Hot Property: Creating space
Hollywood loves a compound. What better way to eliminate potentially nosy neighbors than by buying the place next door? In L.A.’s bumper-to-bumper hoods, having a buffer is a true luxury. This week’s roundup leads off with two properties that were created by combining them with others.
But for a compound created from the ground up, check out our tour of Frank Sinatra’s former desert playground. You’ll see the orange tile he picked as well as the palm wallpaper.
Once you’re done checking out these stellar transactions, visit and like our Facebook page, where you can find Hot Property stories and updates throughout the week. That’s also a great place to leave us a tip about a celebrity home deal.
– Neal J. Leitereg and Lauren Beale
Where a legend lived
Fashion mogul and film producer Sidney Kimmel and his wife, Caroline, have listed the former Johnny Carson estate in Malibu for sale at $81.5 million.
The former “Tonight Show” host, who died in 2005 at 79, bought the Point Dume estate in 1984 for about $9.5 million. The Kimmels acquired the home and two adjacent parcels from Carson’s widow, Alexis, in 2007 for about $46 million, records show.
The estate, on a bluff of slightly more than four acres, centers on a modern showplace of 7,083 square feet. Features include a living room with a copper-and-glass sunken fireplace, a wine cellar and an arboretum.
There are two bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms as well as a separate guesthouse.
Rock outcroppings and ocean views form a backdrop for lush landscaping, waterfalls and a swimming pool. The sunken tennis court contains a bench from the grass courts of Wimbledon.
Kimmel, 89, is the founder of Jones Apparel Group. His film producer credits include “Moneyball” (2011), “The Place Beyond the Pines” (2012) and “Hell or High Water” (2016).
Big place for film giant
Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker has a Hollywood Hills compound he owns through a trust for sale at $5,995,000.
Made up of two separate addresses, the gated property includes a sprawling main house and a three-story secondary or guest house for a total of 11 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and 8,396 square feet of living space. The treed grounds encompass 1.66 acres.
The more than 5,600-square-foot main house is entered through a wide half-circle rotunda.
The second house features five of the bedrooms, five bathrooms and its own gated driveway. There’s a swimming pool, spa and outdoor kitchen.
Whitaker, 56, won an Oscar for a portrayal of dictator Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland” (2006). He starred in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (2013) and plays Desmond Tutu in this year’s “The Forgiven.”
Rat Pack cool
The Coachella Valley getaway built for legendary entertainer Frank Sinatra has returned to market for $3.695 million.
The rustic retreat, set at an elevation of 4,300 feet on a plateau above Palm Desert, was designed by the singer and actor in collaboration with architect Ross Patton. Completed in 1967, the home was christened Villa Maggio by Sinatra in a nod to his Oscar-winning performance in “From Here to Eternity.”
Reached by a gated road or private helipad, the 7.5-acre property centers on a midcentury lodge made of wood and stone.
Including a two-story guesthouse and a separate pool house, there are nine bedrooms and 13.5 bathrooms in more than 6,400 square feet.
The secret passageway is just one of the features you’ll learn about in our video.
Spinning out of Brentwood
Singer-songwriter-producer Beck has put his home in Brentwood up for sale at $3.75 million.
The Grammy-winning artist restored and updated the 1964 Gerard Colcord-designed home, which he bought last year for $3.15 million.
Brickwork, half-timbering accents and dormer windows are among details of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom house. The 2,620 square feet of living space include a guest room above the detached two-car garage.
The 47-year-old artist won an album of the year Grammy in 2014 for “Morning Phase.” His 13th studio album is entitled “Colors.”
The Brittany Tudor-style home, designed by noted architect Gerard Colcord, sits on a lush, three-quarter-acre lot in Mandeville Canyon.
Recording star ready
DJ-actor-producer Steve Angello has his Hollywood Hills home up for sale at $5.5 million. He bought the place in 2013 for $3.9 million.
Entered through double red doors, the house combines 1940s classicism with contemporary interiors and an open floor plan.
Among custom details is a two-story music room outfitted as a recording room. The 6,010 square feet of living space features walls of glass, a wrap-around deck, four bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Angello, 34, produces under several different names and has his own label, Size Records. He is a part of Swedish House Mafia.
A model home
Model and actress Brigitte Nielsen has her picture-perfect home in Hollywood Hills up for sale at $1.249 million.
Entered through a courtyard and double doors, the 1939 bungalow has a light-filled open living room with a fireplace and a step-down den. A two-level deck with a spa expands the 1,539 square feet of living space by an additional 1,200 square feet.
One of the three bedrooms is in use as a custom closet. Views take in the cityscape.
Nielsen, 54, appeared in such films as “Red Sonja,” “Rocky IV” and “Beverly Hills Cop II.” Among her former spouses is actor Sylvester Stallone.
Funnyman seeks serious buyer
Comedian-writer-producer Larry Wilmore has listed a condominium in Pasadena for sale at $1.149 million.
The Mediterranean-style pied-a-terre features a two-story entry, an open living and dining area and a wet bar.
A sitting room adjoins the master suite for a total of two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms within 2,800 square feet of overall living space.
The former “Daily Show” contributor hosted his own series, “The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore,” from 2015 to 2016. More recently, Wilmore co-created the HBO show “Insecure.”
His favorite room
Actor Sterling K. Brown of “This Is Us” makes his man cave in what used to be the garage of his Mid-City home. He uses the designer-done room as a place to prepare for upcoming projects and display his Emmys — well out of the reach of his inquisitive 2-year-old.
Emmy-Award winning actor Sterling K. Brown spends time in his favorite room, a converted garage in his midtown home in Los Angeles.
From the archives
Ten years ago, shock-rocker Marilyn Manson listed his home in Chatsworth for sale at $1.1 million. The musician had turned the garage of the five-bedroom home into a recording studio.
Twenty years ago, Bruce Jenner, the 1976 Olympic decathlon champion, and his wife, Kris, sold a 100-acre parcel of land in the Santa Ynez Valley for a price in the $700,000 range. They had intended to build a house on the site, but changed their plans.
What we’re reading
While California burned, the Wall St. Journal was doing the math. The recent wildfires put $65 billion worth of homes at risk.
Californians are expected to show renewed interest in earthquake insurance after the Mexico quakes. Statewide, only 10.8% of people with residential insurance had earthquake coverage at the end of last year, compared with nearly 33% when the Northridge quake struck in 1994.
Wells Fargo & Co. says it will refund fees it charged mortgage borrowers whose delays in completing their loan applications were primarily the bank’s fault. Among those eligible for refunds are customers who should not have had to pay “rate-lock extension” fees from Sept. 16, 2013, through Feb. 28, 2017.
