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Mike Kroeger’s former home was originally built for 1931 Dracula actor Bela Lugosi.
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The Manhattan Beach home sold by Dustin Brown opens to a covered patio with a fireplace.
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Ron Burkle’s new property, which was previously owned by Bob Hope, was originally built in 1939. The Hopes remodelled the home in the 1950s to suit a more contemporary style.
LOS ANGELES — California businessman Ron Burkle has doubled down on Bob Hope estates, buying the late comic’s longtime Toluca Lake compound for US$15 million.
Two years ago, the billionaire paid US$13 million for a modernist home in Palm Springs designed and built by architect John Lautner for Hope and his wife, Dolores, the Los Angeles Times previously reported.
The Toluca Lake home was designed for the Hopes in the English traditional style by architect Robert Finkelhor. In the mid-1950s, the couple wanted a more contemporary style and commissioned John Elgin Woolf to remodel and update the 1939 house.
The property is composed of parcels totalling a little more than five acres.
The 14,876-square-foot house, which Burkle intends to restore, is accompanied by a two-bedroom guest house and separate staff quarters and offices.
The structures combine to offer eight bedrooms and eight bathrooms.
A swimming pool, a one-hole golf course, mature trees, rose gardens and a large expanse of grass also lie within the grounds. An indoor swimming pool and spa sit adjacent to the guest house.
Bob Hope, who died in 2003 at the age of 100, had a prolific career as a comic actor, singer and dancer, appearing in scores of films, which included the Road series with Bing Crosby.
He won five honorary Oscars, and one humanitarian award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Burkle, 65, built his fortune buying and selling supermarket chains including Ralphs, Fred Meyer Inc. and Food4Less. He has an estimated net worth of US$2.3 billion, according to Forbes.
An architectural connoisseur, he also owns the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Ennis House in Los Feliz, Calif., which he purchased in 2011 for about US$4.5 million.
New face at cover girl’s home
Supermodel Cindy Crawford and her husband, businessman Rande Gerber, have sold their renovated compound in Malibu’s Encinal Bluffs area for US$45 million, records show.
The couple bought the three-plus-acre estate, and an adjacent parcel of about 2.75 acres, in 2015 for a total of US$50.5 million.
Set behind walls and gates, the bluff-top residence features four bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms in a 5,300-square-foot living space. Interior details include custom built-ins, natural materials and white walls that make for a casual beach aesthetic. Oversized windows and pocketing doors are centred toward the ocean.
Wraparound decking and terraces create additional living space outdoors. The scenic property also includes a tennis court and a swimming pool. At the edge of the property is a path which leads to the beach below.
Crawford, 52, took to modelling in her teens, and has appeared on hundreds of magazine covers.
Gerber, 56, is a former model, and a nightlife-industry businessman. He co-founded the tequila brand Casamigos with actor George Clooney.
The couple put the compound up for sale in 2016 for US$60 million before dropping the price last year by US$10 million. They own other property in Los Angeles, including a Beverly Hills home bought last year from OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder.
Hockey star skates out of South Bay
Two-time Stanley Cup champion Dustin Brown has wrapped up some business away from the ice, selling his home in Manhattan Beach for US$6.9 million.
Custom-built by Matt Morris Development for Brown and wife Nicole, the traditional-style house weds California casual and East Coast flair. Set behind a white fence, the two-storey home opens to a heated, covered patio with a fireplace. An infrared sauna sits near a saltwater swimming pool.
Inside, the 6,450-square-foot home displays a range of character. Styled by interior design company Lucas Studio Inc., the home features bright wall coverings, detailed millwork and built-ins in the living room and den. On the basement floor, there are movie and game rooms plus a custom bunk room.
The six-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom house hit the market in April for a dollar shy of US$7 million.
Brown, 33, has spent his 11-year professional career with the Los Angeles Kings, joining the team as a first-round draft pick in 2003. The all-star scored a career-high 61 points in 81 games played this past season.
Rocker has stake in Dracula history
Nickelback bassist Mike Kroeger’s new haunt in the Outpost Estates section of the Hollywood Hills has an eerie past.
The two-storey home, which Kroeger bought for US$3.795 million, first belonged to Bela Lugosi, the actor famous for playing Dracula in the 1931 film.
Built in 1935 by Charles E. Toberman, the Mediterranean-style estate is reminiscent of a bygone time. A pair of gargoyles frame the entry, and it’s said Lugosi used to let his pet panther roam the half-acre grounds.
Past the ivy-draped facade, there are 4,568 square feet of hardwood-lined interiors. The kitchen features booth seating and a brick fireplace, and other spaces include a living and dining room topped with chandeliers, and a study atop the staircase.
Four bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms fill out the rest of the floor plan, with the master suite boasting a balcony and free-standing tub. Outside, hedges flank a swimming pool and pool house.
The house was also once home to Ed Limato, the late talent agent who represented such high-profile clients as Nicolas Cage, Mel Gibson, Steve Martin and Denzel Washington.
Kroeger, who founded the Canadian rock band in 1995 with his brother Chad, is trading in one set of palm trees for another. His coastal retreat in Maui is currently on the market for US$4.88 million.
— Los Angeles Times
