DeGeneres buys and sells in L.A.
LOS ANGELES — After spending much of the last year changing spots in Santa Barbara County, Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are turning their attention back to Los Angeles.
In recent weeks, the entertainment power couple have bought a Beverly Hills home steeped in Old Hollywood history for $15 million US. They’ve also quietly sold another home in the area for $35 million, records show.
The home they just bought — a Hollywood Regency designed by architect-to-the-stars John Elgin Woolf and built in 1962 — was the longtime home of late actress and philanthropist Marjorie Lord. Lord was best known for her role as wife to Danny Thomas’ character in Make Room for Daddy as well as the spinoff Make Room for Granddaddy.
After Lord’s death in 2015, the property came up for sale in 2016 and sold for $8.3 million. It has since been restored.
Now polished to a fine sheen, the single-storey house boasts scaled formal rooms, webpatterned wood ceilings and original Pullman entry doors. A circular foyer sits beyond the entry. Floor-to-ceiling windows in nearly every room take in city-toocean views.
The 5,100 square feet of living space also holds a reimagined kitchen with a skylight-topped island, a breakfast nook, a family room and a den/office.
The curving design of the house encapsulates private courtyards for each of the five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. A covered patio lined with columns, a barbecue and a small swimming pool complete the grounds.
The home DeGeneres and de Rossi sold sits on about threequarters of an acre. It has four bedrooms, eight bathrooms and nearly 6,000 square feet of living space. The couple had owned the property for about three years.
It was sold off-market to Sue Gross, the ex-wife of billionaire investor Bill Gross.
DeGeneres, 60, has won several Emmys for The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which premièred in 2003.
Last year she co-created and produced the show Little Big Shots with Steve Harvey.
De Rossi, 45, has television credits that include the legal drama Ally McBeal and the sitcom Arrested Development.
Norton completes his scene change
Film actor Edward Norton has called it a wrap on Malibu’s Las Flores Beach, selling his home there after more than a decade of ownership for $4.395 million.
The oceanfront retreat is prime for income potential with a split floor plan that includes three bedrooms, two bathrooms and two full kitchens. There are fireplaces in the family and living rooms.
Outside, expansive decking meets 13 metres of sandy beachfront. A tiki-hut-style bar, an above-ground spa, a sun deck and tall palms complete the setting.
The property came up for sale in February with an asking price of $5.25 million, but was more recently listed for $4.5 million.
Norton bought the place in 2008 for $2.72 million, real estate records show.
Norton, 49, is known for his Oscar-nominated roles in Primal Fear (1996), American History X (1998) and Birdman (2015). His upcoming projects include Motherless Brooklyn, a crime drama that he co-wrote, directed and stars in.
The sale is not a complete departure from Malibu for Norton. Last year, he paid $11.8 million for a John Lautner-designed home in a different beach community, the Los Angeles Times previously reported.
Ex-NBA star wants nearly $20M for unfinished home
In Malibu, a three-parcel spread with a half-finished mansion is being shopped by retired NBA big man Kevin Garnett.
The 15-time All Star has set the price at $19.9 million, more than three times the $6.4 million he paid in 2003 for the property, which originally held a sixbedroom villa.
Spreading across seven acres of grounds, the estate sits at the end of a gated driveway that ends at a circular motor court.
An 11,000-square-foot mansion is the focal point of the oceanview property. The home is under construction and slated to be finished in 12 months, according to Hilton & Hyland, which holds the listing. Should a buyer snap it up before then, there would be an opportunity to customize certain parts not yet completed.
The new home, which sports an L-shaped design, borders a swimming pool and spa.
Garnett, 42, played for the Timberwolves, Celtics and Nets during a decorated career that saw him win an MVP award with Minnesota and an NBA championship with Boston. In 21 seasons, he tallied 14,662 rebounds, the ninth highest in league history.
Hip-hop producer moves into Miami Beach
DJ Khaled has bought a 12,750square-foot mansion in Miami Beach. The hip-hop producer turned social media star closed out September by paying $21.75 million for the waterfront estate of Michael Lerner, the entrepreneur who popularized the “Baby on Board” sign.
The minimalist-vibe residence boasts five bedrooms and a mixture of open-plan living spaces. Among them is an expansive great room topped by cumaru wood ceilings and a formal dining room that resembles a corporate boardroom. An oversized island anchors the kitchen.
On the upper level, reached by a floating staircase or elevator, a mahogany-draped master suite opens to a private balcony. Other second-storey perks include a safe room and a movie theatre.
The backyard adds a 25-metre swimming pool and a two-storey gazebo with a kitchen and an outdoor shower. A four-bedroom guesthouse sits on the other end of the one-acre property.
Khaled, 42, has released 10 studio albums and boasts collaborations with Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Drake and Kanye West. He became an internet hit for his motivational posts in which he details the “keys to success.”