Kate Hudson Rents Out Malibu Mansion For $90k/Month

EXCLUSIVE: Kate Hudson Rents Out Malibu Mansion For $90k A Month | RadarOnline.com

We're on vacay for the rest of the week, but just thought we'd share this before we go. Too bad we're not the lucky ones to rent Kate's digs. Oh well! See you next week!

Price Reduction on Donald Trump's Park Avenue Hi Rise Condo

Donald Trump, author of the Art of the Deal and television star of NBC's The Apprentice, should star in another TV Show: Let's Make a Deal. Trulia reported last week that the asking price on The Donald's Park Avenue condo on the Upper East Side of New York has been lowered from $51M to $31M. How could he have been off base by 20 million dollars?!!!


Here's the floorplan:

The listing says it's "priced very well for immediate sale." Let's hope he got it right this time!

Photos: Prudential Douglas Elliman

The Obamas Will Vacay in the Vineyard

Everybody sing a little Cole Porter now: Kennedys do it. Clintons do it. Even the Farrelly brothers do it. Let's do it. Let's fall in love . . . with Martha's Vineyard!



President Barack Obama and his family are headed there next month to spend a few weeks chillin'. Gotta admit he deserves a break. After all, he IS the hardest workin' man in presidency.



They're staying at Blue Heron Farm, a 30-acre Chilmark property overlooking Tiah's Cove currently owned by William and Mollie Van Devender (John McCain supporters, fyi). It is the same property formerly owned by the late couple Anthony Fisher and his wife.



Okay, so the Vineyard is not a very original vacation destination, since it's the stomping ground of former presidents, most notably John F. Kennedy. It's still beautiful.

But we're starting to wonder whether, much like the Clintons, the Obamas just want to BE the Kennedys.

Tacky Tuesday: Tour the Homes of the Real Housewives of Atlanta

For those who are interested -- and you know who you are! -- Bravo has posted videos of the houses of the unReal Housewives of Atlanta on its website. Go here to check them out. We can't bring ourselves to look.

Dr. Phil Sued By His Interior Designers

Perez Hilton reported on Friday that Dr. Phil McGraw and his wife Robin are being sued by two women who claim that they are owed for performing home design and whole host of other duties. And apparently Robin has even taken credit for the interior design work seen when she and Dr. Phil were featured in People and Ladies Home Journal magazines.

Judging from the photo above, the home's exterior and gardens are lovely. Photo by Marybeth Welsh Dulany.

Naturally, we wanted to see the interior for ourselves. So we checked out the spreads in People and LHJ online, but neither revealed much.

So we next decided to check out the plaintiffs, Deborah Flattery and Brynja McGrady. We found a news article that mentioned that they were featured on HGTV's Designers' Challenge. So off we went to look for it!

Ahem, here's what we found:



All we could say is, if this is the kind of work they did for Dr. Phil, perhaps he should be suing them!

Celebrity Home of the Week

Gee, it was a tough decision this week. Lots of house eye candy. The three finalist were Debi Mazar's livable Los Angeles villa, Biz Stone's artsy Berkeley bungalow, and Rob Cohen's Balinese beauty. Here's a recap:

1. Debi's Digs. Her home is very livable and stylish. But she probably could have used a designer to pull together her dining room a little. Still, you can't beat that cool chandelier.

2. Biz's Digs. His home is ultra cool. It's also located in a hip, funky town full of intellectuals. Perfect spot for a creative tech genius type. But at 800sf it was a little on the small side. Plus, that decor certainly was uninspiring--staged or not.

3. Rob's Digs. His vacation home is unbelievably beautiful--pure fantasy. We really dig the seclusion offered by the separate bedroom pavilions. And it's eco-friendly to boot. But Bali sure is a long way away. And what happens when that volcano erupts?

We have to declare Debi Mazar's digs the winner this week! We could actually picture ourselves living in her house. Makes us wonder why she's put it up for sale . . . .

Ah well, congratulations Debi! You have the Celebrity Home of the Week (CHOW)!

CIAO!

Film Producer's Paradise: Eco-Friendly Retreat in Bali

The East Bali vacation home of american film producer/director Rob Cohen is featured in the August 2009 issue of Architectural Digest. Cohen, who brought us movies like xXx: State of the Union and The Fast and the Furious, acquired the property while on holiday with his wife and decided to build an environmentally friendly retreat there.

The home consists of several elevated pavilions -- including a living/dining pavilion and two guesthouses -- built almost entirely from recycled woods and bamboo.

Pictured below is the master bedroom pavillion, which has a view of the Indian Ocean as well as the sacred volcano Mount Agung and Seraya mountain range.

Well, we always thought only people in the movies live like this. Turns out that it's actually people who make movies that get to live like this. Can't blame them, though. This is truly paradise.

FYI, this is a great issue of AD, so be sure to pick up a copy. For more information and photos, check out AD's article here. Photography by Tim Street-Porter.

Twitter Co-Founder's Berkeley Digs Up for Sale

Last week, Twitter co-founder and creative director Biz Stone tweeted that he's selling his home in Berkeley, California. For all you architectural buffs, it's a 2-BR, 800sf midcentury cottage built by California architect William Wurster, who used it as his own personal studio.

The house is totally cool and totally minimalist. Judging by these photos, Stone's views interior design the same way: Less is more. Probably keeps his mind clear to come up with more creative ventures!

Okay, so he could have upgraded the bed linens and hopefully the wall art at least has meaning. Or, maybe he's moved out and this is all generic staging furniture.

Whatever! We really DIG those floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room and upper level bedroom. And the redwood-paneled ceiling in the lower level bedroom is simply divine!

Probably a steal at the $575,000 asking price!
Photos: Urban Bay Properties

Clooney Cruises Around Near His Lake Como Home

Handsome actor George Clooney owns this beautiful villa in Lake Como, Italy. Photo: Frezza-Lafata/Matrix. He was spotted earlier this week riding around near Lake Como on what looks like a motorcycle with training wheels.

As we know, Clooney had a bad motorcycle accident back in 2007--which could explain the new-style bike.

Anyway, the views around the lake are stunning. For a jaw-dropping 360-degree view, visit this site: tour. Nice!

Debi Mazar's Digs Up For Sale

Debi Mazar of HBO's hit show Entourage has placed her colorful Los Angeles home up for sale for $1.4M. And, though we love the chesterfield sofa shown in the photo above, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT HER HOUSE. Photo: More.com


It's THIS small spanish villa and it's so charming!


The kitchen (above) has pretty turquoise tile countertops, and the dining room (below) has the coolest retro chandelier.
Yes, it looks like she hasn't had the benefit of an interior designer. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Her home looks real. And stylish. Just like her.


Have a look at the personality-infused kids' bedroom:

Even her musician husband's studio looks lively.

Debi has always had that imperfect kind of beauty. The same can be said of her lovely home.

Opposition Says "NEVER!" to Neverland as Tourist Spot

The Associated Press reports that the neighbors of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch have formed a group called "Never!" to oppose any attempts to turn the property into a tourist destination. Of course, no development has been proposed . . . yet.

WTF? Harvard Professor Gates Arrested at His Home

P.M. UPDATE: THE CHARGES AGAINST PROF. GATES WERE DROPPED TODAY!

The New York Times is reporting today that Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates, prominent scholar of African-American studies, was arrested AT HIS OWN HOUSE last week by a police officer who responded to a "robbery in progress" report.

Gates had just returned from a trip to China to his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He found his front door jammed and forced the door open, with the assistance of his cab driver. Someone saw this activity, called the cops and, well, we know where this is going . . . .

The funny thing is that the police officer acknowledged that Gates proved that it was his house, but claims that Gates became so belligerent that he had to arrest him for disorderly conduct. All we can say is, WTF?

Anyway, the house is cute. It is a part of the University's faculty housing network.

Photo Source: Harvard University Affiliated Housing Network

Buzz Aldrin's Boyhood Home

As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of NASA's Apollo 11 lunar landing, we thought we'd search for homes of the three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. So far, we've only run across Buzz's boyhood home in New Jersey. Found it on Flickr. Very quaint.

Thug Monday: 50 Cent Lowers Asking Price Again

Our favorite thug rapper 50 Cent aka Fiddy aka Curtis Jackson aka P.I.M.P. is still trying to unload that 50,000sf museum he calls a house (50 for 50, get it?) in Hartford, Connecticut. He purchased it from known arbiter of style and good taste, boxer Mike Tyson, for $4.1M and then reportedly added at least $6M in updates before setting the original asking price of $18.5M. After getting no takers, he lowered it to $14.5M and now it's down to $10.9M.

Last year, he let MTV Cribs tour his 19-bedroom, 37-bathroom crib with 6 kitchens, a home movie theater and a disco, allegedly to give prospective buyers a peek.

MTV Shows

Heard Michael Vick is being released from home confinement today. He might start shopping for digs large enough to house his posse and his, um, pets.

Thug Monday: Michael Vick Released From Home Confinement

Pro Footballer Michael Vick is being released from home confinement today. After serving 19 months in a federal prison at Leavenworth, Kansas, for an illegal dogfighting operation, Vick has remained under confinement at his McMansion in Hampton, Virginia, for the last 60 days.

Photo: Hamptonroads.com

Earlier this year, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback's 8-bedroom, 11-bath Mega-mansion outside Atlanta (shown below) went up for auction. Alas, no takers.

Photos: Funari Realty

A new addition to the kitchen

This blog chronicles my entire kitchen renovation from start to finish. Greentea Design has provided me with their solid wood kitchen cabinets, and I'm taking care of the rest.

If you'd like to be brought up to date, check out the archive in the sidebar for previous posts. I recently bought a new dining table and took some new photos of the kitchen to show it in the space.

During the kitchen renovation, I wanted a dining table built because I needed something narrower than an average size table, and it needed to fit 6 people. My boyfriend and I were initially going to build it, but my contractor offered so we took him up on it. The table turned out to be pretty disastrous. The wood of the top ended up warping and splitting, and the pedestal base was completely non-functional for such a long table. In the end, I ended up picking up a couple cheap table legs at Ikea and adding those on, particularly for instances when some of my porkier cats would launch onto it from the countertop. Here is a photo of the table:


I've been looking for a table on and off for several months now and have had no luck, up until a couple Fridays ago when I took my boyfriend down to the Byward Market with me on a table hunt. We were in Stacaro, my new favourite store, when Jeff spotted a really cool desk. It was on sale at 40% off (floor model), and had a black steel base and a wood top, the same colour as my cabinets but a few shades darker. It came with a shelf attached to house a desktop computer, and we quickly discovered it could easily unscrew off. It was the perfect width (just shy of 3') and length. Here is a photo of it from their website:


SOLD! It arrived last Monday and I finally got a chance to try it out with the shelf (decided it was too distracting and hid my Pantons) and find some things for a centrepiece. I love it. I am so happy to have something straight to eat off of, and I am no longer embarassed to have people over for a meal.

Mandela Day: A Look at the "Homes" of Mandela

AP Photo/Debbie Yazbek-Nelson Mandela Foundation

SPECIAL SATURDAY EDITION--World renown human rights activist and former South African President Nelson Mandela turns 91 today. In an effort to start an official Mandela Day to be celebrated every year on his birthday (July 18th), numerous celebrities are participating in various events--including a birthday bash hosted by former President Bill Clinton and a concert tonight with performances by Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Josh Grubin, Queen Latifah, and others.

In honor of Mr. Mandela, Celebrity Digs HQ thought we'd show you the places he lived throughout his years as a public figure.

Below is his modest tract home in Soweto (now part of Johannesburg, South Africa). He lived here for several years until 1961, when he was forced to go underground in his struggles against apartheid. The home was recently restored and turned into a museum.

Photos: Soweto Heritage Trust

Mr. Mandela was subsequently arrested in 1962 and spent the next 27 years in prison. The first 18 were spent in the prison cell below on Robben Island, South Africa, where he performed hard labor in a lime quarry. He had the floor for his bed and a bucket for his toilet.

Photo: Wikipedia

He was transferred in 1982 to Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town, where he remained until he was freed in 1990. Below is his prison cell. (We apologize for the tiny photo. It's the only one we could find.) Although the cell looks large, he was isolated from other prisoners and lived a lonely existence.

And, finally, below is his home today in Johannesburg. It appears to be a stately home, befitting a person of his stature. In light of all that he endured, we can't think of anyone more deserving.

Photo: David Henderson

Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela! Happy Mandela Day too! More details on the Mandela Day Concert here.