A-Rod lists home Streep sold him
LOS ANGELES — Decorated baseball star turned television analyst Alex Rodriguez is ready to give up his L.A. base, listing his architectural residence in Hollywood Hills West for sale at $6.5 million US.
Known as the Honnold & Rex Research House, the Midcentury Modern residence was built in 1954 under the Architectural Products magazine research program, which encouraged experimentation with materials and designs.
About a decade ago, it was redesigned and reconfigured by earlier owner and architectural conservator Xorin Balbes.
Tucked away on a secluded drive, the home features horizontal louvres that wrap the exterior of the home and provide a privacy screen while diffusing light during the day and night.
Clean lines, a mix of organic materials and walls of windows reinforce its modernist roots.
At the heart of the house is a two-storey living room with a block-wall fireplace that runs from floor to ceiling.
The floor plan includes a chef’s kitchen, a dining room and a family room on the main floor.
The master suite — one of four bedrooms and four bathrooms — floats above the living room area, allowing for city light and tree-top views.
Rodriguez (a.k.a. A-Rod), who retired from baseball two years ago, bought the property in 2014 from Oscar-winning actor Meryl Streep for $4.8 million.
The 43-year-old was among the most dynamic players in baseball during his career, amassing 696 home runs and 3,115 hits across 22 seasons. Rodriguez’s scores of accolades include 14 All-Star Game appearances, 10 Silver Slugger awards and three American League MVP awards.
Since his retirement, he has worked as a broadcaster for ESPN and Fox.
No longer tied down to a home
Jamie Dornan, who stars in the Fifty Shades films, has sold his home in the Nichols Canyon area of the Hollywood Hills for $3.18 million, down only slightly from the original asking price of $3.195 million.
A stellar example of the Midcentury Modern style, the singlestorey house sits up from the street and has wood siding and an artistic block wall that create visual interest along the front.
Beyond the entry, the 1959-built house opens to an atrium and reflecting pool set within a glass box. Sliding glass doors in each of the main living areas open to the atrium. Concrete steppingstones float above the water.
A streamlined kitchen, a living room with a rock-wall fireplace and a formal dining room are among the living spaces. There are four bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, including a master suite that opens directly to the swimming pool.
Dornan bought the house two years ago from film producer Vincent Sieber for $2.843 million.
The 36-year-old actor appears in the Robin Hood reboot, starring Taron Egerton and Jamie Foxx, that was released this week.
Ready to recast as a landlord
British actor-comedian Matt Lucas has put the Hollywood Hills home he bought last year up for lease at $16,500 a month.
Set just above the Sunset Strip, the recently remodelled property pairs dark hardwood floors with custom built-ins across 2,418 square feet.
French doors frame a marble-cloaked fireplace in the living room.
Other highlights on the main level include a formal dining room, a window-lined family room and a centre-island kitchen with circular booth seating.
The master suite, one of four bedrooms, holds an office and a tiled bathroom.
Lucas gained fame for appearances on Little Britain, a BBC sketch comedy. He played the role of Nardole on Dr. Who from 2015 to 2017.
Looking for his market match
Sean Rad, co-founder and former chairman of the dating app Tinder, has listed a home in Hollywood Hills West for sale at $10.9 million.
Located above the Sunset Strip, the ivy-clad Georgian traditionalstyle home sits behind gates on a third of an acre of landscaped grounds with palm trees, a swimming pool and a motor court.
Extensively updated during Rad’s two years of ownership, the 5,085-square-foot house boasts a light aesthetic with modern fixtures, distressed hardwood floors and custom built-ins.
A sweeping staircase lined with thin wrought-iron balusters sits beyond the entry.
The residence, which was once owned by late Comedy Store founder Mitzi Shore, dates to 1936.