Newsletter: Hot Property: Keep calm and rock on
You can’t judge a book by its cover, as the saying goes. But we’ve found working this beat that home and decor sometimes do match up with the owner. This week’s news cycle produced more than a few fitting finds that resonated in our minds.
Slash n' swagger
Alligator-print wallpaper, cheetah-print rugs and pirate ship-themed chandeliers — it’s a perfect storm of rock star swagger at the home of Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash.
The rocker’s Italian-style villa in gated Mulholland Estates returned to market this week with a tuned-down asking price of $10.495 million. Fortunately for us, the interiors are still amped, including a blacked-out lounge complete with a nightclub, DJ booth, recording studio and wet bar.
Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash lowered the asking price on his over-the-top villa in the Mulholland Estates. (Adrian Anz | Inset: Getty Images)
No room for a spare
In true diva fashion, pop superstar Britney Spears has put her spare mansion-estate up for sale at $8.995 million. The singer bought the 8,500-square-foot house in Thousand Oaks four years ago and glammed up the interiors with dark wood floors, gray hues and sliding walls of glass.
Last year, the 34-year-old snagged a 21-acre estate in the same area for $7.4 million.
Britney Spears listed her spare mansion-estate for sale at $8.995 million. (South Bay Digs | Los Angeles Times)
He’s packed up his flannel
Actor-comedian Fred Armisen, who stars in a comedy series that parodies hipster culture, albeit in Portland, Ore., is moving from one trendy L.A. neighborhood to another. Isn’t that fitting?
The “Portlandia” star and “SNL” alum recently scooped up a beautifully brick-centric pad in Los Feliz for about $2.03 million. Meanwhile, his renovated bungalow in Silver Lake has since gone under contract.
Fred Armisen bought an English-style house in Los Feliz for about $2.03 million. (Realtor.com | Los Angeles Times)
Casting call
The Pacific Palisades home of Bob Pisano, the former head of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, can be summed up as … you guessed it, picture perfect.
Found within the desirable Amalfi Rim area of the Palisades Riviera, the country French-inspired home features such details as Venetian plaster walls, handsome beamed ceilings and rows of French doors. Fountains, rose arbors and gardens filled with lavender and fruit trees complete the refined setting, which can be yours for $8.995 million.
Bob Pisano, the former president of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, put his Pacific Palisades home up for sale at $8.399 million. (Chris Property | MPAA)
Star-crossed in Hancock Park
Designed by Stiles O. Clements in the 1930s for art patrons Mildred and Lucius, this classic French Country-style home has seen its share of celebrity owners. Emmy winner Sela Ward and her husband, Howard Sherman, completely restored the home during their ownership, later flipping it to American Rag Chief Executive Mark Werts for about $3.8 million. Werts has since moved on, and the stunningly sophisticated house is now for sale at $5.995 million.
The 1930s home in Hancock Park was restored and updated by actress Sela Ward during her ownership. (Sotheby's International Realty)
Sing it loud, sing it proud
Here’s something that hits the right note: A turreted French Normandy-style home in the Hollywood Hills owned by “Glee” star Dianna Agron has come up for sale at $1.595 million.
Set behind gates, the 1920s storybook home retains its classic good looks while incorporating a number of contemporary details. Features of note include a handsome barrel-rolled ceiling, eye-catching wallpaper and a master suite with a clawfoot soaking tub. Admit it, you’d dip.
Dianna Agron put her charming compound in the Hollywood Hills West up for sale at $1.595 million. (Jason Agron | Los Angeles Times)
A Hollywood reboot
“Resident Evil” actress Ali Larter is ready to bid adieu to her modern home in Hollywood Hills West. She and husband Hayes MacArthur are asking $4.295 million for the three-story home of 5,500 square feet. Walls of glass, wide-plank wood floors and a central staircase framed in steel are among features of the Brian Murphy-designed home.
Ali Larter and Hayes MacArthur relisted their modern three-story home in Hollywood Hills West for $4.295 million. (Jeffrey Ong / PostRAIN | Getty Images)
Blast from the past
Thirty years ago this week, actor-comedian Tim Conway opened up the doors to his 1930s mansion in Encino to host the first Design House for the International Society of Interior Designers in the San Fernando Valley. Fast forward to today and it’s Conway’s son, radio host Tim Jr., who is in the Hot Property spotlight. He’s asking $698,000 for his Tarzana home.
Tim Conway Jr. put his longtime home in Tarzana up for sale at $698,000. (Kelton Properties | Handout)
And it was a decade ago this week that Hollywood saw this passing of the torch. Leading man Kevin Costner sold his 10,000-square-foot hacienda to fresh-faced “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest for a cool $11.5 million. More recently, it was another of Costner’s homes, a custom villa designed for the Oscar winner, that popped up on the market.
What we’re reading
— Former NASA astronaut James Lovell is readying for a mission out of Texas’ Horseshoe Bay. The commander of Apollo 13 is asking $3.5 million for his vacation home in the lake community 55 miles outside of Austin, according to the Wall Street Journal.
— Linda Hogan, the former wife of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, recently opened up her Southern California home to “Extra’s” Michael Corbett. She’s hoping to a pin down a buyer for the Tuscan-style on 24 acres in Simi Valley, which currently lists for a shade under $4.5 million.
— Just how much did the gas leak above Porter Ranch affect the housing market? Los Angeles Times business reporter Andrew Khouri details the trickle-down effect, which saw home sales from December to February dip 20% from the previous year.
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