Luxe Living

Siobhan Fahey, famous across the globe for being a founding member of the 1980′s British girl group Bananarama and later forming the award-winning musical group Shakespears Sister, has just purchased herself a rocking new pad in the Hollywood Hills. The 54-year-old rock star is the ex-wife of Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. The musically-inclined former duo have two sons, and according to an expose on Fahey, she keeps a home in Los Angeles to stay close to her sons, who are based there.

Her new home in the Hollywood Hills is in a spectacular location, arguably one of the most remarkable sites in Los Angeles. The home sits atop of the Los Feliz “Oaks” with a 180° view over most of the City of Angels. According to the listing information, Fahey’s new place is a gated, modern Zen retreat in need of some TLC, with amazing upside potential. Perhaps Fahey will make some serious upgrades!

As the home stands now, it has jaw dropping views from almost every room. It also features 15′ floating ceilings, polished concrete floors, and an ideal open floor plan. The private master suite has views of Hollywood and a private deck. A seamless indoor/outdoor space includes a private dark bottom pool with a luxe deck and flat grassy yard.

Maroon 5 frontman and ‘The Voice’ judge Adam Levine has just bought himself a new little ditty – a $4.8 million-dollar home in the Beverly Hills area.

Levine’s rocking new Beverly Hills pad is a historic estate with panoramic canyon views located atop the famed tennis court row of Benedict Canyon. The property clocks in at 3.6+ acres and the actual home is situated on over 1 flat acre. Known as the “Benedict House,” this property offers complete privacy and seclusion behind the gates of Wallingford Estates, a community of about 14 homes.

As the anchor property of the Wallingford development, it remains the prized gem of the neighborhood. Located down an incredibly long, private, gated driveway with a large circular motor court, Benedict House was called “a perfect family home” in the listing information. Should Adam not be content with the existing property, his new home sits on a wonderful site with more than enough room to build a 20,000 square foot house. The existing 6,500+ square foot ranch home and guest house consists of 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms and is meticulously maintained. The house boasts an enchanting living room, formal dining room, cooks kitchen and family room. It’s also got a spare den/office, and an expansive studio space which can be easily adapted to a screening room, music studio, or extra bedroom space.

Looks like the perpetual bachelor has just bought himself the perfect family home.

Britney Spears has reportedly bought a chart-topping new home in Thousand Oaks, CA. First reported by the in-the-know Real Estalker, Spears and fiancé Jason Tratwick are smack in the middle of escrow on a 5 bedroom, 7 bathroom, 8,456 square foot home that was listed for $8.5 million.

Rumor has it that she was given away by her new neighbors, who were so excited that the pop star and X Factor judge would be moving into the hood that they couldn’t keep their mouths shut about the pending sale.

Brit Brit’s new house is not the cliffside Malibu mansion she’s been passing off as her “judges home” on the recent episodes of X Factor. In fact, Britney’s new family home is along the lines of what we’ve seen her live in before. She, Jason and the kiddos have an affinity for big, sprawling mansions with tall ceilings, neutral colors and massive outdoor living areas. This new Thousand Oaks home is no difference – and doesn’t disappoint. The massive home is exactly the kind of home you’d expect the Princess of Pop to live in. She’s putting that $15 million dollar X Factor paycheck to good use on this one.

Completed in 2010, the single-story home is multi-winged and located behind the 24-hour guarded gates of the Sherwood Country Club. It’s a a true one of a kind modern mediterranean masterpiece and only the finest materials were used to construct/design this spectacular estate.

The many luxe attributes of this home include vanishing pocket doors, limestone and custom oak flooring, soaring beamed ceilings and a grand master suite with his & her bathrooms and two massive walk in closets.

Two separate offices, a massive, temperature controlled wine cellar, home theater bonus room and more complete the open, desirable floorplan. The exterior was designed to mimic a resort, and no doubt Britney’s two young boys will go crazy for the infinity pool, manicured lawns, rose garden, outdoor fireplace and BBQ area.

Built on two lots, Britney’s stunning new estate sits on over 1.4 acres. Her new neighbors are tennis champ Pete Sampras and his wife Bridgette Wilson, who are actually trying to sell their $20M estate.

This neighborhood just got a lot more exciting.

Elvis has left the building – and now it can be yours! The former Beverly Hills estate of the late, great Elvis Presley and his wife Priscilla has just hit the market for $12.995 million.

‘The King’ and Priscilla used to live the life of luxury in Beverly Hills, and now that same life can be had by someone else. The property is a French Regency estate set on a 1.18 acre promontory overlooking spectacular panoramic city to ocean views. From this home, almost all of Los Angeles unfolds in front of you. Gated and private, located near the end of North Hillcrest Road in Trousdale Estates, this property was just remodeled and renewed with fresh paint and flooring, a gorgeous brand new kitchen with professional appliances, new laundry room, upgraded electrical, and resurfaced pool and spa. Spacious public rooms include a formal living room with fireplace, dining room, family room, office, and media room. A private master suite features a large master bath and expansive closet space – plenty of room for shoes. Perhaps some blue suede ones?

Floor-to-ceiling windows and walls of glass in every room frame the shimmering Los Angeles vistas and welcome light and warmth into the home, allowing for the ultimate California indoor/outdoor lifestyle. Aside from the main home, the property includes an attached guesthouse with bath, large motorcourt, and 4-car carport.

The estate was formally available for lease for $25,000 a month.

Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker holds the listing.

311 frontman Nick Hexum has just picked up a new Los Angeles home, to the tune of $1,970,000! According to public records, Hexum and family closed on the property on August 1, 2012 and are now the proud owners of a 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom, 4,891 square foot home in Topanga Canyon.

The Mediterranean estate equestrian property is set against a stunning backdrop of massive rock formations within it’s own private 10 acre canyon. Built in 2004, the 5-bedroom home offers the best of everything for the casual canyon lifestyle and entertaining, including a living room with vaulted ceilings and fireplace, media room, game room, formal dining room, gourmet Viking kitchen, and outdoor dining patio.

Amber is the color of Nick Hexum’s new master suite, which features its own anteroom with vaulted ceilings and stone fireplace that then flows into the bedroom area with a private balcony overlooking the verdant grounds. There are 3 other large bedrooms, a kids loft, and a 4th maids bedroom with bath. The grounds are covered with sprawling grassy lawns, flowering gardens, an outdoor dining pavilion, and kids playground, all bordered by a seasonal creek. The horse facilities include a 60 x 120 foot riding arena, large turnout, corrals, and tack room.

No stranger to the real estate game, years ago, Hexum bought a private island vacation rental off the coast of Florida, and renamed the island from Money Key to Melody Key. Nick announced he sold the island on March 17, 2011 because he couldn’t spend much time there.

In addition to his new Topanga pad, Hexum also owns a 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom Jewett Dr. home in Los Angeles. He bought that home back in October 1996 for $647,000.

Images via the MLS.

Got $5 Million? If so, you could be singing ‘It’s 5 o’clock somewhere” from the deck of Alan Jackson‘s stunning Smithville, Tennessee lake house. According to the Wall Street Journal, Alan Jackson and his wife are selling their longtime lakefront spread because “their three daughters have grown older and they don’t use the house as often as a family.” Additionally, Jackson and his wife Denise are re-evaluating their plans for the future after she beat cancer last year.

If the Jackson family is aiming for a simpler life, than it’s a no-brainer that they are selling this tricked-out waterfront home that features a 5-bedroom Hamptons-style main residence, a 4-bedroom guesthouse, a 1 bedroom cabin, a 2-story houseboat, private boat dock and a helipad atop a 3-car garage!

If that’s not enough, the for-sale Jackson family spread also includes a 1-acre building site. The magnificent, gated property clocks in at 3.5 acres and features breathtaking views and would be prime real estate for a well-heeled family who may want to create their very own vacation compound.

Rick French of French Christianson Patterson and Associates and Rick Moeser of Christie’s International Real Estate have the listing.

With a professional athlete husband and a brand new baby, Miss Hillary Duff likely leads a busy life. Now, the singer-actress can check “selling her other multi-million-dollar house” off her to-do list. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the house that Lizzie McGuire built has just sold for just under its asking price of $6.25M.

While she awaited the sale of this stunning Toluca Lake home, Duff and family cozied into their other home: a 5,260 square foot, 5 bedroom, 6.5 bathroom Beverly Hills mansion, which was purchased in July 2010 for $3.85M.

So what’s the skinny on their dearly departed home? The estate was a unique Mediterranean dream home situated on the prestigious Toluca Lake. The home sits behind a grand gate and is extremely private and secure.  The floor plan is open and airy, while also boasting some serious celeb-worthy amenities, including a den/office, library, billiard room, cognac room, wine cellar, gym, gift wrapping room, chef’s kitchen, a game room and so much more. The master suite is complete with his and hers walk-in closets and bathrooms. Each custom made master bath includes heated floors and custom made finishes from the stonework to the Murano lighting fixtures. The floors of this magnificent estate are blanketed with antique French oak floors. Additional custom features include soaring cathedral ceilings, triple stacked deep base moldings, black marble countertops, waterworks tiles utilized in the kitchen and bathrooms, pool and spa.

With amenities like that, it’s no surprise that the home sold to a couple of ‘creative types.’ The buyers have been identified as designer Don Stanzione and Sheri Callan, who owns Callan Advertising, which focuses on the independent film industry.

Rock & Roll legend Ozzy Osbourne could be your new landlord! The Prince of Darkness and his firecracker wife Sharon are shifting real estate gears and offering up their stunning Hidden Hills home as a $50,000-a-month lease after trying to unsuccessfully sell the home since July 2011. While it’s still listed for sale at $12,999,000, the home just hit the high-end rental market today. The Osbournes purchased the home in the equestrian community of Hidden Hills on August 3, 2007 for $12,388,500. It clocks in at 10,953 square feet and features 6 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms.

You may not be able to understand a word Ozzy says, but you can probably glean that he and Sharon have a penchant for pricey properties. While they filmed their eponymous MTV reality show, “The Osbournes,” Sharon, Ozzy, Kelly and Jack Osbourne lived in this Beverly Hills mansion – currently owned by none other than songstress Christina Aguilera. Perhaps being “The Price of Darkness” comes with a real estate curse, because Aguilera can’t sell this ‘Osbournes’ pad either. It’s been languishing on the market since March 2011 with a $13.5M price tag.

Should you want to temporarily live like an Osbourne, let’s examine what you’ll get for $50,000 clams a month: Located within the exclusive guard-gated community of Hidden Hills, the Osbourne family home is situated on a private knoll and is a sophisticated Cape Cod-inspired estate located atop an intimate cul-de-sac. Recently featured in “Architectural Digest”, the Osbournes’ grand residence rests on 2.25 acre promontory with breathtaking city light and mountain views. Re-imagined by legendary interior designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, the magnificent home features the 6 bedrooms, as well as a guest apartment with kitchenette, intricately paneled study with fireplace, porte-cochere with motor court, exquisitely accented formal dining room, dramatic foyer with spiral staircase, floor-to-ceiling windows and an expansive lower level studio/home theater space.

For those of you who tuned in to ‘The Osbournes,” you’ll remember most of the action took place in the kitchen. In this home, it’s no different. A brilliant state-of-the art chef’s kitchen features Wolf appliances, a center-island and cozy breakfast nook.

The family room is highlighted by oversized sliding barn doors, a reclaimed brick fireplace and  beamed vaulted ceilings. The master suite offers a sitting area, stone fireplace, wood paneled walk-in closet and an adjacent office. Expansive rear grounds include  rolling lawns, a spa, barbeque island, outdoor shower, commode and several seating enclaves.

We’re not sure where the Osbourne’s will decamp to, as they sold their $7.9M Malibu home in April of this year, but no doubt they’ll move on to another fabulous estate to get some R&R after a particularly challenging year.

Young pompadoured crooner, Bruno Mars, has just bought a sleek and modern ‘Hollywood Regency’ style home in the hills of Hollywood, according to The Real Estalker.  The sophisticated, contemporary and admittedly very grown-up abode was purchased by the young Mars (via a super secret blind trust) in mid-July for $3.25M.

Property records show that the home was was purchased by the folks who eventually sold to Mars only a year ago, in May 2011, for $1.235M. In one short year, the sellers made upgrades and flipped this magazine-worthy home back on the market. Mars saw it and couldn’t resist the showpiece home.

The photogenic property features highly detailed select quality custom fixtures and an 11 foot tall custom built entry.  Floor-to-ceiling retractable Fleetwood walls of glass showcase sweeping city and mountain views, a must-have for a Hollywood Hills party pad. This walled and gated designer home offers superior privacy with a classic and desirable Mulholland address.

The single-level open floor plan, a dramatic motor court featuring 12 foot tall custom Calcutta stone columns, parking for 10 and an indoor/outdoor sound system all come together to make this an entertainer’s dream. All bedrooms offer bathroom en suite featuring designer tile, Dornbracht, Gessi and Catalano fixtures. A master bathroom is second to none with radiant heat flooring, a dry sauna, steam shower for at least 2 and a separate massage and gym area. Swarovski lighting, Miele appliances, and a security system with 8 perimeter cameras are just some of what this home has to offer a budding young star like Mars.

Images via the MLS.

Brandon Boyd, the multi-talented lead singer for the rock band Incubus, has just purchased a craftsman-style Santa Monica bungalow for $3.5 million. In January of 2012, Boyd listed and subsequently sold his Venice-area home that came complete with a custom-built music studio. Purchased from actress Maria Bello on November 2, 2005 for $2.72 million, according to public records Boyd sold the home for almost the exact same purchase price on February 9, 2012.

While Boyd’s making big real estate moves, his actual moving trucks won’t have to make a long haul from Venice to Santa Monica. Boyd’s new place is located on one of Santa Monica’s most prestigious palm tree lined streets and is an original 1923 Craftsman-style home that, according to the listing, is “waiting to be brought into the 21st century” – aka it needs a hefty remodel.

Situated on a large 13,188 square-foot lot, the charming home is built west of 7th Street and sits just a few short blocks away from Ocean Ave. Set back from the street, you enter the home into the beautiful and open formal living room with rich hardwood floors, walls of windows, high coved ceilings and an original wood-burning Batchelder tiled fireplace. Off of the living room, on the front of the house, is a spacious office with three walls of wood windows to flood the room with natural light. The large formal dining room flows directly into the spacious kitchen. There are four generous-sized bedrooms, one with elegant antique wall moldings, and two bathrooms which are accessible through an oversized hallway with high ceilings. In addition there is a California basement and an attic area which provides an enormous amount of space to create a second story. The location of the house and the large lot leaves a backyard with tons potential and plenty of room for a pool.

Jody Fine and Marco Van Erp represented the listing.