Newsletter: Hot Property: What goes around, comes around
Wondering what to do with that conversation pit in your 1960s living room? They’re cool again. Same goes for the professional recording studio and the sunken wet bar. These features and more have found appeal with Hollywood’s in-crowd and sports stars.
For an out-of-area treat, be sure to check out Dodgers player Andre Ethier’s Arizona compound. Talk about a loaded base.
Once you’re done checking out these star-studded transactions, visit and like our Facebook page, where you can find Hot Property stories and updates throughout the week. That’s also a great place to leave us a tip about a celebrity home deal.
– Neal J. Leitereg and Lauren Beale
He’s ready for a rap session
The ’60s are alive and well, and Orlando Bloom is getting in on the action. The actor just picked up a house in Beverly Hills for $7 million.
The signature 1960s feature within the sleek modern interiors is a large white conversation pit in the living room. Besides the wood floors, almost every inch of the 4,000-square-foot house is white — inside and out. The glass-walled and white-curtained living space includes four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
The more than half-acre perch contains a kidney-shaped pool and takes in city and ocean views.
Bloom, 40, has credits including “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “The Hobbit” trilogy and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films.
Work-at-home spot in WeHo
Martin Johnson, frontman for the pop rock band Boys Like Girls, has listed his West Hollywood home for sale at $2.498 million. Don’t let the nondescript walled front fool you — the place has a guesthouse recording studio.
The nearly 1,800 square feet of guitar-decorated living space also includes an open living room/dining area, two bedrooms and four bathrooms.
The kitchen with a family room overlooks the back yard, which features mature trees, a swimming pool with a spa and a detached guest house.
Johnson, 31, is also a songwriter and producer. He has worked with Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne, among others.
Sale ends on a high note
Gustavo Dudamel, conductor and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, has sold his home in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles for $2.849 million.
Dating to 1923, the Mediterranean-inspired Four Square-style house sits up from the street. Steps lead to a portico and wooden front door with leaded-glass sidelights.
The 3,600 square feet of updated and restored interiors feature pocket doors, delicate molding, hardwood floors and coved ceilings. Three bedrooms, each with an adjoining bathroom and walk-in closet, occupy the second floor.
A trellis-topped patio and deck open to a swimming pool.
Dudamel, 36, bought the house more than two years ago for $2.775 million.
Player nabs Richard Pryor estate
The Northridge compound where late comedian and actor Richard Pryor made his home for years has been sold to former pro football player Rashard Mendenhall for $2.5 million.
The 2.2-acre walled and gated property in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood features a Spanish-style main home with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. There’s a sunken wet bar in the family room, a kitchen with a tiled island, a library, a billiards room and a wine closet.
A guesthouse, a pool house, a dance studio and a playhouse are among the other structures on the estate. In all, the buildings combine for more than 9,000 square feet of living space.
Mendenhall, 29, was in the NFL for six seasons, splitting his time between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. He works as a writer for the HBO series “Ballers.”
Dodgers outfielder’s extra base
This place scores a home run and then some. Think we’re kidding? There’s backlighted shoe storage in the “his” closet, not to mention a windmill on the grounds. Now Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier has listed the Gilbert, Ariz., compound for sale at $5 million.
The size is impressive — six bedrooms, six bathrooms and 9,326 square feet just in the main house. But take a closer look: The interior walls are clad in rustic wood and leather. The two-story “hers” dressing closet has a sliding ladder and a wedding dress display case. There are trestle-beamed ceilings.
A massive multipurpose building contains an additional 5,628 square feet with a batting cage, a game room, a fitness center and a kitchen.
The outdoor amenities on the 4.5-acre site include a swimming pool with a spa and splash pad area, a swim-up bar, a sunken barbecue area and an in-ground trampoline.
The four-car, two-story garage looks out on a basketball court.
Ethier, who joined the majors in 2006, bought the property seven years ago for $2 million.
Yes, that’s a speakeasy
This 1927 Spanish Colonial was the home of the late actress Doris Roberts. Listed for sale at $2.45 million, the Hollywood Hills house retains its period vibe with such details as a step-down den that doubles as a speakeasy.
More than 3,700 square feet of living space includes three bedrooms and five bathrooms. The great room features beamed ceilings, and the pop-out balcony sunroom has windows on three sides.
Roberts, who died in 2016 at 90, had a six-decade career appearing in talk and variety shows, on game show panels and in movies. In more recent years, she had an ongoing role on the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
His favorite room
Producer Alex Da Kid’s songs for Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Dr. Dre have lit up nightclubs around the world. To create the thumping chart-toppers, the British hit maker turns to his favorite room — the glass-clad living room of his Hollywood Hills home. The space has “a good energy,” says the 34-year-old.
“As an artist, I have to feel inspired.... I have a studio in the house, but I make music in the living room,” the music producer says.
From the archives
Ten years ago, actor Tom Cruise and his then-wife, Katie Holmes, bought a Beverly Hills home for close to $35 million. The traditional-style residence, built in 1937, had seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms.
Twenty years ago, Dean Cain of the ABC series “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” was remodeling a 1950s ranch-style house in Malibu that he bought for close to its $495,000 asking price.
Thirty years ago, a Pasadena mansion once owned by former movie starlet Dovie Beams de Villagran returned to the market after being sold during a bankruptcy proceeding for $2 million. The 10,000-square-foot Greek neoclassical mansion was in need of repair.
What we’re reading
The waterfront house in The Pines that is used in the reality series “Fire Island” is available for rent, reports Newsday. The asking rental price for July and August is $155,000.
ICYMI: There’s some good news for home buyers with student debt. Mortgage investor Fannie Mae has just made sweeping rule changes that should make it easier for you to purchase a first home or do a “cash-out” refinancing to pay off your student debt.
Whenever we’re pining for more house for the money, we do a little looky-loo at CurbedDetroit.com. A recent offering is this character-filled Hubbard Farms area home priced at $199,900. Interior arches, detailed moldings, wood floors — this place is long on vintage details. The untidy state of the attic, basement and backyard scared us, however. Think we’ll stay put.
For more luxury real estate, visit us at the Hot Property blog and follow us on Twitter.
