A Fixer Upper for Mad Men's January Jones?

Yesterday, we saw the home of Jon Hamm, the man behind Don Draper.  Today, we look at the home of the woman behind the woman behind the man Don Draper.  Did you follow that?  Let's try it again:  Today, we look at the home of January Jones, who plays Don Draper's wife Betty Draper on AMC's Mad Men.  This time, we have photos of the inside!

January plays the part of a young and beautiful yet truly "desperate" housewife so effortlessly that it's hard to believe she's even acting.  In our view, that makes her a great actress.

Anyway, she just paid $1.02M for a 2200 sq. ft. mediterranean villa (below) with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths.  We guess she wanted to stay close to her TV husband because she just purchased a home near his, as it is also in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles. 

As you can see, her home is nothing like the one she occupies on the show.  More proof that she's not Betty in real life!

Real Estalker and everyone else is referring to this house as a fixer up and at first we agreed.  The only thing we liked was the front door.  Notice the gorgeous fretwork that only needs stripping or a high gloss paint job to bring out its beauty:

Upon closer inspection of some of the other rooms like the living and dining rooms below, we think all that may be needed for them is a good paint job and a new chandelier.  If you ignore the decor of the previous owner, you'll see that it's pretty much a blank slate for January to do whatever she wants:

Granted we haven't seen the bathrooms.  And maybe this kitchen does need serious renovation:

But it's an otherwise light and airy home that doesn't appear to need much except a good interior designer.  Whenever she get's done lobbying Congress to save the sharks (thought we didn't know about that, huh?), let's hope she hires a designer and shows off the end results!

Michael Jordan Building Jupiter, Florida Mansion - Michael Jordan's Homes

The plans for newly inducted NBA basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan’s new enormous mansion in Jupiter, Florida have been submitted. And this house is as big as a WalMart.

The developer, Lavelle Construction Corp., submitted applications for a 37,942-square-foot building, with 26,000 square feet under air conditioning. There’s a cottage and guard gate.

In all, Jordan’s crib will have 11 bedrooms, and a yet-to-be-determined number of bathrooms.

The house, at 172 Bears Club Road, will dwarf most in the north side of Palm Beach County, and all around it at the Jack Nicklaus development.

According to property appraiser records, most homes around Jordan’s are about 10,000 square feet. Michael Jordan’s dunking down $7,627,669 to build the two-story home, which will feature an elevator, a grand stairway, 10-foot ceilings and a giant fireplace. He has already paid $152,553 to the town in permits and other fees.

Jordan, 46, bought two adjacent lots at the Jack Nicklaus-founded Bears Club last year for a total $4.8 million. He’s got three acres of wooded land adjacent to a golf course. Golf, and the privacy of a gated community, is what caught Jordan’s attention.

The sheer size of the soon-to-go-up digs, slightly smaller than the beachfronter in Palm Beach that Donald Trump sold for $100 million last year, is already having some local environmentalists chomping at the bit.

“Who needs that kind of a footprint,” said Joanne Davis, a growth management specialist with 1000 Friends of Florida. “It’s insane, a waste. Cities see nothing more than a tax base in these giant homes, but I can’t imagine anyone needing anything like that, except to show off.

“This house is going to require an enormous use of natural resources for no good reason.”

Michael Jordan is building this Jupiter, Florida mansion, but it is within code. “The Bears Club was specifically designed for large lots,”said town zoning principal planner Scott Tatcher. “The Bears Club has done a good job setting aside upland pine areas and wetlands to offset construction. It’s true other homes are in the 10,000-square-feet range, but he is building on two lots.”

In yet another not-so-green move, the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bull has had most tall trees on the property taken out.

So there you have it, Michael Jordan is building a 26,000-square-foot house in Jupiter!


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We're Mad for Mad Men's Jon Hamm! Oh Yeah, His House is Nice Too!

We're completely addicted to AMC's Emmy Award-winning show Mad Men.  And Jon Hamm is our drug of choice.  Okay, was that way too Hamm-y?  All we're saying is, Jon is super sexy and seems to be as mysterious as Don Draper, the character he plays on the show. 

Jon lives with his longtime girlfriend actress Jennifer Westfeldt in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.  Thanks to a lead from one of our favorite new sources Aerial Dave (and a little bit of digging on our own) we know that they own this gorgeous Spanish Mediterranean:

Their home lies on a street lined with equally gorgeous homes.  According to property records, theirs was built in 1923.  Even though it sits on a tiny lot, the home clocks in at a little over 3100 sq. ft. with 5 bedrooms and 3 baths. 

Unfortunately for us, Jon and Jen are intensely private.  As far as we know, they have never allowed the press into their lovely home.  So dear readers if you know where we can get our hands on some shots of the interior, please let us know!

Gosh, we haven't even seen the inside and we already love it!

But who are we kidding, we love him! And he knows why! Get a load of this hilarious SNL video, which has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with houses:

Matt Lauer Buys Waterfront Cottage in Southampton

We've never been so jealous of a 1,500 sq. ft house in all our lives!  This tiny little cape cod style cottage was so appealing to the NBC Today Show co-host Matt Lauer that he paid the full asking price of $2.15 million for it.

 

This little charmer has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a country kitchen.  It also has a delightful sunroom with a waterfront view:

The real attraction is this wraparound deck with access to the boat dock and 85 feet of frontage on a pond connected to Little Peconic Bay:

What a perfect little getaway spot!  It shows that it doesn't take much to make you happy . . . if you happen to have $2.15 million!

Photos: Sotheby's International Realty/Story source: WSJ

Washington Redskin Fred Smoot Quietly Marries & Puts House Up for Sale

The Washington Redskins may have lost to Detroit yesterday, but cornerback Fred Smoot has reason to feel like a winner:  he got married on the QT the week before last.  Incidentally, he also recently placed his 8,429 sq. ft. home in Great Falls, Virginia, on the market for $1.695 million.

For those of you who don't recall, Smoot was the alleged ringleader in the 2005 Minnesota Vikings "Love Boat" cruise scandal.  While he was still playing for the Vikings, Smoot along with several teammates rented a boat and hired a bunch of prostitutes for an all-out sex party.  YUCK!!!

Smoot later pled guilty to disorderly conduct and public nuisance charges, and the NFL subsequently fined him for about $82,000.

In 2007, he launched his own energy bar called SMACK.  We certainly hope that's not in reference to his cruise antics!

Anyway, we dug up the video tour of his house (below).  Watch it and you'll see that this is the typically hideous generic oversized home with oversized furniture and ugly decorative elements.  Oh, and let's not forget the requisite fancy kitchen with granite countertops. 

From here on out, we're going to just start referring to houses like this as "baller chic" to keep from repeating ourselves so much.

Unfortunately, there's simply not much to recommend the house or its interior design.  Though we do think the virtual tour provided in the realtor's listing shows the house in a much better light.

So who's the new wifey?  Summer Joy Hughes (above), a Georgia lawyer, who probably wants a classier looking crib.  Smoot apparently likes to keep his hookers close and his lawyers closer!  (Just kidding.)

Congrats to the lovely couple!  We'll  assume they didn't take a cruise for their honeymoon. 

For more details on the house, including the realtor's virtual tour, check out the listing here.

For more details on the wedding, check out the story by The Washington Post's Reliable Source. 

Want Ricky Martin's Beach Front Miami, Florida Mansion?

I am sure it is decorated very nicely ;-). It is yours for $22 million. What do you get with celebrity Ricky Martin's Miami Golden Beach Mansion?

General Description:
2 Story mediterranean estate in one of Florida’s most exclusive private oceanfront communities; 24 hour security patrol in community and beach!!! A very desirable location for celebrities and international homeowners.5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms. Your own private 101 FT beach & modern comfort throughout. New gourmet kitchen with morning room, Top of the line finishes. Formal dining plus open living area. Master suite with his and her bath, walk-in closets, terrace and stunning open views. Not bad, but i've seen better celebrity Mansions in Florida!

Christina Ricci's L.A. Home Up for Sale, Celebrity Home of the Week

What a beauty this one is!  We're not talking about the celebrity.  Yes, Christina Ricci -- the brilliant star of several indie movies who first got out attention playing Wendy in the Addams Family movies -- is certainly beautiful in her own way.  But her home is gorgeous!  And it's for sale!

It's a 2,428 sq. ft. mediterranean home on a sought-after street in The Oaks/Hollywood Hills.  It has three bedrooms, three baths, and a pool (shown in both photos below).  She's asking $1,549,000. 

Lots of our favorite sources, like Trulia, Zillow Blog, and Real Estalker, have done stories this week about this house.  So we thought about just skipping it.

But we like it so much, we decided it would be our Celebrity Home of the Week.

Like its owner, this home has quirky charms like white-washed exposed beams on the vaulted ceilings, randomly-placed stairways, and this open-yet-cozy living room (above and in top photo) with built-in bookshelves.

The dining room and kitchen above are also fab!

Even the master bedroom, which opens to the patio and pool, is charming!  Likewise for the smaller guest bedrooms:

You'll notice that this house isn't all that big and has a fairly neutral color-scheme.  Yet it has loads of style architecturally and interior design-wise.  Take note Whoopi Goldberg, THIS is how you do shabby chic!

Congratulations Christina!  You have the Celebrity Home of the Week!

See the listing with all photos here.

Caio!

NY Governor David Paterson's Home For Now

New York Governor David Paterson of course lives in the Executive Mansion in Albany.  We're not sure for how much longer though.  The unpopular governor and his own "First Lady Michelle" have been quite vocal regarding their disappointment that President Obama has asked him not to seek re-election.  They naively think that what the President did was unthinkable. 

What they fail to realize however is that it was unthinkable to disclose such communications and, even worse, to fail to honor the President's request.  Unfortunately, this is entirely consistent with the way Paterson blunders through his way in office. 

But what we wanna know is, have they made any blunders with respect to the Executive Manse?

In December 2008, the New York Times interviewed New York's First Lady about moving from a 2-BR apartment in Harlem to the 40-room Victorian governor's mansion (above).  At 29,000 sq. ft. and sitting on three and a half acres, the Patersons certainly had plenty of space to work with.

The previous first lady, former governor Eliot Spitzer's wife Silda, started an eco-friendly makeover of the mansion.  According to the Times article, Michelle has continued that effort "using organic cleaners, serving mostly locally grown foods and installing energy-efficient appliances and solar panels on outbuildings."

The Patersons also brought furniture from their other home (a 2,600 sq. ft. Colonial in a nearby town) to furnish their master bedroom and third-floor family room.  Alas, no photos were taken of these rooms, so we don't get to see any of their personality or taste.

They also scattered a few family photos around the house, like in the drawing room below, but those are barely noticeable: 

The article suggests that, in light of the state's difficult economic times, the Patersons haven't done much in the way of decorating (obviously!) and likely won't do anything significant.   So the mansion remains a stodgy old "gloomy pile," as it was once described by Teddy Roosevelt.

But at least this shows prudence on the part of this governor.  Maybe he'll get to keep his job after all!

To read the NY Times article and see a slideshow with lots of photos of the mansion, go here.

Top photo by Goldfield for the NY Daily News.
Executive Mansion photos by Nathaniel Brooks for the NY Times.

A Miami Condo for Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony

People magazine is reporting that Jennifer Lopez's husband Marc Anthony --who just became a part-owner of the NFL's Miami Dolphins--has bought a waterfront condo in the Icon Brickell building in Miami.

Marc promises it'll be the "sexiest place in town" and we believe him!

The Icon Brickell's main entrance (above) and the pool (below) should give you some idea of what the building has to offer.

We've always liked this stylish couple.  We have no doubt their place will be smokin' hot--and family friendly at the same time!  Can't forget about their twins!

EXCLUSIVE HOUSE PHOTOS! Sarah Michelle Gellar/Freddie Prinze Jr.'s Home

Congratulations to beautiful actress Sarah Michelle (Gellar) Prinze and her handsome husband Freddie Prinze Jr. on their new baby girl!  Little Charlotte Grace Prinze arrived on Saturday, September 19th.  According to People, her parents are "over the moon."

We've obtained EXCLUSIVE photos of their home!

Looks like precious little Charlotte will have plenty of room to grow in her parents' luxury Bel Air home (above).  According to property records, the home is nearly 7,000 sq. ft. with 7 bedrooms and 7 baths.  Hmmm, 7-7-7!  Wonder if they spend a lot of time in Vegas?

The foyer below is unremarkable--even if we visually delete the previous owners' ugly decor.  (These photos were taken just before the Prinzes moved in.)  What's with the fake flowers over that hideous cabinet anyway?   The mirrored-wall behind it only makes matters worse!

We like the wood-paneled study (below) though, which we assume has been redecorated to lighten it up and remove all that dull 1980's plaid:

Freddie (or Sarah!) will need a place to escape during those sleepless nights with the baby.  And the study surely looks cozy enough.

While we don't have photos of Charlotte's nursery, we do know that Sarah Michelle purchased most of the furnishing for it from Argington, a children's furniture shop.  Here's the stylish crib she selected:

Judging from the crib and some of the other pieces we found on the store's website, we think Charlotte will have a very chic nursery--one fit for a California princess!

We're thrilled for the family and wish them the best!

Top photo by Claire Greenway/Getty Images.

Crib photo by Argington.

VH1 Divas Edition, Part 6 - Where in the World is Jennifer Hudson?

You knew we'd save the best one for last.  In our view, Jennifer Hudson is the only true diva of the bunch from this year's VH1 Divas Live show.  At a mere 28 years old, she's managed to do and survive through things that have earned her our respect.

We got our first glimpse of J-Hud when she was a finalist on the third season of American Idol.  Though she didn't win, she ultimately became a bigger star than any other Idol before or since.  After earning an Oscar and a Golden Globe award for her work in Dreamgirls, she later won a Grammy award for her self-titled album, containing her debut single "Spotlight."  She also suffered a horrific family tragedy and emerged as graceful as ever.  Finally, as she demonstrated on Divas Live, the girl sure can blow!

So, you ask, where does she live? 

All we can say is:  Carmen Sandiago and Matt Lauer don't have ANYthing on J-Hud.

First, we know that our girl Jennifer hails from Chicago.

We also know that nearly a year ago, Jennifer went through one of the most horrific tragedies imaginable.  On October 24, 2008, her mother and brother were found slain in the home they shared (below) with Jennifer's sister.  Three days later, Jennifer's 7-year-old nephew was found slain in an SUV.  Her sister's former boyfriend is charged with the triple murders and awaiting trial.

At the time, we believe Jennifer lived separately in a luxury condo in downtown Chicago.  But soon thereafter, for safety's sake, Donald Trump graciously put her up in his Trump Tower (below), also in downtown Chicago.

Then we heard Jennifer was moving to L.A. and we temporarily lost track of her.

By the time we caught up with her again, Jennifer was engaged to David Otunga, a Harvard Law School graduate best known as "Punk" from VH1's I Love New York reality series.  Not surprisingly, we pretty easily tracked Otunga from Cambridge to New York and Chicago.

Next thing we know, Jennifer's pregnant.  And then she was spotted out and about in TAMPA of all places!  And we heard that she was shopping for a bed! 

Turns out that Otunga just got a new gig as a professional wrestler for the Florida Championship Wrestling division of the WWE.  His division is based in Tampa.  You can go ahead and laugh now.

The last piece of info we have is that Jennifer had her baby (a boy named after his dad) in an L.A. hospital.  Congrats to her!

So we're guessing she's bi-coastal--with homes in both L.A. and Tampa. 

We also think she's leasing because we can't find any property records in either of those areas.  Smart girl.  The housing economy has yet to fully recover.

VH1 Divas Edition, Part 5 - Adele Chooses Notting Hill for Home

This year's VH1 Divas Live show included two british singing sensations, Leona Lewis and Adele.  While we thought Leona's voice was okay, we must admit we found Adele's to be quite soulful and beautiful.  So we at least understand why she was included on the diva list.

At 21 years old, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is yet another youngster.  Until last year, she lived with her mum. But, unlike the slightly younger Jordin Sparks and much younger Miley Cyrus, Adele was ready to fly the coop. 

In July 2008, Adele bought herself a one-bedroom flat in London's posh Notting Hill.   She finally moved into it in November 2008. 

Adele describes her new home as looking like "it's straight out of the film [Notting Hill starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant], in a row of white houses."

We haven't seen any photos of her apartment yet, so we'll have to placate you with this exterior shot (above) of a row of white houses on a Notting Hill street.

Cheers to Adele!

VH1 Divas Edition, Part 4 - Jordin Sparks' House

Nope. Beyonce hasn't been eating too many biscuits. If you saw the VH1 Divas 2009 show last week, then you know that it was Jordin Sparks who strutted on stage looking like an oversized version of your girl Bey. With all the sexy gyrations a normally modest, slightly heavy, wholesome teenager can muster up.

It just so happens that Jordin also belted out the national anthem at last night Dallas Cowboys-NY Giants game.

The Cowboys may have lost, but we actually thought it was Jordin who was off her game when it came to singing the anthem.

She can't blame it on the acoustics either. That new Cowboys Stadium cost a whopping $1.2 BILLION dollars--so you know they've got a kick-ass sound system!

Our discerning ears tell us that this sugary sweet 19-year-old singer still hasn't come into her own yet. It might take moving out of her parents' home.
Yes, the daughter of former NFL player Phillipi Sparks reportedly still lives in the same home (above) in Glendale, Arizona, purchased by her folks back in 2003 for around $900K. Here's a larger (albeit hazy) view:

At more than 4,000 sq. ft., there's plenty of room for Jordin along with her mom, dad, and brother.

What there isn't room for is growth and maturity--the kind that gives a singer that soulfulness of experience in her voice. This used to be what was required for diva status. Maybe VH1 sees or hears something we don't.

All we can say is: Call us when you get your own crib, kid.

VH1 Divas Edition, Part 3 - Kelly Clarkson's Home

How can we not love Kelly Clarkson? She was our very first American Idol, beating out Justin "I can't sing, but I'm cute" Guarini for the title. She also tore it up in her duet with Melissa Ethridge at last week's VH1 awards.

Last year, Kelly reportedly bought this 5,470 sq. ft. home in Nashville for nearly $1.5 million: At first blush, the house seems pretty unremarkable--just like Kelly's forest green dress at the VH1 show. But upon closer inspection, we find it to be quite tasteful, understated, and elegant--just like her dress!

This is a classic stone cottage that's large enough to feel comfortable. Yet it's cozy enough to feel like you have a REAL home. What's not to like?

Okay, so we don't like the kitchen:

And, yes, the house has a couple of generic rooms like these:

But, please remember, these photos are from the realtor's listing and she's not responsible for the bland traditional decor of the previous owners. Perhaps she's punched it up a bit since she bought it.

Whenever she's bored with the inside, all she has to do is step out to this fabulous screened-in porch with a stone fireplace and vaulted ceiling:

We love it!