Newsletter: Hot Property: And the award goes to ...
Another awards season has come and gone, but we’re still inclined to hand out some hardware of our own.
From billionaires to trophy homes to sports heroes, it has been another exciting week in Hot Property. Here are a few who have walked down our red carpet.
Best mob connection
Talk about knowing when to hold: Originally offered a year ago for $6.5 million, the Beverly Hills home of late Italian crooner Al Martino returned to market last month and sold in about two weeks for $7.8 million cash.
The 1920s home has architectural pedigree, having been designed by Elmer Grey and later updated by Ted Grenzbach, and also a connection to notorious mob boss Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. A wet bar salvaged from Siegel’s Los Angeles home now resides in the two-story guest house.
The longtime Beverly Hills home of late actor-singer Al Martino sold for $7.8 million. (Jeffrey Ong / PostRAIN | Inset: Associated Press)
Best use of closet space
Among eye-catching details of cinematographer Arthur To’s new home in Echo Park was the masterful built-in storage space beneath the staircase. Staircases often become dead zones in homes, but the Craftsman makes good use of the sliver of space with sets of drawers and a coat closet.
Other features of the newly renovated home include wide-plank wood floors, an open-plan living room and an unusual T-shaped island in the kitchen.
Cinematographer and digital technician Arthur To bought an updated Craftsman in Echo Park for $1.46 million. (John Aaroe Group)
Best indoor-outdoor experience
Many homes claim to offer the quintessential Southern California lifestyle, but few offer the indoor-outdoor vibe of Alan Landsburg’s longtime Beverly Hills home. Walls of floor-to-ceiling doors open the home to a swimming pool and outdoor living spaces.
The 7,390 square feet of interiors also feature gallery walls, a living room with an aquarium, a gym and a media room. Price: $5.695 million.
The longtime Beverly Hills home of TV producer Alan Landsburg is on the market for $5.695 million. (Virtually Here Studios | Los Angeles Times)
Best character in a Spanish home
Retired hockey player Sheldon Souray sold a Malibu home this week that is full of character. Saltillo tile floors, beamed ceilings and wrought iron chandeliers give a rustic quality to the Spanish-style home of 4,817 square feet. Bright Malibu tile lends a pop of color to the bathrooms and an infinity-edge swimming pool and spa.
Former Ducks defenseman Sheldon Souray parted ways with his Malibu home for $3.5 million. (Realtor.com | Getty Images)
Best master suite(s)
The La Quinta home of former Masters Tournament champion Fred Couples indulges in many ways, but we’re partial to the pair of master bedrooms. Upper and lower master suites each have lavish bathrooms, stone fireplaces and terrace patios.
A great room topped with vaulted ceilings and wrought iron chandeliers is another highlight of the nearly 5,200-square-foot home, listed for sale at $3.95 million.
Golfer Fred Couples listed his desert home at the Madison Club in La Quinta for sale at $3.95 million. (The Madison Club | Getty Images)
Best window placement
A set of intentionally placed windows brings in two sides of Los Angeles at the Hollywood Hills West home of LACMA curator emeritus Maurice Tuchman. One side shows the beauty of Runyon Canyon; the other takes in the cityscape of downtown L.A. A breezeway that connects the main house to a spiral office tower underscores the experience. The home is available to lease for $14,900 a month.
Maurice Tuchman, the former curator of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, has listed his home in Hollywood Hills West for lease at $14,900 a month. (Mark Singer)
Best example of organic architecture
Geometric tile, rolling wood trusses and a tree-like roofline are among the features that drew our eyes to the Lotus House in La Jolla. A work of modernist architect Ken Kellogg, the home offers a dramatic mix of organic architecture and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. It’s up for sale at $3.888 million.
Although usually referred to as the Lotus House, the property is also known as the Yen Residence in honor of Dr. Samuel Yen, who originally commissioned the home. (Cameron Acker)
From the archives
Two years ago this week, Keenen Ivory Wayans headlined Hot Property with the listing of his Brentwood home for $4.9 million. More recently, it’s his nephew, Damien Dante Wayans, who has kept the pages turning. The 35-year-old actor has had his Hollywood Hills home up for sale and for lease over the past year.
A decade ago this week, Patrick Dempsey parted ways with his home in Hollywood Hills for $2.5 million. The deal would serve as a prelude to his purchase of a Frank Gehry-designed home in Malibu, which he sold last year for $500,000 over the asking price.
What we’re reading
A Woodland Hills home designed by noted architect Rudolph Schindler has a new lease on life after a recent renovation that restored the home while adding eco-friendly features, according to Carol Crotta for the L.A. Times. The 1930s home, which was built for stage and screen actor Albert Van Dekker, had previously fallen into disrepair.
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