I love watching Jeff Lewis’ Bravo show “Flipping Out“, not so much for the flipping out but for the homes they work on and see what designs they come up with. I really like Lewis’ style and how he mixes contemporary and traditional or does traditional with a twist. The home we’re looking at today is one of his own that he’s been working on to flip. Lewis got his start as a house flipper but when the bottom fell out of the real estate market in 2008 he took design and decorating jobs to pay bills. Over the last few years as real estate has come back with a bang (for now) Lewis and his team has gotten back into the house flipping game. This home is ultra glamorous and contemporary inside and out with lots of amazing features. I really like the bold herringbone wood floors you’ll see in several photos as well as the all black kitchen, including the granite. This is the second time Lewis has owned this home, he previously bought it and flipped in 2003. This time around he bought the home for $2.4 million and after a major remodel the home is on the market for $7.95 million. The home has 3 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms, all new electrical and plumbing along with a new foundation. Originally the house was Spanish in design from the 1920’s but as you can see it has a wonderful contemporary look to it now. Enough chit chat, I’ll give you more details with the photos, let’s start the tour. Enjoy!!!
'Real Estate'
Oprah’s NW Island Getaway
July 20, 2018
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The Queen of all media continues to grab up palatial properties around America, especially on the west coast. Word is Oprah Winfrey recently purchased 43 acres on Orcas Island, the largest island in the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. With the purchase of land, she also acquired three thousand feet of unspoiled beach that faces west as well as a compound that features a 4 bedroom home that measures more than 7,000 square feet. The compound also has a guest house, measuring almost 3,000 square feet, that houses four bedrooms and 3 bathrooms where either guests or staff can reside during visits to the island. Join me today for a tour of the island and the beautiful home of Oprah that she paid almost $8.3 million dollars for. Enjoy!!!
Bethenny Frankel’s New SoHo Loft
June 1, 2018
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If you’re a watcher of the Real Housewives of NYC then you are familiar with Bethenny Frankel, she was on the show in the beginning then left the show and is now back on the show. Bethenny has made a nice fortune for herself dealing in New York real estate both in NYC and in the Hamptons as well as creating her Skinny Girl Cocktail empire which she sold for over $8 million a couple of years ago. Earlier this year Bethenny unveiled her new apartment in the SoHo area of NYC and as Architectural Digest says, “it’s sleek and chic”. The apartment is a two bedroom apartment, just right for Frankel and her eight-year-old daughter, the home has several features I like that I’ll talk about below with the photos of the apartment. The apartment is very neutral as far as color with a lot of black, white and gray in the main living areas and Frankel’s bedroom with some color showing up in her daughter’s bedroom. So, grab a cup of coffee and join me for a home tour of an NYC Housewife and Enjoy!!!
The Homes Of Givenchy
March 16, 2018
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Earlier this week we looked at and talked about the life and legacy of Hubert de Givenchy, the French fashion designer who died this past Saturday. While doing research on Givenchy I was happy to find photos and information on his homes. At one time Givenchy owned three homes in his native France but from what I can find he had sold two of the homes and retained his beloved chateau outside of Paris where he lived the last years and days of his life. Today we are looking at his Paris home and his Chateau, they are both decorated to the hilt in the classic French style, filled with beautiful antiques, fabrics, books, and light. Join me for a tour of these two homes and hopefully find some inspiration in the decoration and tastes of a design master. Enjoy!!! (above image via)
Designer Stephen Shadley
March 5, 2018
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A couple of weeks ago we looked at the beautiful Bel Air, California home of Jennifer Aniston and while writing that post I became VERY interested in the work of her collaborator and designer Stephen Shadley. Today we are going to look at some of the other work of Shadley including a few other celebrity homes. I love Shadley’s approach to design and decorating, he’s able to beautifully decorate and display a home whatever the aesthetic, you’ll see how he’s able to do Mid-century design, Traditional American as well as Southwest and New York Chic. Join me for a peek into a few of the homes designed by Stephen Shadley and as always, Enjoy!!!
Tabulous Home Tour: Jennifer Aniston
February 23, 2018
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I was sad to hear that Jennifer Aniston and husband Justin Theroux are separating, it’s not like I have a personal stake in their relationship but I do want everyone to be happy. ( I know, it’s a character flaw of mine) At the same time, the news came out about their relationship Architectural Digest featured their home and today I’m sharing those images with you. The house was designed and built in 1965 by architect A. Quincy Jones, Aniston bought the Bel Air home after selling another Los Angeles home and moving to New York City but paparazzi made that move impossible to complete. Aniston says when she walked into this home there were things that were “way too cool and sleek” but she loved the bones of the house and knew she could make it her own. Designer Stephen Shadley helped Aniston with the house, he says Jennifer is drawn to materials made of wood, stone, and bronze.” He goes on to say that “things have to be warm and inviting.” I love this home and what Aniston and Shadley have accomplished in it, I often dream of living in a modern home but am never quite sure I can go all the way modern, but in this home a lot of classic elements are brought in and used to make this sleek, contemporary mansion feel warm and inviting. I hope Aniston finds happiness in this home and I hope you like the photographic tour. Enjoy!!!
Truman’s White House Renovation
February 19, 2018
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Hello everyone and Happy President’s Day!! On this day that we remember all the people who have served our country as Commander In Chief I thought we would take a look at the beautiful home they live in for the time they serve in office, The White House and the major renovation it underwent in the late 40’s and early 1950’s. When the Trumans first moved into the Executive Mansion in 1945 they found the White House in a state of great disrepair, the house had been added onto several times even the addition of a third floor without adequate foundations to hold all the weight. There are stories of during the first two years of the Truman administration of rooms literally swaying on the second floor when people were walking across them and huge chandeliers on the first-floor swaying. It soon became evident that it was no longer safe for the President or anyone to live and work in the White House. President and Mrs. Truman moved across the street to Blair House and a total and complete renovation ensued on the White House. After four years, 1948 to 1952, the Trumans were able to move back in the home and feel safe and proud. The White House Historical Association have amazing pictures, some of which I’m sharing today, of the work as it went on in the house and the final results. Join me today for a trip back in time as we see how the people’s house was saved and made safe and beautiful for all of us. Enjoy!!!
Ricky Martin’s Family Home
January 26, 2018
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In the latest issue of Architectural Digest, we are taken for a tour of the Beverly Hills home of boy band favorite Ricky Martin. Martin found fame in Menudo, a Puerto Rican boy band that was loved by girls (and boys) of all ages. Today Martin and his husband, Jwan Yosef, find themselves coming off two years of hard work which included a world tour and a year-long residency in Las Vegas, all the while caring for and raising their twin sons Matteo and Valentino. For now, Martin and Yosef have decided to settle down in Beverly Hills in a beautiful modern home. The house is filled with gorgeous furniture, all of it perfect for the house. Yosef is an artist and several of his pieces hang in the home as well as several pieces of an ever-growing collection the two men are putting together. Nate Berkus was called in to help the two busy artists put their new home together, Martin and Yosef say they didn’t want a completely decorated home, just the basics done so they could fill in the rest with things they find along the way. I have to say the home is gorgeous and has to be very inspiring to the two men to keep creating. Yosef has already turned a former yoga room into a studio and there are plans for Martin to build a recording studio. Enough talk, join me for a tour and as always, Enjoy!!!
Checking Out Itty Bitty Bungalow
January 24, 2018
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Over the weekend I was flipping through Facebook and I came across a post about a very charming house. I investigated further and found the blog Itty Bitty Bungalow which is run by Bradley Huber, a 28-year-old school teacher in Rochester, New York. Huber is chronicling the remodel of his bungalow on his blog and I have to say I LOVE this house. I have a weak spot for bungalows, my grandma’s house was a bungalow, I love the straight lines of a bungalow, their large front porches and all the beam work that goes into them. Huber has done an amazing job on his small home, 860 square feet, from all the great choices in paint colors to the addition of a fireplace that didn’t exist when he bought the home. I’m sharing photos from Huber’s blog today, check out Itty Bitty Bungalow when you have a chance and take a tour, you won’t be sorry. Enjoy!!!