Sweeter Homes

A Beach House as Blue as the Ocean

2010-05-28T06:27:00.000+02:00

Enjoy this beautiful Southampton beach house awash in colors that say sea, sky, and nature. Interior design by KIM COLEMAN & MICHELE GREEN.

Read the interview by Bob Morris at http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/home-makeovers/blue-beach-house-0310

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A Tennessee Vintage Christmas

2009-12-18T18:23:00.004+01:00

Tennessee homeowner Genia Gilchrist shares her tips for decorating a Southern home for the holidays in the latest edition of Southern Living. I hope you enjoy some of her wonderful decorating ideas.

For more pictures go to Southern Living Magazine.

Decorating a beach house for Christmas

2009-11-28T19:57:00.006+01:00

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so get in the spirit with these ideas to decorate your home with a coastal twist.

Punch up your palette with color or keep it white and delicate. Fresh green sprigs will always add that holiday touch.

Adding some sparkling silver will make a festive statement.

Decorate a Christmas tree outside.

Make your own Christmas Wreath with treasures from the beach.

A smart, sophisticated apartment remodel

2009-11-22T13:26:00.000+01:00

The last time the century-old apartment in the heart of downtown Chicago had been updated was in the 1970s. "It wasn't exactly a dump, but it needed a lot of work," says interior designer Eva Quateman, Read more about this remodel in Traditional Home Magazine.

Dining room before:

Dining room after:

Kitchen before:

Kitchen after:

Breakfast room before:

Breakfast room after:

Master bedroom before:

Master bedroom after:

Make it flow.

That's Eva's No. 1 rule in decorating. "One room should flow into the next unobtrusively. The design should sing the same song as it progresses along from space to space," she insists. Even houses with a lot of different colors in the palette should have continuity. "If green and orange are in one room, then maybe it's green and red in the next. The idea is that some elements of color should segue from one room to the next so the spaces flow."

Photos and information from Tradtional Home Magazine.

A Traditional Home kitchen remodel

2009-11-18T13:15:00.000+01:00

Creating an eat-in kitchen was Joan Pluck’s main impetus for renovating her family’s New Canaan, Connecticut, home, but there were other issues. She wanted more light, more space and a more comfortable and inviting gathering area. Joan Pluck consulted an architectural designer with one-of-a-kind insights into the family’s needs—her sister, Louise Brooks. Together they created this traditional dream kitchen.

Read more about the remodel in Traditional Home.

White - minimalist, magical or a little of both?

2009-11-16T12:34:00.000+01:00

Is white a real color or not? Some designers wouldn't think of creating a room without colors. Others use it as a foolproof mechanism for sophistication. In bedrooms, white and variations of it create a restful space. Dining rooms with white as their palettes sing in refinement and class. Teamed with black, and high-glass elements, the color reads glamorous and seductive. White is also the perfect backdrop for a shabby chic room. Whatever your taste, white can be the color to choose.

Enjoy these colorless treats from showhouses across the country. Photos from Traditional Homes, Coastal Living and Architectural Digest.

Southern Living 2009 Texas Idea House

2009-11-14T11:43:00.010+01:00

This Port Aransas Idea House on the Texas Gulf Coast is a light and airy beach retreat with lots of room for family and friends.

Interior designer Paige Schnell of Tracery Interiors was inspired by the sunset and the water when she chose her color palette for the family room: aqua, persimmon, saffron, and white.

A window-filled alcove functions like a dining room with a casual table, two slipcovered end chairs, and a pillow-topped banquette. The built-in bench and wall of windows make this small space seem much larger.

“We created a stadium effect by raising the kitchen one step up,” explains architect Louis Nequette. The counters in the kitchen are standard height, but because of the elevation change, they reach bar height from the opposite side of the island in the family room.

Paige designed a custom antiqued mirror backsplash for the stove. It reflects light and gives the cook a glimpse of the room behind her, or the guests seated at the bar.

Paige balanced beauty and utility with her countertop choices―Calcutta marble on the island, and maple butcher block on either side of the stove. “The extra-large piece of white marble lightens up the space and is beautiful on top of the espresso-colored cabinets,” she says.

The third-floor loft opens over the family room. Industrial-style stools line up along the kitchen bar.

The downstairs Master Bedroom has been opened up with a wall of glass.

Instead of a basic doorway between the downstairs bedroom and bath, the architects designed a glass wall as a divider, with grommeted curtain panels that can be pulled for privacy.

The glass wall visually enlarges the space and adds a sense of calm to the dramatically stenciled room. The large floating bathtub invites relaxation and serenity.

Feminine accessories, such as the shell-encrusted mirror, add softness to the sleek marble bath.

Upstairs Master Bedroom in saffron and grey.

The designer created a architectural headboard by building a wall along the back of the upstairs bedroom. To fill out the eclectic look, she stacked books and leaned artwork atop the ledge.

The upstairs master suite showcases a modern barn door, which slides along a track to close off the bath. The bright saffron color ties in with the saffron-and-gray bedding and updates the look.

The children's playroom has been livened up by a horizontal stripe pattern on the walls. Tip: Use painter’s tape, a level, and lots of patience to get this look―you must wait for each row to dry before you move on to the next.

Influenced by train bunks, the architects designed a row of three built-in beds on the third floor loft, each lit with a marine-style sconce and closed off with curtains. Storage areas for the bunks line up across the hall, with a cubby and a drawer for each bed.

Several porches around the house open up to the beautiful scenery.

Built-in benches with hooks above them turn this entry hall into a useful mudroom.

With rigs to hang kayaks and a sink to clean freshly caught fish, this hardworking garage takes beach storage to new heights.

See more from this home at SouthernLiving.com

House Beautiful Daily Sweepstakes

2009-11-05T03:39:00.002+01:00

November Daily Freebies Sweepstakes

Enter to win fantastic prizes from Ballard Designs every day of the month! Come back to enter every day for more chances to win.

Click here.

Beautiful 4 bedroomed restored house in Gordes

2009-11-03T01:12:00.000+01:00

Either a Chambre d'Hote or a fabulous family house, this property shows incredible attention to detail. The major renovations completed 5 years ago have been completed to a very high standard with quality fittings throughout.

There are 4 bedrooms all with en suite bathrooms, a lovely farmhouse kitchen, separate dining room, and stunning sitting room.

For the discerning buyer, this property is a great home and established business in one, in the 'golden triangle' of the Luberon. Located about 1 hour from the airport at Marseille.

Offered at € 1 250.000.

www.rhfl.com

White kitchens

2009-10-25T14:28:00.000+01:00

Sophisticated, clean, light and airy.

Enjoy the simple elegance of these beautiful white kitchens.

Pictures from Southern Living, Coastal Living and Architectural Digest

Sensibly Shabby Beach Bungalow

2009-10-24T02:33:00.005+02:00

Room-by-room, Françoise O'Neill transformed her derelict cottage into a chic little shack. She calls her style Sensibly Shabby.

All-white interiors and 10-foot ceilings create the illusion of space in this tiny cottage. Françoise filled her home with "regal rejects and relics"―items found in thrift stores and flea markets―most of which she has refreshed with white paint.

Pictures from Coastal Living Magazine

Celebrity homes for sale: X-files' creator Chris Carter

2009-10-19T17:45:00.000+02:00

Chris Carter, the writer who created the popular 1990s series “The X-Files,” has placed a 4,209-square-foot house he owns in Malibu, Calif. on the market for $17,495,000.

Take a look at this beautiful property and check out that view...

You can find out more about the listing here.

Casa Casuarina - Gianni Versace's Miami Beach Palace

2009-10-18T02:48:00.000+02:00

An exquisitely preserved 1930’s mansion located in the heart of Miami Beach, Casa Casuarina, the former Versace Mansion, is an ultra-luxury boutique hotel and membership club. With classic Gianni Versace designs, each of the ten suites showcase rich and vibrant colors making each an individual masterpiece.

Living La Dolce Vita might be fun for a couple of nights. This is where Tom Cruise proposed to Katie Holmes and celebrities from the A-list enjoy their quiet dinner.

If you don't want to spend the money to stay here ($500+ per night), you can take the tour of the house. The tour including a free drink is $65.

President Obama's vacation home: Blue Heron Farm

2009-10-16T18:44:00.001+02:00

Barack Obama rented this $20 million house on Martha's Vineyard.

He and his family probably had a wonderful time at this 28 acre farm complete with an apple orchard, private beach, pool and basketball court. Take an exclusive look at the beautiful Blue Heron Farm.

Photography Courtesy Richard Keith Langham

See more of the pictures in Architectural Digest.

Celebrity homes for sale: David Hasselhoff

2009-10-15T06:41:00.000+02:00

Actor David Hasselhoff has re-listed his 6,148-square-foot house in Los Angeles’ Encino area for $4,195,000, after first having it on the market at the start of the year for $5,950,000.

I don't think anybody can say that this house has charm. But maybe a new owner can put a few personal touches that will make this house a home?

Good luck!

Celebrity homes for sale: Whoopi Goldberg

2009-10-13T06:15:00.000+02:00

Whoopi Goldberg has her two-bedroom, 3,600-square-foot loft in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood on the market for $3,990,000.

Thanks to Big Time Listings for the photos.

Nantucket house for rent

2009-10-10T14:36:00.001+02:00

You know you want it!

Nantucket Island Dream House

A stunning destination any time of the year and it's available for weekly bookings!

Spectacular brand new 9,000 sq. foot house in Shawkemo with panoramic views of the harbor. 7 bedrooms, 9 1/2 baths. Every amenity imaginable including outdoor pool and hot tub.

www.panacheprivee.com

WEEKLY RATE: $25,000 to $39,000

Okay, I'll keep on dreaming...

Celebrity homes: Diane Keaton's Beverly Hills Home

2009-10-09T07:24:00.000+02:00

THE ACTRESS’S PASSION FOR ART AND DESIGN ARE ON DISPLAY IN HER BEVERLY HILLS RESIDENCE

Who says opportunity knocks only once? Not Diane Keaton, who ignored it once, then grabbed it with both hands when she again heard it tapping on her door. Opportunity in this case was not a choice part in a movie but something that was just as important to a woman whose passion is restoring old California homes: a Spanish Colonial Revival in Beverly Hills with a beautifully proportioned interior courtyard. She actually bought the house when it first came on the market at the beginning of the decade, but she backed out during escrow and let another buyer take it. “It needed a lot of work,” she explains, “and I got cold feet.” When it went up for sale again two years ago, she bought it a second time—this time for keeps. Read the rest of the article in Architectural Digest.

Celebrity homes for sale: Actor Ben Stiller

2009-10-05T18:25:00.001+02:00

Actor Ben Stiller and his wife have placed their compound in the Outpost Estates area of Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills on the market for $12,500,000.

Check out a beautiful slideshow of the listing here.

If I won the lottery...

2009-10-02T12:01:00.000+02:00

I MIGHT CHOOSE TO LIVE IN THIS TRADITIONAL MANSION ON LAKE MICHIGAN...

Or I might just live in the pool house...

Photography by Peter Aaron/Estol

Architecture by Robert A. M. Stern Architects/Interior Design by Victoria Hagan Interior

READ THE ARTICLE IN ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST.

Sophisticated French Country Design

2009-10-02T03:44:00.008+02:00

Designer Cathy Kincade used antique accessories and smoldering colors to turn this desert home in Scottsdale into an old-world getaway. The house has a European feel as if the owners have traveled the world and collected all this beautiful objects. The use of stones, dark woods and rich colors give this vacation home just the French Country look the owners wanted.

Read more about this home in House Beautiful.

Coastal Living's 2009 Idea Cottage: Space-Savvy Design

2009-10-01T01:54:00.000+02:00

Right-Size Living

The next big thing in architecture is right-size living. That means using money-saving, environmentally sound materials to build a smaller but savvier house in which no square inch is squandered yet luxuries still abound. With its eco-friendly construction and beach-chic feel, the Idea Cottage in South Carolina, shows how to live large in a small footprint.

Design Trick: Pull the palette all the way through a room―essential for cohesion in an open space. Here, a poppy-orange chair and plum pillows echo the stairwell and den beyond.

Favorite Detail: The bold portrait by Molly B. Right, fashioned entirely from bottlecaps (even the eyes!). So intricate up close, so striking from afar.

Favorite Detail: tiling an entire wall, not just the backsplash.

Designer Trick: Paint every surface―walls, trim, and bookcases―one rich color like this dark eggplant for a seamless look.

Favorite Detail: Planting between pavers. Soften hardscape with low-maintenance strips of green between easy-to-install concrete squares.

Marina Bay Village in Malaysia

2009-09-30T14:15:00.005+02:00

Looking for a great holiday rental? Or just want to dream about a nice long getaway...

A luxury fully staffed private villa estate on Pangkor Laut Island with superb facilities and spa.

Marina Bay is a group of nine villas on a tiny 120-hectar island situated along a secluded bay and set away from the main resort of Pangkor Laut. The bay has white-gold sand and is surrounded by rainforest. Each estate is individually designed in typical Malay style. Bedrooms and living areas are housed in individual pavilions and are connected by pathways and courtyards. The villas are surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens, each with their own private infinity pool. The Estates also come with butler, maid and a private chef.

If you need to escape this unadulterated luxury for a while, you can hire a yacht or motorboat for a day to explore nine uninhabited islands nearby for picnics, or go trekking in the jungle. The best season to go is December through to February (summer months can be wet).

Guide price £3475 per person for 7 nights based on 4 people sharing a 2 Bed Estate on a full board basis including Malaysia Airlines international flights and transfers from England. Check out Scott Dunn for more amazing holidays!

White Picket Fences

2009-09-29T02:50:00.010+02:00

Looking at the picture of my little girl in blue, I was inspired to write a post about white picket fences. I don't know about you, but I have always had this secret dream about living in a house with a white picket fence. Having watched so many american movies growing up, I believed that every house in the US had a white picket fence and a front porch. When my husband and I moved to Tulsa in 1998 I was so disappointed to find out that there were hardly any white picket fences in that area. All the fences were gray, dull and made of cedar. Our realtor tried desperately to find me my white colonial with all the trimmings, but no such luck... Now back in Norway I'm still hoping that one day I will be living in a house with a white picket fence and a pretty garden gate. If the house had a front porch with a swing too, life would just be perfect!

To keep the dream alive I walked around today and took some pictures from my neighborhood here in Norway. Enjoy these charming picket fences!

All pictures by me. Please contact me if you would like to use any of them:-)

Little girl blue

2009-09-29T02:36:00.006+02:00

This post has nothing to do with homes or interior design. Today I wanted to join the challenge over at I ♥ Faces. This week we were supposed to post a picture of a face featuring the

color blue. So here is the blue picture of my little girl.

Beachy Bedrooms

2009-09-28T11:02:00.007+02:00

Transform your bedroom into a beach-lovers dream. Find the style that you like the most and make it your own. All these photos are from Coastal Living Magazine.

Different shades of blue

Earthy Tones and Natural Materials

Sleek elegance

Sea glass pastels

Crisp Whites

Beachy kitchens

2009-09-23T00:58:00.005+02:00

Let yourself be inspired by these kitchens with a coastal flare from Coastal Living. Try to find elements that you love and incorporate into your kitchen to get the same beachy feel.

White cottage

Real Rustic?

Modern and sleek?

Soft summer pastels?

A splash of color?

Which is your favorite?

Cobblers Cove, Barbados

2009-09-20T21:40:00.007+02:00

Do you want to get away from it all? Fall is here and the weather is getting cooler. How about a trip to sunny Barbados?

Cobblers Cove in Barbados is an English Country House style hotel, with spacious comfortable rooms, courteous staff and excellent food. A member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux, Cobblers Cove is truly a wonderful place for a romantic getaway!

Rates: From April 19 to September 30, 2009, superior suite doubles are $465 per night.

Cobblers Cove has a wide choice of different deluxe rooms and suites that are just beautifully decorated. There is no way you wouldn't relax in one of these rooms:

Check out their website at cobblerscove.com

My birthday is coming up. Just saying...

And the winner is....

2009-09-17T18:39:00.003+02:00

Many of you took the time to enter my fabulous Magazine Subscription Giveaway posted on August 16th. I'm happy to announce that Random Generator has chosen Mrs Dimple over at Que sera sera as the winner.

Congratulations Mrs Dimple!

Take a look at the original post to decide which magazine you'd like.

Please send me your personal information by email to sweeterliving@gmail.com. I'll order the gift subscription and you'll start receiving the magazine within 4-6 weeks.

I'll be back with more Giveaways soon!

Beacon of history

2009-09-15T01:54:00.003+02:00

Inspired by a local lighthouse destroyed by a hurricane in the 1800s, architect Steve Herlong created an eco-savvy home for his family on Sullivan’s Island. Read more about this home in Coastal Living Magazine.

Dining Rooms with a Coastal Touch

2009-09-07T19:43:00.002+02:00

The great thing about beach-house style is that your rooms can be as casual and relaxed as you are on the coast. Feast your eyes on these dining rooms, then invite their easygoing looks into your home. Pictures and inspiration from Coastal Living Magazine.

Mansion in East Hampton

2009-09-06T11:10:00.000+02:00

A grand estate featured in Architectual Digest.

See how the interior designer Marjorie Shushan and the architect Francis Fleetwood worked together to make this 25.000 square feet elegant mansion a home. Click the link for the full article.

The Barn

2009-09-02T00:52:00.000+02:00

Once upon a time there was a young couple who loved to sail along the New England coast. On one of their sailing trips they discovered the picturesque village of Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard. They spotted a piece of property for sale: a heavily wooded plot, threaded with stone walls, with a view of the sea. The young couple looked at one another, and they had one thought: Buy it. So they did.

Of course, there was no house on this lovely piece of land. But the couple had heard about an architect in New Hampshire named David Howard, who specialized in finding, salvaging and moving historic barns—and once again they looked at each other and said, “Why not?” Two years and a fistful of permits later, they owned a 19th-century barn, which Howard disassembled and shipped—literally, since it had to travel by boat—to Martha’s Vineyard, where he and a crew of island craftsmen converted it into a summer house.

Read the rest of the story in Architectural Digest.

Master Bath Miracle

2009-08-31T00:44:00.000+02:00

Transformations don’t get much better than this. Witness a master bath’s radical change from a blue and pink disaster, to an elegant and sophisticated luxury bath.

The photos are from Southern Living Magazine.

Vanity before:

Vanity after:

Tub before:

Tub after:

Shower before:

Shower after:

A Room With A View

2009-08-29T01:37:00.019+02:00

My first award! From One Sassy Girl over at Hot Piece of Sass. She's a cool chick, so go check out her blog! THANK YOU SASSY GIRL!

****

We all want a room with a view. Which view is your favorite?

The green wooded hills of a mountain retreat?

The clear blue sky over a Hawaiian beach?

A charming French Country Garden?

A breathtaking breakfast overlooking the Amalfi Coast?

An early morning at the House in the Woods on the Island of Capri?

The majestic view of a Norwegian fjord?

The rugged cliffs of the Seattle coastline?

The vibrant color of a Caribbean hideaway?

A view of the sailboats from this Main rental beach house?

The sublime panorama of San Diego Bay?

The vast view from a Manhattan Penthouse Apartment?

For me there is NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

View of the Mediterranean sea overlooking the town of Fuengirola (Spain).

Picture taken from our terrace.

View from our garden at Hvitsten (Norway)

The kitchen designer's kitchen

2009-08-26T01:02:00.001+02:00

Kitchen designer Cyndy Cantley of Birmingham showed Southern Living Magazine a makeover project that’s near and dear to her heart―her very own kitchen. Here is a look into her dream kitchen.

Before:

After:

What a neat idea... Love the picture on the window!

Five Star Deck Dining Makeover

2009-08-23T22:57:00.000+02:00

Just a few pictures to inspire you to transform your deck! The photos are from Southern Living Magazine.

A worn deck next to a carport. A charmless outside space with no ambiance was turned into this:

Wow! Fresh paint, new furniture and some plants. The blinds between the carport and the deck creates more privacy. The curtains and awning made out of weather resistant fabric softens up the place. A nylon rug adds warmth (and can be left outside, rain or shine).

A candle lantern casts a soft glow.

Greens and yellows add a splash of color to this outside haven.

Oh, and I just love this weather-resistant copper-topped buffet!

Dream Bath Transformation

2009-08-20T22:53:00.000+02:00

See how this seldom-used guest bedroom was turned into a relaxing bathroom retreat. The renovation was easy because no walls had to be removed and only one door was closed off. After that, the space was quickly turned into a relaxing retreat.

Before:

After:

A black pedestal tub was placed next to the window, creating an ideal spot for soaking in the sunlight. The breezy white shower curtain hanging from a rod above the tub blends in nicely with the sheer curtains on the window.

The owner wanted the bath to mesh with the existing style of the cottage, so she filled it with a mix of traditional and modern touches. A glass-front cabinet, which was painted yellow on the inside, is a distinctive way to display towels and linens. Instead of a standard light fixture, a chandelier was hung, producing a romantic glow.

The color palette creates a fresh vibe within the bath. The walls are painted pale turquoise, while the beaded board is bright white.

FABULOUS GIVEAWAY: MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION

2009-08-16T15:44:00.005+02:00

It's time for another GIVEAWAY here on Sweeter Homes. So I'm giving away a subscription to a magazine. You can choose between the magazines above.

1 ticket: leave a comment letting me know which magazine you would like

2 tickets: become a follower (or if you already are a follower)

3 tickets: link my blog to your bloglist

4 tickets: grab the picture above and place on your blog with a link to this post

Make sure you tell me what you have chosen to do in your comment.

Good luck!

Prince Edward Island Dream House

2009-08-16T10:42:00.002+02:00

Pamela Kline loved her husband, Tom, so much that she made sure his final wish came true: to build a dream house on Prince Edward Island where their extended family could vacation together. He only got to spend one summer at their lovely beach house, but it was a summer filled with love and laughter.

Read the full story in Country Living Magazine

I just love the details here...

Malibu Beach Home

2009-08-15T11:28:00.000+02:00

Right on the water in Malibu you'll find this 1930s House. It had been renovated a number of times and had become a "Beverly Hills version of a house on the beach."

Los Angeles based interior designer Michael S. Smith was hired to transform this fancy Malibu Beach house into a charming home with period features. Read the whole article in Architectural Digest.

New England Calm

2009-08-10T10:29:00.000+02:00

Luminous. Serene. Relaxing. Elegant but informal. Sophisticated but youthful. Understated. All words used to describe this wonderful home. The designer is Victoria Hagan. Using a pallette of white, blue and brown she has created a calm and elegant atmosphere. The mixture of eclectic pieces adds to the uniqueness of this home.

A beautiful New England home featured in Architectural Digest 2005

BEST BEACHY BATHS

2009-08-08T02:56:00.000+02:00

Here are a few beachy bathrooms that might inspire you to create your own little blissful spa.

Go Rustic

Coastal Elements and Colors

Tub with a View

Light and Airy

Natural Colors and Textures

Romantic Getaway

Classic Elegance

Pebbles and Open Spaces

Calm and Serene

Make a Splash

Decorate with Paint

Opt for Alfresco

Photos: Coastal Living

Beach Up Your Breakfast Nook

2009-08-07T02:24:00.009+02:00

Wake up to the coast with these fresh, sunny looks.

Mix and Match

Ship Shaped

Incorporate your sea treasures.

Punch up your pallete.

Add Vintage Appeal

Soft pastels are a coastal classic too.

Keep it simple.

Take it outside.

Enjoy your space!

Photos: Coastal Living

Maine Getaway

2009-08-06T03:13:00.007+02:00

Coastal Living Idea Home 2008

Kick of your shoes and step into this Main Home. From striped floors to beach-chic furniture it's creative touches fit every beach lovers lifestyle.

Look at the shutters between the two rooms. This is such a great idea!

Okay, I can move in anytime. Seriously!

Celebrity homes for sale: THE BACHELOR HOUSE!

2009-07-31T08:47:00.001+02:00

OKAY, just admit it! We have all watched it... The Bachelor. Curling up in the sofa with some diet coke and ice cream watching a handsome guy pick and chose between 25 gorgeous women. Mmm... that's entertainment. Why do the women sign up? I have no idea! Why do the bachelor sign up? Duh! It is just what a man needs to keep him humble, 25 women fighting and making fools of themselves just so that one can end up with the ring and get dumped a few months later.

Well, you can say what you want about the show... but I have always LOVED the house! And it turns out it's for sale! So here you go, take a look at the BACHELOR house and be a judge for yourself. Is it as beautiful in real life or does everything look better on TV?

This is were the rose ceremony takes place. Cheesy, but oh so fun to watch!

This recently built hacienda of approximately 8000 square feet is truly unparalleled in design and construction. Also on the property sits a separate 4000 square foot accessory building/studio, complete with A/C, restroms and internet capability; perfect for a home office or studio. (Yeah, an "accessory building" bigger than my house!)

This estate is filled with many one of a kind architectural elements and details from all over the world. There is no detail left overlooked in this 6 bedroom, 9 bath estate; from the hand carved stone fireplaces and fountains to the state of the art chefs kitchen adorned with Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances.

Remember the "mustard-on-his-hotdog-scene"? This is where it happened!

The owner of the six-bedroom Agoura Hills, Calif. mansion where TV’s “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” are filmed has lowered his asking price again to $6,750,000, meaning that his listing price now is almost half his original, nearly $13 million asking price.

Owner Marshall Haraden built the house in 2005 and used materials for the house from Mexico, India, China and Morocco, according to an October Wall Street Journal article on the house.

Features in the house include nine baths, hand-carved Cantera stone fireplaces, imported fountains, a state-of-the-art chef’s kitchen, electronic skylights and dual pane windows.

Outdoor features include a separate, 4,000-square-foot accessory building, a solar-heated, saltwater swimming pool, a swim-up barbecue and bar, arched aqueduct spillways and two spas. The house sits on 9.8 acres.

Haraden calls the property Villa De La Vina, and he also rents it out. Take a look at his website for the house – with lots of photos.

Thanks to www.villadelavina.com for pictures and Big Time Listings for the information.

Celebrity homes for sale: Twin Peaks wrinter Harley Peyton

2009-07-30T08:16:00.000+02:00

“Twin Peaks” writer/producer lists his five-bedroom, 5,008-square-foot house in Los Angeles’ Hancock Park area for $3.995M

A writer and producer of many episodes of the cult early 1990s show “Twin Peaks” has placed his five-bedroom, 5,008-square-foot house in Los Angeles’ Hancock Park area on the market for $3,995,000.

Built in 1926, Peyton’s house has five and a half baths, a grand entry, and a step-down living room with a beamed ceiling, fireplace and French doors that lead out to a private patio, according to public records and listing information. Other features include a den with a fireplace, a kitchen with high-end appliances, maid’s quarters, an office, a master suite, and a den, according to listing information. Outdoor features on the gated, 0.28-acre (12,254-square-foot) property include a loggia, an outdoor lounge with a fireplace, a new pool and a built-in barbecue.

Peyton wrote 14 of the 30 episodes of “Twin Peaks,” which aired from early 1990 until mid-1991. He also produced 22 of the 30 episodes.

Thanks to Big Time Listings for the information.

What a steal!

2009-07-28T22:53:00.000+02:00

Donald Trump knocks $20M off the asking price for the penthouse duplex he is selling in the Trump Park Avenue building in Manhattan.

Now he wants $31 Million.

Indeed, the 6,200-square-foot unit, at 502 Park Avenue (at 59th Street) on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, now is on the market for $5,000 per square fot — a far cry from the $8,200 per square foot that Trump previously had been asking.

The 10-room penthouse has three (or four, depending upon which listing information one consults) bedrooms, six and a half marble baths, a master suite with his/hers separate bathrooms and walk-in closets, a private terrace, a 45-foot-long upstairs living area with 14-foot coffered ceilings, over 50 windows in total providing views of Central Park and Park Avenue, a state-of-the-art eat-in kitchen, and a library/den, according to listing information. Trump bought the 32-story building seven years ago.

Check out the online listing sheet for the property.

So if you have 31 million dollars, this is the time to buy, buy, buy...

Thanks to the Modlin Group and Big Time Listings for the info and pictures.

Celebrity homes for sale: Jesse McCartney

2009-07-27T01:37:00.000+02:00

If you had a million dollars, would you buy this home?

Singer/songwriter/actor Jesse McCartney has placed his two-bedroom, 1,600-square-foot house in Los Angeles’ Hollywood Hills area on the market for $1,199,000.

Records show that McCartney (shown here with Aubrey O’Day) paid $1,076,000 in May 2007 through his Big Man Trust to purchase the house.

Built in 1965, McCartney’s house has two and a half baths, an open floor plan, and lots of windows. Outdoor features on the dinky, 0.11-acre property include a custom spa with a waterfall, a fire pit, and canyon views.

McCartney has also been trying to lease out his place for $4,900 a month.

Thanks to Big Time Listings for information

Celebrity homes for sale: Rocker Michael "Flea" Balzary

2009-07-24T02:42:00.001+02:00

Rocker Michael “Flea” Balzary (Red Hot Chili Peppers) has placed a beach house that he owns in Malibu, California, on the market for $13,676,000.

Located on the Pacific Coast Highway, Flea’s 2,731-square-foot house hit the market back on May 28.

Built in 1980, Flea’s four-bedroom beach house has four baths, soaring ceilings, an open floor plan, walls of glass, gallery walls and tree-trunk floors positioned as an indoor-outdoor setting.

Outdoor features on the 2.01-acre property, which sits on the Encinal Bluffs, include a staircase to the beach, two separate guest homes, a long driveway, private beach access, two garages, and a private spa terrace.

Go here for a special website devoted to the house itself — and note the URL (http://www.redhotchiliocean.com)

Now my questions is:

Why would ANYBODY want to sell this property?

Thanks to Big Time Listings and Redhotchiliocean for information and pictures

Celebrity homes for sale: Britney Spears

2009-07-23T01:18:00.000+02:00

Hot on the outside, inside not so much...

Britney Spears re-lists her 7,453-square-foot house in the Beverly Hills, CA postal area, this time for $6.499M

Spears actually *first* listed the house in 2007 for $7,495,000 — just weeks after her Love Shack Trust purchased the house for $6,750,000. She later reduced it to $7,200,000, and then took it off the market for a year. She then re-listed the house in September 2008 for $7,900,000 buying it — for $7,900,000 and later reduced the house’s asking price to $7,195,000 before taking it off the market in March. Now, it’s back on the market for an asking price that will guarantee that she will take a loss on the house.

Built in 2001, Spears’ home has six baths, a gated motor court, a wet bar, maid’s quarters, a library, a smoking room/den (perfect for Britney, given how much she likes puffing on cigarettes), a formal dining room, a grand entrance foyer, dramatic high ceilings and carved millwork.

Other features include stone and mosaic tile floors, iron accents, and a master suite with his and hers baths, a fireplace and a “romantic loggia”. The house also has a chef’s kitchen with Viking appliances, a walk-in pantry and a nook opening to a spacious family room. Outside on the 0.37-acre (15,930-square-foot) property are a pool, a spa, and lush landscaping.

Thanks to Big Time Listings for the information!

Celebrity homes for sale: Jane Wyatt

2009-07-20T01:27:00.000+02:00

A mansion in Los Angeles’ Bel-Air area that was owned for nearly a half-century by actress Jane Wyatt until her death in 2006 at age 96 and that now is owned by former talent manager and relentless self-promoter Sandy Gallin — widely known as a serial flipper of high-end southern California real estate — has come on the market for $32,000,000.

Galin bought the property in 2007 for $7.000.000 and has spent millions remodeling.

Built in 1936-1937, the mansion’s current square footage is a bit of a mystery. Public records say it measures 4,847 square feet, while Gallin himself told the Journal that he added onto the house and increased its size to what he says is just over 12,000 square feet

Features in the seven-bedroom mansion, which is at 651 Siena Way in Bel-Air include 12 baths, a two-story circular entryway, large public rooms, a screening room, a gym, and a wine cellar, according to listing information. Outdoor features on the 0.67-acre property include gardens, a 110-foot infinity pool, and a guesthouse.

The website for the property is here.

Thanks to Big Time Listings for information and pictures.

Celebrity homes for sale: Shannen Doherty

2009-07-19T01:54:00.000+02:00

Actress Shannen Doherty has placed a 3,410-square-foot house that she owns in Malibu, Calif. back on the market for $4,000,000, after having had it on the market last year for $4,400,000.

Doherty, who starred in “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Charmed,” paid $2,560,000 in April 2004 through her Senior Moments Trust for the house on Winding Way, according to public records. Built in 1976, the five-bedroom house has four and a half baths, high-pitched ceilings, multiple skylights, terra-cotta floors, a fireplace in the kitchen, and a master suite with a corner fireplace and beautiful finishes.

Outside on the 1.1-acre property are ocean views, landscaped grounds, a long flower-lined driveway, a large motor court, rolling lawns, towering trees, fragrant gardens, outdoor patios and a pool and spa.

Thanks to Big Time Listings for pictures and information

Celebrity homes for sale: LeAnn Rimes

2009-07-18T01:01:00.001+02:00

LeAnn Rimes lists her newly built, 13,380-square-foot mansion in Franklin, Tennessee for $7.45M

In early 2008, country pop prodigy LeAnn Rimes and her backup dancer husband Dean Shermet listed their house on Hillsboro Pike in Nashville, Tennessee for around $2,400,000. Then word got out that the Grammy award winning singer and her happy footed husband were spending big bucks building a massive mansion in a guard-gated and Medieval themed community in Franklin, TN called Avalon. Visitors who pass through the main gates to Avalon are greeted by a large replication of King Arthur's sword driven into the stone and all the streets in the community have names like Lady of the Lake Lane and Road of the Round Table.

The traditional-style mansion has 23 rooms!

Features in the mansion include six full baths, three half baths, a second kitchen, a media room, custom woodworking, five-plank hand-distressed wood floors, custom master closets and guest quarters.

Outdoor features include a saltwater pool, according to listing information.

Rimes built the house last year and has only lived in it a few months!