 quality seasons in Atlanta with the Hawks. Now he’s putting his palatial Atlanta area home on the market and going all-in on becoming part of Brooklyn’s first NBA basketball franchise. And who can blame him? Maybe it was the thought of Jay-Z being the minority owner? Or the idea of creating a new basketball super power right in the backyard of the New York Knicks? Either way the $90 million of mad scrilla left on the next 4 years of his contract certainly makes moving an easy decision from a financial standpoint.

So what is Joe leaving behind? Well the Hawks might not be in good shape, but his expansive home sure is a gem. Settled on over an acre of land the European-style home is 13,822 square feet and features 8 bedrooms and 9 bathrooms and welcomes visitors to the home with a dramatic 2 story foyer and cathedral ceiling. The kitchen alone includes a breakfast room, large granite-topped island and a walk-in pantry. Other spaces throughout the house include computer, media, recreation, family and living rooms, as well as a library, den, gym and wet bar for entertaining. And after all that you can settle into a large dining room with room for more than 12 people, wood floors and expansive 10 foot ceiling.

The amaziness that is Joe Johnson‘s former home isn’t limited to indoors. Once you head into the back yard you will encounter myriad additional features that solidify this home’s status as a luxury retreat. Walk onto the deck and notice the carefully tended garden, baller-status grill, hot tub, spa and built-in pool including pool house. And if you want to work up a sweat before hitting the pool you can hit the ball around on the private tennis court.

Maybe he’s crazy for selling this place, but you have to wonder where a man used to this lifestyle will settle once he arrives in the Big Apple. Perhaps he wants to pick up Derek Jeter’s old pad for a cool $17.95 million? With his average pre-tax salary in the $1.7 million per month range, a host of New York rental opportunities become very affordable. For $45,000 per month Johnson could choose this massive, lower-Manhattan flat, or perhaps he wants to be close to the brand new Barclays Center in Brooklyn? If so, he’ll find rentals to be exceedingly less expensive, like this 2 bedroom apartment that is just minutes from his “office” at the arena and will set him back a paltry in comparison, $5,500 per month.

One thing we know for certain, Johnson will be playing on an exciting team come 2012, and likely living in style.

Credit to estately.com for home images.

As one of the music industry’s most powerful dynamic duos, valued at a net worth of around $750 million between the two, it’s no surprise new parents Jay-Z and Beyonce, along with their 7-month old baby girl Blue Ivy, can afford to live a lavish lifestyle. But just in case you ever doubted these two for even just one second, hip hop’s Bonnie and Clyde are here to remind us yet again that they’re still very much “big pimpin” and “spendin that cheese.”

According to the NY Post, the couple have reportedly zeroed in on a famous Hamptons vacation home to rent for the month of August, shelling out $400K to lounge around mega-builder Joe Farrell’s million dollar “Sandcastle” playhouse. Made famous for its out-of-this-world amenities and lonely-love-seeking-billionaire clientele, the mansion is actually listed on the market for $43.5 million, however is available for rent in the interim –  only to those of the likes of Jay-Z and B, of course.

Sitting on 11.5 acres in coveted Bridgehampton South, the 31,000 square-foot, three level estate oozes luxury and entertainment and drops even the most privileged of jaws. Its standout amenities include a 10-seat theater with interactive seats, a baseball field, 2-lane bowling alley, skateboard half pipe, squash and racket ball court, karaoke stage and bar, 60-foot heated pool with underwater stereo system, sunken tennis court, virtual golf course, and a “children’s performing area.” The media room includes 5 plasma TV’s and the in-house spa comes complete with Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and massage area. For guests, a two-bedroom apartment houses four comfortably. Among the estate’s over-the-top features, you can find 12 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms for those interested in actually sleeping during their stay.

Jay-Z and Beyonce might be wondering where the private landing strip is located, given the new Jet Beyonce purchased for her hubby this past Father’s Day. Although that feature has yet to be built, we believe there are plenty of perks to make up for it with this dream-come-true Empire State vacation home!

Well, the drama is in full swing on the Bachelorette. This Sunday, the entire nation will find out who Emily Maynard has chosen to be her man on the latest installment of the television franchise. Who knows how it will go, but one can hope they fare better than most of the ill-fated relationships that have been spawned from the Bachelor and the Bachelorette. So who are the two lucky remaining men? Well, in one corner, we have Arie Luyendyk Jr., who has an exciting job as a race car driver and an equally exciting track record of groping Emily. What more could a girl ask for? Well how about Jef Holm, Utah native and do-gooder, entrepreneur and all around hipster with some serious hair?

Now for all you super fans of the show, you can now own a piece of Bachelorette history.  Jef Holm’s childhood home in Saint George, Utah is now on the market. The 9-bedroom, 8.5-bathroom mansion has a stunning 15,794 feet of living space that is calling for a new owner with a passion for interior design. For $3,390,000 you get the entire estate, as well as 3 acres of deeded land and a number of impressive features including a beautiful infinity edge pool with views, luxury spa, pitch and put golf course and tennis and sports courts. With all that activity you’ll be sure to work up an appetite, so there are 2 custom-built outdoor cooking areas, which are great for entertaining.

Images via the HomeSmart Advantage.

Summer is upon us and it’s a great time of year to be living the luxury lifestyle. If you are looking for a waterfront compound full of history and posh living quarters, look no further than Newport, Rhode Island. Known for being the location for some of the “Summer White Houses” during the administrations of Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, Newport, Rhode Island is a well-known New England summer resort town and is famous for its Newport Mansions. One of these mansions, called Fairholme, is “a dazzling historic oceanfront estate, superbly sited on 4.3 acres of Newport’s legendary Gilded Age coastline with 425′ of ocean frontage.”

Fairholme is a large waterfront compound that includes a six bedroom carriage house, three interconnected greenhouses, a swimming pool with luxurious cabana pavilion and a manicured outdoor living area overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The main house, which is a Tudor revival masterpiece, was designed by Frank Furness and originally built in 1875.

This well-constructed gem has over 20,000 square feet of living space, with richly textured surfaces, silk covered walls, molded plasterwork and 8 fireplaces, as well as a library, salon and grand ballroom that can seat up to 120 people for dinner.

Upstairs the same attention to detail and comfort is everywhere to be seen in the 2 master bedroom suites and the 9 guest bedrooms. Additionally there are 7 staff bedrooms and 5 large storage rooms located within the staff wing. The second floor is divided into two generous oceanfront master suites, both with private, substantially sized ocean-facing stone terraces, bedrooms, bathrooms, fireplaces, dressing rooms, and custom designed walk-in closets.

Outside on the grounds, prepare to fully unwind and enjoy the summer weather. One highlight is a stunning, fully tiled, infinity edge swimming pool. Adjacent to the pool are two heated marble cabanas, both with full bathrooms and heated floors, a covered veranda, a bar, and an extensive sound system, creating an unmatched setting for entertaining.

To the north of the greenhouses is a 4000+ square foot carriage house with three staff apartments. The garage can accommodate 5 cars; additional features of the building include a gym, an estate office, a staff restroom, a maintenance shop, 2 additional storage rooms and laundry facilities.

Fairholme is simply a special place, and one can almost feel the history amid all the luxury. With a bit of imagination, it’s easy to sense that former guests of the home, such as the Vanderbilts, the Astors or even Jack Kennedy are still there.

With Euro Cup 2012 well underway, and Spain’s ongoing success in the tournament, maybe you caught a little Spanish fever? If you’re in the market for a fine looking Spanish-Style mansion, which are most popular in cities across the American Southwest and Southern California, look no further than Los Angeles. In this town of countless warm, sunny days and fabulous parties, Spanish-Style homes seamlessly blend the inside with the outside and use thick masonry walls coated in stucco and red tile roofs to provide cool comfort and relaxation for family, friends and entertaining. One such property, which can be found on the outskirts of exclusive Bel Air, embodies the best of all .

Gated and private, this Beautiful Spanish-Style Estate with over 9,200 sq.ft. of living space is located on one of the most prominent streets in Lower Bel Air and sited on almost 35,000 sq.ft. of verdant grounds overlooking the Bel Air Country Club golf course.

Enter the estate to a grand 2-story, light-filled foyer. Spacious public rooms include the lovely formal living room, grand formal dining room, library, and family room. The large kitchen is a chef’s dream with professional Viking and Traulsen appliances, center island, and separate breakfast area. The 2nd level of the estate houses all 6 bedrooms, all en suite, including the luxurious master suite with fireplace, sitting area, separate office, and dual baths and walk-in closets. The lower level of the home offers great space for entertaining with media and game room. The grounds are extraordinary with pool, spa, lawns, mature trees, Japanese meditation garden, and European garden with picturesque domed arbor.

So, whether you are living and dying with each moment from Spain’s run to the Euro Cup 2012 championship, or you simply have good taste, this mansion is clearly a goal.

The news just broke that high-flying Oracle CEO Larry Ellison purchased 98% of the island of Lanai – the 6th largest of 8 Hawaiian islands – for more than $500 million. Lanai is 18 miles at its widest and totals 140.5 square miles, with approximately 3,000 residents, but features only one town, Lanai City.

Ellison, meanwhile is one of the most wealthy people in the world, with Forbes listing his net worth at a cool $36 billion. Some of Ellison’s other expensive purchases include a 23-acre Japanese-style estate in Woodside which set him back $200 million and a $194 million yacht, not to mention the $80 million he spent on yacht racing over a recent three year period.

So what about the mere millionaires among us? Well, you too can own some incredible properties that feature large amounts of land and access to the water, without all the headaches and expense of owning and operating an entire island.

For example, there’s this stunning $15 million dollar property in beautiful Santa Barbara (any city with two bars in the name must be great), that features 16.5 acres of secluded beachfront property, and is just minutes from downtown.

Or maybe you want to be closer to the action of Los Angeles? If that’s the case, this $18.9 million dollar ocean front beauty is available in the exclusive town of Malibu.

With either choice, you will be master of your own domain, if not master of your own island. It’s hard being a millionaire.

Oprah Winfrey, one of the most powerful and influential women in the world, has recently relisted her luxury Chicago co-op for half of the purchase price, reports The Chicago Tribune. In 2006, the media mogule paid $5.6 million for the 4,600-squre-foot, 3-bedroom, 3.5 bath condo and has now snuck it back onto the live market for $2.8 million. According to our good friend The Real Estalker, Winfrey had first listed the swanky apartment in December 2008 for $6 million with privacy issues being the ultimate dealbreaker, according to Chicago Mag. After a few years of trying to sell it as well as rent it, all the while never even having lived in it, Winfrey has decided to ditch the extra digs and instead pass the time at her main Chicago quarters, an extravagant 15-ooo squre-foot-duplex located just a few minutes away at Water Tower Place.

Alhtough the queen of talk tv is losing out on a couple million with this listing price, we all know it’s hardly putting a dent in this diva’s bank account. Someone just needs to get this Beaux-arts, Benjamin Marshall designed masterpeice out of her hair!

The 6th floor apartment sits in a glamorous 12-story 13-unit building built in 1913. The 3-bedroom, 3.5 bath property boasts 10-foot ceilings, two marbled fireplaces, a beautiful library, solarium, a 462 bottle wine room and bulter’s pantry.  Sun-filled bay windows in the library, living room and master bedroom all offer stunning views of Lake Michigan, as well as the surrounding North Side Chicago neighborhood.

Got $21.5M and want to drive into the life of luxury? We have the house for you.

Just listed in Bel Air, CA is this stunning $21,500,000 brand new French Estate with 7-bedrooms, 11-bathrooms and approximately 17,000 square feet on one of the most prestigious streets in lower Bel Air. This sprawling and impressive estate boasts everything one could possibly ask for sophisticated modern living; including a state-of-the-art movie theater, wine cellar, cigar room, indoor pool and spa, enormous master suite with dual baths and spectacular 2-story closets, security room, outstanding gourmet kitchen, guest house, fabulous outdoor spaces with pool and barbeque area, and subterranean garage parking for 6-10 cars – perfect for a serious car enthusiast. Gated and set on a large lot, the breathtaking grounds are lushly landscaped and offer the utmost in privacy. This stunning home has been masterfully designed to the very last detail.

What’s your favorite room in this home?