Monday 31 August 2009

Eunice Kennedy Shriver's Home Sold

The Zillow blog reports that Eunice Kennedy Shriver's Georgian-style estate in Rockville, Maryland, recently sold for $7.81 million. The home, which has 10 bedrooms and 11.5 baths. was sold to the MA Center, an international humanitarian organization.
We always felt remiss that we didn't do a tribute to Eunice Shriver. She died at age 88 on August 11th, exactly two weeks before her younger and more famous brother Ted Kennedy. Her life was no less remarkable.

Most notably, Eunice Shriver launched the Special Olympics and actively campaigned for her elder brother John F. Kennedy in his successful bid for the U.S. presidency. As you may recall, we previously reported on the home she shared with him when he was still a congressman.

Eunice was married to Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr., the former U.S. ambassador to France, who founded the Peace Corps and was the Democratic vice presidential candidate in the 1972 election.

They had five children. Probably the most famous one is their daughter, Maria Shriver (top photo, r, with her mom), a former NBC news correspondent and the current First Lady of California. (Maria's husband, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is the governor of California.)

R.I.P.

Real Housewife Lisa Hartwell's Not-So-New House

Access Atlanta recently reported that Lisa Wu Hartwell of Bravo Television's Real Housewives of Atlanta and her husband Ed Hartwell have moved to a home in Hoschton, Georgia (Gwinnett County). We reported to you previously that the Hartwells lost their generic McMansion in the distant Atlanta suburb of Duluth in a "short sale" after failing to make their mortgage payments.

Looks like they had enough paper in the bank to keep another smaller McMansion on reserve. The Hartwells have owned this house (above) since 2005. It has six bedrooms, six baths, and a home theater. It sits on nearly 9 acres with a lake on the property. Inexplicably, this home is listed as for sale at $1.4M, even though Ed says it is NOT for sale. And he should know since it's HIS real estate firm!

We dug up the listing of this allegedly NOT-FOR-SALE home and only found the single photo above. There are no additional photos and the listing says "must see to appreciate." Indeed. There's not much to appreciate on the outside. It's just a regular-looking house.

Anyway, the town of Hoschton is so far away, we don't even see how anyone could even call it a suburb of Atlanta. Maybe it's time to rename the show to the Real Housewives of the Freakin' Boonies!!!

Friday 28 August 2009

Actress Julianne Moore's Digs Up for Sale


Actress Julianne Moore is selling her West Village digs. She's asking around $12M. The Hooked on Houses Blog has a nice post showing a lot of the photos of her place, including one where it was featured in the World of Interiors design magazine.

We think this house is sharp(!), but narrower than it looks in various photos we've seen around the Internet. This may be an issue for potential buyers.



Four Years After the Levees Broke in NOLA

Tomorrow marks the fourth anniversary of the day Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. The city has yet to fully recover.


A while back, one of our favorite celebs -- Brad Pitt (currently starring in Quenton Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds) -- started a mission to "make it right."

After meeting with residents of the Lower 9th Ward, an area hardest hit by Katrina, Pitt worked with Global Green to sponsor an architecture competition with a goal of generating ideas for rebuilding sustainably.

Pitt then went on to form the Make It Right Foundation, an organization dedicated to building safe and healthy homes without sacrificing design.

Below are some examples of the type of homes resulting from this effort: All photos above by Harry Benson for Architectural Digest

The goal is to build 150 homes by next year. (More than 4,000 homes were lost.) The first 25 single family homes have already been completed and are now home to formerly displaced 9th Ward residents. All offer high design and are energy-efficient, solar powered, and storm-resistant.

Photo source: Make It Right Foundation

If you would like to learn more and/or donate to this worthy effort, please go here.







Thursday 27 August 2009

Architectural Digest Looks Back at Sen. Kennedy's Washington Home

In honor of the passing of Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy, Architectural Digest is featuring a slideshow of the Washington, DC, home he shared with his wife Victoria. The photos were originally presented along with a story in its November 1999 issue.



As you can see the home is classic Washington, both elegant and traditional. There are formal yet surprisingly fresh rooms, like their morning room below:

And what memories must lie within the photos and artifacts in his personal study.

The Lion of the Senate will be sorely missed. Our condolences to his wife and the rest of his family.





Isaiah Washington Evicted Too?

Various news sources are reporting today that former ABC Grey's Anatomy star, Isaiah Washington, and his wife are being evicted for falling behind by $100,000 in rent.

The strange thing is, this is the same story reported by these same sources back in March.

Maybe the eviction process started back then and is finally being executed. We're still scratching our heads a bit. Somebody enlighten us please!




Real Housewife of OC -- Really Evicted

Here's a bit from TMZ, about Real Housewives of Orange County's Lynne Curtin:

'Real Housewife of OC' -- Really Evicted

Sigh. Another one bites the dust.



Wednesday 26 August 2009

Badgley-Mischka at Home in Kentucky

After Elle Decor's September issue featured John Mayer's condo, with an interior designed by Georgio Armani, we commented that clothing designers should avoid delving into interior design. We must admit, however, that we had not flipped through all the pages of this issue.

Turns out that this is one of the best issues ever--and it features nothing but home interiors by clothing and jewelry designers!


Have a look at this gorgeous weekend home of celebrated clothing designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka, the design team of Badgley-Mischka who are also partners in real life.


A dutch colonial happens to be one of our favorite architectural styles (second only to mid-century modern). So it comes as no surprise that we were already prepared to love it.

We were surprised, though, at how much we liked the heavy use of black throughout the house. The library above is dark and cozy.

Granted, their master bedroom is a little too reminiscent of Ralph Lauren's "horse country" look, but Kentucky IS horse country and this IS a real horse farm.

So there you have it. Badgley and Mishka's home offers clear proof that clothing designers CAN do interior design well. We stand corrected!

Checkout the slideshow for many, many more photos of this lovely home. Better yet, pick up a copy of the September issue of Elle Decor. It's a keeper for sure.

Photos: Roger Davies




Edward Kennedy Dies at Massachusetts Home


Longtime Massachusetts senator, brother of slain president JFK, and liberal icon, Edward "Ted" Kennedy has died. He was 77. After a year-long battle with brain cancer, the last remaining patriarch of the Kennedy family passed away late yesterday at his home on the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port (shown above and below).

R.I.P. Teddy.




Top photo by Tom Tlumackie of the Boston Globe.

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Blue Heron Farm: The Obamas' Summer White House

As we reported to you last month, President Obama and the First Family are spending a week on Martha's Vineyard for their summer vacation. They arrived this week at Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark, a white Victorian house that sits on 28+ acres:



Plum TV has a fabulous video of the farm:










Monday 24 August 2009

Lindsay Lohan's House Burglarized

People magazine is reporting that Lindsay Lohan's home was burglarized over the weekend. Her mother Dina Lohan told People that: "The safe was ripped off the wall . . . . Bags, shoes, and jewelry were taken too. Thank goodness she wasn't home."
TMZ broke the story first, after learning that her father Michael Lohan had called the police about it: Papa Lohan Says Lindsay's House Burglarized




Former NFL-er Keyshawn Johnson Now an Interior Designer

What kind of bizarro world is this?!!!

We told you last week what we thought of clothing designers like Georgio Armani venturing into interior design. Don't!

Now we've got ballers like former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson branching into the interior design world! Turns out that we're the only people who didn't know that A&E TV recently gave him a show, Keyshawn Johnson: Tackling Design.

We scouted around for photos of his digs so we could judge for ourselves. On the Real Estalker blog, we found his former California condo:

Click anywhere on photos for a larger view courtesy of Real Estalker.

Johnson is said to designed several of his homes. Don't know if this condo is his handywork, but it's got a sleek minimalist look that we've grown a little tired of.

He is reportedly a fan of the "boutique hotel look" and Armani's Casa home collection (which Armani used in John Mayer's condo). Same thing, in our opinion.

In spite of that, we'll be sure to watch the show and report back on whether he has a bright future as a designer of other folks' homes! And let's hope he still has his own home after that builder gets done suing him.





Home Builder Has Beef Against Beefy ex-NFL Player Keyshawn Johnson


TMZ reported yesterday that construction company Gordon S. Gibson, Inc., recently filed a lien against former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson. Gibson claims Johnson owes more than $1 million for the supervision and construction of Johnson's Calabasas, California, home.



Body found on Atlanta Braves Player Chipper Jones' Ranch 

This is really sad news: Body found on Chipper Jones' ranch ajc.com

Our sympathies go out to the families.

If you're interested in knowing more about the ranch, go here: http://www.doubledimeranch.com/ranch.html



Friday 21 August 2009

CHOW: Music Digs Rule!

TGIF! It's time to choose our Celebrity Home of the Week. Once again, we have three candidates. Only this week, they're ALL musicians. Purely a coincidence, we swear! (Forgive us Bryan Batt!)

First up, John Mayer . . .


and his SoHo digs:


Pros
*He's cute, so we don't give a crap about what his place looks like.
*He thought enough to hire a big name designer (Georgio Armani) to design his digs.

Cons
*Georgio Armani doesn't know d*ck about interior design!
*John couldn't "man up" enough to fire Armani midway through the project.



Next up, John Legend . . .
and his East Village Digs:


Pros
*His sexy voice is pure velvet, so again we don't give a crap about what his place looks like.
*His place is truly SPECTACULAR!

Cons
*It's not like he had anything to do with the interior design. He doesn't even own it yet.
*His place is not in SoHo.

Finally, Lenny Kravitz . . .


and his SoHo digs:


Pros
*He is cute AND has a sexy voice, so . . . well, you know the drill by now.
*His condo was actually graced by his presence and reportedly had personality at some point in the past.

Cons
*His place matches his album cover! Does that mean Lenny has lost his personality too?
*Any place that can't sell in SEVEN years is jinxed!


Our verdict? We were almost ready to declare this week another three-way tie. But we went back to look at the slideshow of John Legend's place. We were simply blown away by the views and everything else. F*ck SoHo!

Congratulations, John Legend! You have the Celebrity Home of the Week! Ciao!



Lenny Kravitz's Digs Up for Sale AGAIN!


Well folks, Lenny Kravitz has been trying to unload his SoHo penthouse for a long, long time. According to the Curbed blogger, Kravitz first tried to sell it in 2002 for $17M. Apparently, back then, his pad reflected a little more of his personality -- dark, wild, and sexy!


Since then, it has undergone extensive renovations and been placed back on the market. Now it's light, tame, and devoid of any personality! The only cool feature left is that groovy glass and shag carpeted stairway.

This time he's asking . . . just under $15M.

Yes, we're scratching our heads too! This is probably the first time we've heard of anyone performing major renovations, only to ask for less money than before. Geesh, tough market in NYC!


His place was obviously sterilized for resale. But the kitchen above is nice enough (though we liked Whoopi's SoHo kitchen better).

The "bones" are clearly still there. For example, we really like this atrium dining area, even if the table and chairs are truly yawn-worthy:


And one of the perks of having a penthouse is a rooftop patio (below). But would it kill him to add a pillow to that generic catalog faux-wicker patio furniture?!!!


Sigh. At least there's a hint of Kravitz's wild-streak in those leopard print chairs (or are they snakeskin?!) in the living room:



Note to Kenya Davis and Alan Jackson, this is how you do animal prints with flair!



Thursday 20 August 2009

Real Housewife Lynne Curtin Behind on Rent, Facing Eviction

From Zillow's Blog:

Real Housewife Lynne Curtin Behind on Rent, Facing Eviction

John Legend to Buy Manhattan Condo Listed for $2.3M

Photo: Nico Arellano

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that sultry soul singer John Legend just signed a contract to buy this gorgeous condo in New York's East Village.

This unit has one bedroom, two baths, 14ft ceilings, and "views in every direction." This place is a Manhattan dream! We're ready to go right now . . . .

For more photos of this beautiful property, you MUST see the slide show. You won't be disappointed. Plus, you get the added bonus of a few shots of director Spike Lee's former Brooklyn brownstone immediately thereafter.



Wednesday 19 August 2009

Roy Blunt sells his G-town manse, once belonged to JFK

We've just learned that President John F. Kennedy's first home in Georgetown was recently put up for sale for $1.595M and is apparently now under contract. JFK lived there with his sister Eunice Kennedy (whose funeral service was last Friday) while he was serving as a congressman during the 1940's.

The home currently belongs to Republican congressman and former party Whip Roy Blunt, who put it up for sale so he can return to his home state of Missouri to run for the U.S. Senate.
Nice digs!

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Jenny Sanford's Comfortable Home on Sullivans Island

Photo by Jonathan Becker
South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford is back in the news today as she recently granted an interview to Vogue magazine, in which she shared her views on her husband Governor Mark Sanford's scandalous affair with his South American "soul mate."

As you may recall, Jenny took their four kids and moved out of the governor's mansion into the family's home on Sullivans Island, outside of Charleston. Well, it turns out that the Sanfords had placed their home up for sale earlier this year, prior to the scandal.

We turned up some MLS photos from the expired listing!

From what little we can see, it's a nice home with traditional decor and that perfect screened-in porch (above) to capture the view and breezes of the Atlantic (below):



According to Charleston media, they were asking $3.5M for the 4,474s.f. oceanfront home, which has 6 bedrooms and 5 baths.

But for the embarassment of the scandal, we'd be jealous. Heck, we're jealous anyway! But after all that, she deserves to live in this kind of comfort!



Fellow Blog Love Day: Julia Child's Home

As you know, we're a very new blog and we're working on growing our readership. So, today, we thought we'd start a new trend. We'll share links to other blogs whenever they post about celebrity homes. Hopefully, they will share the love back whenever they can!
First celebrity home on Fellow Blog Love deck: Julia Child's "little house in Cambridge" Massachusetts.

We've always had a thing for Julia's nastalgic kitchen. When the movie Julie & Julia (starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and Stanley Tucci) came out, we thought it would make for a great post. The kitchen as recreated for the movie is pictured above.

In scouting around for photos, we found two excellent blogs --The Peak of Chic and Hooked on Houses -- that beat us to the punch.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that PoC and HoH had recently featured not just her kitchen, but her whole house. You can find their posts here and here.

We were wowwed by both and hope you will be too!