First introduced to the world in the 1970s with a string of No. 1 hit songs and blockbuster movies, super-star actress, four-time Grammy winner and world-class beauty, Olivia Newton-John, is selling her Australia farm that she has owned for almost forty years.
Olivia bought her farm in the early 1980s after her roll in the 1978 film Grease, the break that would make her a super star. It was her Australian retreat where she would recharge in the peace of the rainforest and views over the land.
Now 70 and with Florida as her home base, when Olivia does return to Australia she and her husband, John Easterling, stay at the Gaia Retreat & Spa which she co-owns. Hoping to attract a buyer who is as close to nature as herself, she has put the 187-acre farm and its French Country-style home on the market for offers in excess of $5.5 million AU ($3.9 million US).
Located only 40 minutes from celebrity and tourist favorite Byron Bay, the farm is a mix of rolling pasture and green lawns with panoramic views, rain forest with a natural waterfall, two dams, a pond and a creek that runs through the property, which abuts the Victoria Park Nature Reserve National Park and acts as its boundary. Over the years Newton-John planted over 5,000 additional trees expanding the prolific wildlife habitat. Grounds include the main residence of three bedrooms and two baths and attached four-room guest quarters, two-car garage and tennis court. The home, positioned on a hill to maximize the views, was renovated in 2002 in the French rustic style.
It includes pine floors, textured entry walls with shells and pebbles from local beaches, and a large eat-in kitchen designed as a gathering spot for friends and family. Multiple outdoor porches and terraces, including a wide dock on the pond, invite outdoor living and sunset views. The attached, but completely private guest suite, has a large living room, a kitchenette, bedroom, bath and additional conversation nook, making a total of four bedrooms and three baths.
With more than 100 million albums sold, Olivia has won four Grammys, numerous Aria, Country Music, American Music and People’s Choice Awards, an Emmy Award plus ten #1 hit songs.
Olivia Newton-John is selling her much-loved Australian farm originally purchased nearly four decades ago during the era of her hit single, Physical. Seeking offers in excess of $5.5 million AU ($3.9 million US), the listing agent is also Newton-John’s lifelong friend Jillian McGrath with McGrath Estate Agents, Northern Beaches Office Australia.
Photos courtesy of McGrath. Source: TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Hollywood celebrities flocked to this house like bees to honeysuckle. Frank Sinatra owned it for ten years, Marilyn Monroe was rumored to add its guest cottage to her affair locations with JFK, Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli renewed their vows there, the Rat Pack partied hearty there and guests included most of the big names in Hollywood, along with Sinatra’s politician friends. Considered to be California’s No. 1celebrity home, Byrdview, is on the market priced at $12.5 million.
In 1949, socialite Dora Hutchinson, heir to the Chase Manhattan Bank fortune, commissioned futuristic architect William Pereira to design her new home. Not only was Pereira one of the most famous and prolific architects of the time, he had also been a film set designer, director and producer for several 1940’s movies, winning an Oscar for his special effects photography work on Cecille B. De Mille’s Reap the Wild Wind in 1942. The perfect architect to pack a dramatic punch, he designed a show stopping mid-century-modern home that was ideal for Dora’s grand-scale entertaining and would be just as stylish in 2019 as it was in the 1950s.
As soon as it was completed, she wasted no time in gathering the Hollywood stars and California business leaders for her soirees, many times setting off fireworks from her Byrdview perch to signal the start of cocktail hour. It was when she decided to move back to New York City that she passed it to Frank Sinatra, which shifted the entertaining from mannerly socialites to Rat Pack style.
Byrdview is located on 4.3 acres in the Chatsworth neighborhood on a hilltop with 360-degree views over Los Angeles, mountains and the surrounding 3,000 acres of nature preserve. Gated and not visible from the road, the 6,661-square-foot, four-bedroom, six-bath 60 percent of the structure’s walls are sixteen-foot-tall glass, flooding it with light and capturing the views in all directions.
Also included is a bar, formal dining area, a den-office, large chef’s kitchen with island, breakfast nook with view and top-of-the-line appliances, a number of fireplaces, and endless entertainment areas both inside and out.
Byrdview has been the backdrop for numerous films, television shows and music videos. The house and grounds have been seen in films such as Swordfish, Dreamgirls, Transformers and Bewitched. It has also starred in television series Mad Men and Californication and music videos by Mariah Carey, Usher and Rihanna.
Byrdview, the home that has enjoyed its own celebrity status for 64 years, is for sale and priced at $12.5 million. The adjacent parcel of more than six acres also owned by the seller is negotiable separately. Co-listing agents are Craig Knizek and Barrie Livingstone of The Agency, Beverly Hills.
Used with permission from TopTenRealEstateDeals.com. Photos courtesy of The Agency.
The closet is becoming one of the most important spaces in the house, and creator of LA Closet Design Lisa Adams is transforming closets every day. Luxury closet design company, LA Closet Design, launched in 2007 and intended to revamp the concept of closets. Since then, a lengthy list of celebrities, designers, architects and homeowners seek services to create customized, often high-tech and environmentally friendly, wardrobe spaces that add real value to the home. Adams decided it was time to reinvent the closet into a space that is functional, organized and stunningly chic.
Adams is now a celebrity go-to luxury closet designer, with clients like Khloe Kardashian, Fergie and Christina Aguilera. Recently, she created a carry-on luggage line called LAMove Mobile Closet — a closet on the go — and launched popular lifestyle blog CLOSETPHILE. Her clients reside across the U.S., Europe, Dubai and more. Here are some top closet trends, according to Adams.
Staging Areas
“These are a must in any dressing space today!” said Adams.“Whether it’s as simple as a wall-mounted rod or a freestanding display area, a staging area allows for easy styling and is the perfect spot to snap away and share on social media.”
Shoe Walls
Nothing says #closetgoals like a floor-to-ceiling display showcasing all your shoes. “Increasingly, clients are putting the pumps on display and keeping them styled to perfection,” said Adams. “You can organize by style, color or occasion, and the wall becomes the perfect backdrop for all those enviable Instagram moments!”
Lighting
Luxury closets are taking notes from luxury retail when it comes to lighting, with the addition of backlit shelves and illuminated displays to add a wow-factor to any space.
Multi-Functional Rooms
“As more millennials enter the housing market, spaces will become more flexible and multi-functional, challenging the conventional notion of the closet,” said Adams. “We will continue to see closets, along with every other space in the home, adapt to this more informal lifestyle. You no longer need a whole room dedicated to your desk, while your wardrobe suffers in a crowded walk-in; instead, these spaces become one.”
Photos courtesy of LA Closet Design
The newly-engaged Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson recently bought a home in the Zaha Hadid-designed 520 West 28th Street condominium complex. Whether a popstar like Ariana or a comedian like Pete, celebrities of all types are looking to own property in the Big Apple. Here are a few perfect for every type of New York City’s celebrities.
The Dog Influencer
Everyone follows at least one dog on Instagram, and the perfect place to raise an Insta-worthy pup is at Fifty Third and Eighth in Hell’s Kitchen. This condominium boasts its own private pet park, and the building’s concierge is always willing coordinate pet spa outings in the city to truly pamper your puppy. Prices range from $1.2-$3.5 million for one- to three-bedroom residences.
Courtesy of Watson & Co.
Courtesy of Whitehall Interiors
The Visual Artist
Artists and interior designers alike will appreciate the detail in the condominium building, 91 Leonard, as it features subtle nods to the older architecture of Tribeca. The building, designed by Whitehall Interiors, includes white-washed wood floors, with planks that are the same width as those of traditional Tribeca warehouses, and a custom rope chandelier in the residents’ lounge that mimics art materials. Pricing of remaining units starts at $1.735 million
The Model
The Financial District is one of the most stylish and sought-after residences in Lower Manhattan, the perfect destination for the City’s hottest models. 19 Dutch is a shimmering downtown jewel, with close proximity to the Conde Nast headquarters, South Street Seaport, FDR Drive and West Street, of course, for easy access to photo shoots throughout the city. With Dutch-influenced interiors and breathtaking skyline views, 19 Dutch is the perfect residence for up and coming stars. Pricing for residences start in the low $3,000s/month.
Courtesy of Visuals for IF Studio
Courtesy of 525 West 52nd Street
The Broadway Star
Located in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, the luxury rental 525 West 52nd Street is the perfect spot for the Broadway star who is constantly commuting to and from the theater for shows and rehearsals. Social Broadway stars can enjoy sunset rooftop happy hours, film series in the screening room, book club in the library curated by the famous Strand Bookstore, and more. Average monthly rents top $5,000.
Heart-throb actor of screen and television Rob Lowe and his wife Sheryl listed their estate in Montecito, California for $47 million in July, and are still awaiting a lucky buyer.
Located in a star-studded neighborhood, whoever buys this home will be living among some of the world’s biggest stars, including Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Montecito is a much-favored retreat from the hectic world of TV and film, located 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, Montecito boasts spectacular hillside views, nearby whale watching and beautiful weather.
Reminiscent of the country estates in Charlottesville, Virginia where he was born, Rob Lowe and his wife recreated a classic East Coast-style estate, a stand-out from the typical Mediterranean architecture of the area, on the market at $47 million. On a little over three acres, the main house of the estate was designed by architect Don Nulty, built in 2009, and is 10,000 square feet.
Included on the grounds are the two-bedroom guest house, one-bedroom pool house with staff quarters and outdoor kitchen, pool and spa, tennis court with observation areas and lushly landscaped lawns, large enough for team sports with mature trees and a vegetable garden. There are two outside fireplaces and terraces for relaxing or entertaining, a water serenade from fountains, and a koi pond. From most any location, one can enjoy sunsets over the Pacific.
Inside the main house are 20 rooms: a huge family kitchen, separate catering kitchen, eight bedrooms, eleven baths, office, library-music room with bar, family room, various conversation rooms and nooks, movie theater, a well-equipped gym and expansive wine cellar.
Now 54, Lowe had a busy career in both film and television, yet is still lighting up the screens. At age 19, he starred in the hit movie “The Outsiders. Binge-watch him today in “The West Wing” reruns.
Photos courtesy of TopTenRealEstateDeals.com