Tag: Wikipedia

A Bastard of a Basement

Knightsbridge townhouse for sale for sum 11% lower than it sold for in 2011; it comes with a rather large hole in the garden that has been described as “almost as deep as the Führerbunker”

To the poet and wit Henry Luttrell (1765 – 1861) “eating pâté de foie gras to the sound of trumpets” was his idea of heaven. Now, a very wealthy buyer has the opportunity to acquire what some might consider the very opposite of such with the sale of his former home – complete with a 4-storey hole in its garden – in Knightsbridge.

Empty for many years and the subject of numerous critical articles about its dereliction in such titles as the Mirror and Daily Mail, Grade II listed 31 Brompton Square is on the market for £3 million less than it sold for in 2011. It was previously reportedly owned by the industrialist Lord Tanlaw and was also in the possession of the High Commission of Malaysia at some point.

Fraudster Achilleas Kallakis was undoubtedly the most controversial owner of the building

Philanthropists Dora and Mary de Beer (pictured with Esmond de Beer) were certainly more civilised residents

Baron Tanlaw of Tanlawhill reportedly owned the house for a period also

Aside from being home to the philanthropist sisters Dora and Mary de Beer (owners of the house between 1934 and 1981) and the Conservative Party politician the Hon. Michael Astor in addition, most controversially the property was bought by the now jailed businessman Achilleas Kallakis in the mid 2000s.

Kallakis – who in spite of demanding he be called ‘His Excellency’ and ‘The Don’ was actually simply “Britain’s biggest mortgage fraudster” – began work on a scheme to create what he termed a “pleasure palace” at 31 Brompton Square in 2005. He employed contractors to dig four levels down beneath what had been a pretty garden and commenced both authorised and unauthorised works to create what could still ultimately become a 22,000 square foot, 8-floor “trophy home.”

Construction stopped in 2008 after Kallakis’ arrest and in 2011, 31 Brompton Square was sold for £8 million more than sought to a Virgin Islands based company by receivers acting for Barclays Wealth. Said by locals to actually be owned at that time by a Dubai based businessman named Jonathan Hart, further planning schemes were submitted in October 2016 and now agents Savills seek £25 million for the unfinished building.

Of the sale, one near neighbour told The Steeple Times:

“This bastard of a basement has blighted this area of Knightsbridge for far too long.”

“We have feared subsidence might cause the hole to cave in since 2005 and now hope a new owner will rectify the mess left by the conman Kallakis. We simply want to be able to live out our years in peace and would like a nice, quiet family rather than a brash billionaire be the purchasers.”

31 Brompton Square – The Numbers

September 2017 – For sale for £25 million ($33.9 million, €28.4 million or درهم125 million).

June 2016 – Predicted to be worth £50 million ($67.8 million, €56.9 million or درهم249 million) if iceberg extension were to be completed.

March 2011 – Sold for £28 million ($38 million, €31.9 million or درهم139.5 million) after a bidding war on an asking price of £20 million ($27.1 million, €22.7 million or درهم99.6 million).

An aerial view of the giant hole behind 31 Brompton Square

A closer view of the dormant site

The front elevation of 31 Brompton Square

A proposed floor plan for the building

A CGI image of a proposed design for a reception room within the existing building

A CGI image of a proposed design for a reception space in the proposed extension of the house

A CGI image of a proposed design for a reception space backing onto the garden

A CGI image of a proposed design for a swimming pool within the extension

A CGI image of the proposed garden

Another view of the space

A drawing of the proposed redevelopment

September 25, 2017
A Caged Crib

Former San Francisco home of actor Nicolas Cage for sale for £11.4 million or 660% more than it sold for in 1996

Thrice married and an Academy Award winning actor Nicolas Cage is also known for lavish spending. Aside from once buying twenty-two cars in one hit – including a “squadron” of nine Rolls-Royce – he “wound up” owning fifteen personal residences in 2007 and now one of them is for sale for £11.4 million.

898 Francisco Street in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighbourhood was purchased by a trust connected to Cage in 2006 for £6.9 million and sold by him in 2008 at a loss for £6.3 million. It was built in Gothic Tudor style in 1914, extends to 6,305 square foot and is spread over four floors.

The front door is an example of fine craftmanship within the house

As is the carving on this fireplace

Featuring 4 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, the house also has a 2-car garage and enjoys views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the Bay Area. It has a garden to the rear and is adjoined by a further adjacent plot on Hyde Street that has potential for a further residence.

Debi Dicello of Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing and seeks either a total of £11.4 million for the entire property or £8.8 million for the main house and £2.6 million for the adjacent 40-foot by 60-foot lot.

898 Francisco Street – The Numbers

2017 – £8.8 million ($12 million, €10 million or درهم44.1 million) for the main house plus £2.6 million ($3.5million, €2.9 million or درهم12.9 million) for the adjoining plot.

2008 – Sold for £6.3 million ($8.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم31.2 million).

2006 – Bought by a trust connected to Nicolas Cage for £6.9 million ($9.4 million, €7.9 million or درهم34.5 million).

1996 – Sold for £1.5 million ($2 million, €1.7 million or درهم7.4 million).

September 17, 2017
A Cheap Mansion

Part refurbished Irish Georgian stately home for sale for just £136,000; it was originally built by the Fry family

What could be one of the cheapest Georgian stately homes ever has been placed on the market for just £136,000 ($179,000, €150,000 or درهم658,000).

Three storey, five bay, mid-18^th century Frybrook House in the centre of the town of Boyle in County Roscommon, Ireland – the birthplace of Maureen O’Sullivan (Jane in the Tarzan movies) – stands in 3 acres of land beside the River Boyle

Frybrook House appeared to be in much better condition externally in the early 2000s

Described recently by The Times as a “hot stately home,” the 8 bedroom, 8 bathroom mansion was built for Henry Fry, a merchant from Somerset, after he established a weaving operation on the site in the 1740s. It was run as a bed and breakfast in the early 2000s and last offered on the open market for £309,000 – with additional land and properties – in 2015.

Period features include fine restored plasterwork, original cornicing, window shutters, marble fireplaces and roll top baths and though the property appears to be in some state of disrepair and dereliction, it is described as “partly restored and refurbished.” Sadly, pictures also show the setting is somewhat spoilt by a modern industrial building to the rear.

Frybrook House is listed by REA Seamus Carthy.

Frybrook House – The Numbers

September 2017 – £136,000 ($179,000, €150,000 or درهم658,000) with 3 acres of land and various outbuildings.

July 2015 – £309,000 ($406,000, €340,000 or درهم1.5 million) with 6 acres of land, 4 houses on an adjoining street and a “period building” housing a café.

September 11, 2017
The Icing on the Cake

Octagonal Victorian Gothic landmark in Westchester County, New York available for rent; Bono was filmed there and it includes the only domestic Egyptian Revival room in existence

A Victorian Gothic house in Irvington, Westchester County, New York that resembles a wedding cake has been put on the market to rent for £30,300 per month ($40,000, €33,200 or درهم147,000 per month).

Built for a financier named Paul J. Armour between 1859 and 1860, this octagon shaped and domed landmark was subsequently home to the author Carl Carmer (1893 – 1976) – best known for his widely praised book Stars Fell on Alabama – between 1940 and his death. The building was later the main setting for the less popular (and seized and confiscated in the UK under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959) 1981 horror film The Nesting and then completely renovated by the award winning conservationist architect Joseph Pell Lombardi.

The Octagon House in 1882 and 1975

The Octagon House in the 1981 film “The Nesting”; the then owner launched a $1 million lawsuit against the filmmakers after they supposedly trashed the building

Known alternatively as the Armour-Stiner House, the Carmer Octagon House, The Octagon House or simply 45 West Clinton Avenue, the National Register of Historic Places listed residence is being marketed by agents William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty as “one of the most visually unique homes in the world.” It stands on a plot close to the Hudson River of 3.05 acres, provides 8,400 square foot of accommodation and has a drawing room, dining room, ballroom, 7 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Within the grounds is an original Lord & Banham conservatory and a carriage house that provides garaging for 4 vehicles.

Especially impressive architectural features of the building number the only domestic Egyptian Revival room still in existence, an attic with a staircase to a stunning cupola and a wraparound veranda with 56 columns. In the 2007 film Across the Universe, the billionaire Irish singer-songwriter Bono (playing a character named ‘Dr Robert’) described The Octagon House as the “Headquarters of the League of Spiritual Deliverance.” It most definitely abounds in such.

September 10, 2017
Gone with the Joseffs

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Vivien Leigh’s necklace and Clark Gable’s cigarette case from ‘Gone with the Wind’ to be sold at auction in Los Angeles

Gone with the Wind is undoubtedly one of the all-time classic films. It took in excess of $390 million at the box office, won an astonishing eight Academy Awards in 1940 and propelled the careers of both Clark Gable (Rhett Butler) and Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O’Hara) into the stratosphere.

Now, in November in California, a diamond and amethyst necklace worn by Leigh in the film will be sold at auction with an estimate of £45,000 to £61,000 ($60,000 to $80,000, €50,000 to €66,000 or درهم220,000 to درهم294,000) alongside a cigarette case used by Gable (estimate: £30,000 to £45,000, $40,000 to $60,000, €33,000 to €50,000 or درهم147,000 to درهم220,000).

Eugene Joseff pictured in the crown and sceptre worn by Ronald Colman in “The Prisoner of Zenda” (1937) and Vivien Leigh in Joseff with Clark Gable in “Gone with the Wind” (1939)

This pair of Gone with the Wind memorabilia, which will be sold by Julien’s Auctions, forms part of a 500-piece collection from the vault of Eugene Joseff (1905 – 1948), an advertising executive turned jeweller to Hollywood’s superstars. Joseff’s primary success stemmed from the fact he developed a matte metal finish for his jewellery that minimised the glare from the strong studio lights and thus everyone from Marlene Dietrich to Greta Garbo and Marilyn Monroe wore his pieces. Though this talented designer tragically died in a plane crash, his family continue to operate the firm Joseff of Hollywood and aside from making jewellery now also produce aerospace castings for radar, guided missiles, computers, and electro-mechanical systems.

Of the collection, Martin Nolan of Julien’s Auctions commented:

“The Joseff Collection that has been consigned to Julien’s Auctions is the single most important collection of film-worn jewellery ever to come to the market. This historic cache, stored in a Hollywood warehouse for decades is the very stuff of Hollywood history and legend. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of film history that was designed and manufactured to dazzle, as each piece had to compete with the wearer, the most beautiful women in the world.”

Julien’s Auctions will sell the collection on 17^th and 18^th November at their Los Angeles Gallery.

The Vivien Leigh necklace by Eugene Joseff

The Clark Gable cigarette case by Eugene Joseff

At a slightly different point but nevertheless cut, here are three jewelry items to consider if you’re looking for gift ideas…
Here are 3 we found that are cute and affordable:
1) Gorgeous ring for Mum? – this ring for Mum will make her eyes light up on Mother’s Day, or just about any other day for that matter. A casual, versatile ring that can be worn with just about anything, day or night, it’s a perfect complement to any outfit or occasion.
2) Need a pretty gift for a dog lover? – This cute puppy paw necklace is a pet-friendly addition for any puppy lover, young or old. Whether it’s a birthday gift or just a gift to say thank you, the recipient will be over the moon!
3) Cute leaf earrings for a nature lover perhaps? – these cute earrings can be worn day or night with just about any outfit. A nice addition to jazz up your day and look and feel great.

September 9, 2017
Pico Alexander (born Alexander Jogalla)

New York born actor Pico Alexander considered starring opposite Reese Witherspoon in the 2017 film Home Again “one of the sexiest scenes of [his] life.” Of Polish heritage, Alexander is the son of a cinematographer and studied at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, New York City and the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. This rising star avoids social media, is “fascinated by the darker sides of humanity” and has also appeared in Orange Is the New Black and War Machine alongside Brad Pitt.

September 9, 2017
Pritikin’s Folly

Kitsch San Francisco mansion turned private museum that houses everything from Hitler memorabilia to a portrait turned down by Prince Philip for sale for £9.5 million

The collection of a former advertising executive turned San Francisco based bon viveur named Robert C. Pritikin – better known as ‘Bob’ to his friends – includes everything from Hitler’s Swastika armband and his personal world globe (supposedly acquired by American soldiers at the end of the Second World War) to a portrait of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh of which the royal once proclaimed: “I bloody well wouldn’t hang it on the walls of Buckingham Palace.”

Pritikin houses these items – and others including a replica electric chair, a mural featuring the cult leader Jim Jones, an exact replica of Rembrandt’s ‘The Night Watch’ and an original J. M. W. Turner painting – in a totally eccentric neo-classical mansion in the Glen Park area of the city. He built the property in 1987 and though it provides 9,966 square foot of accommodation it is primarily designed as an entertaining space and museum rather than a conventional family home.

Bob Pritikin with the portrait Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh so loathed

The mansion-cum-museum Pritikin built in 1987 for his collection is now for sale

Artworks in the building include a mock electric chair

There also many murals inside and outside of Chenery House

Now offered for sale for £9.5 million ($12.5 million, €10.4 million or درهم45.9 million) by the equally flamboyant realtor Joel Goodrich, Chenery House – or plain old 47 Chenery Street – has hosted guests including Liberace and Mickey Rooney. The building is dominated by a top floor swimming pool with glass retractable roof, a vast ‘showroom’ with adjoining display rooms but also comes with 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. There is a 4-car carport, a garden cottage and a three unit building with two 2 bedroom units and one 1 bedroom unit.

Hidden from the street at its entrance and adjoining the Fairmount Elementary School on another, Chenery House stands on a 1 acre plot crammed to the brim with art pieces, murals and statues. It was offered by Pritikin to the City of San Francisco as an official mayoral residence in 2004 but after they declined he has since rented it for weddings and events.

In 2014, of living there, Pritikin remarked: “It’s a fun place to live. I would build the exact same house if I had to do it again, and in the unlikely event that I kick the bucket I intend to have my ashes buried here.” Though that will now unlikely happen, this true eccentric’s spirit will no doubt live on in spite of whoever eventually purchases what has to be one of America’s most whacky compounds.

September 9, 2017
The Black Prince

“Ultra-rare” 1951 Invicta Black Prince to be auctioned; here is a truly astounding shooting brake complete with an incredible mascot

An ultimate example of 1950s luxury, a 1951 Invicta Black Prince shooting brake with coachwork by Associated Coachbuilders – that cost £3,820 new (the equivalent of £110,000, $142,000, €119,000 or درهم521,000 today) – is to be auctioned in September.

Featuring an all alloy 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine with twin overheard camshafts, twin-plug ignition and triple SU carburetors, this automatic, dark green vehicle is just one of twelve survivors of sixteen cars made. It was actually completed after the Invicta brand ceased to exist in 1950 and finished in Sunderland as ‘MPT 850’ on 3^rd November 1951.

Restored and upgraded in the 1980s, the car comes with “a wealth of documentation” and retains its “truly extravagant mascot of the Black Prince himself.”

The shooting brake will be sold by Bonhams at their Beaulieu sale on 2^nd September in Hampshire. An estimate of £22,000 to £27,000 ($28,000 to $35,000, €24,000 to €28,000 or درهم104,000 to درهم128,000) has been set.

August 27, 2017
Big Shorting Gatsby

Long Island mansion with links to ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘The Big Short’ for sale for £13.1 million (or 152% more than it sold for in 2011)

F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 – 1940) set his ‘Roaring Twenties’ classic The Great Gatsby in the fictional locations of East Egg and West Egg on Long Island and now one of the homes that inspired him is available for sale.

Owned by Cornwall Capital founder James Mai – a man whose firm ironically made over 80 times its capital by buying credit default swaps on CDOs prior to the 2008 financial crisis – and his wife Chiara since 2011, 235 Middle Neck Road at Sands Point on Long Island’s Gold Coast was built in 1926 and home to the Rumsey-Harriman railroad dynasty from 1929.

Fitzgerald is said to have spent time at the residence learning about “the lifestyle of the moneyed aristocracy of Old Westport, Long Island, and their involvement in the movement of eugenics” from the Rumseys and ironically, James Mai, is also representative of a clash between ‘old’ and ‘new’ money. In 2008, he and his partner are said to have been the ones “screaming about [the coming crash] as loud as they could, but everyone turned a deaf ear.” The character Jamie Shipley, played by Finn Wittrock in the 2015 film The Big Short, is loosely based upon him.

Current owners Chiara and James Mai are said to have spent vast sums on the renovation of the estate

Featuring 11,955 square foot of renovated accommodation that includes formal and informal entertaining spaces, 13 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. There is also a 6-car garage with a 3-bedroom caretaker’s cottage, a 4-bedroom beachside cottage and a boat house.

Outside, on a plot of some 5.3 acres, there is a 391-foot private beach, a tennis court and in spite of its seeming isolation, the property is situated just 29 miles from Downtown Manhattan and 25 minutes by boat.

235 Middle Neck Road is listed by Nava Mitnick of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International. In December 2016, of it, she commented: “Obviously, it’s so imposing – you drive down and see the sweeping views. But when we entered the house, I described it as a ‘glorified cottage’, because it’s so homey.”

235 Middle Neck Road – The Numbers

August 2017 – Relisted for £13.1 million ($16.88 million, €14.2 million or درهم62 million).

December 2016 – Listed for sale for £15.4 million ($19.8 million, €16.6 million or درهم72.7 million).

June 2011 – Sold for £5.2 million ($6.675 million, €5.6 million or درهم24.5 million).

February 2011 – Listed for sale for £7.7 million ($9.9 million, €8.3 million or درهم36.4 million).

August 27, 2017
Rent Like A Royal

Grade I listed house in Richmond Old Deer Park, Surrey that is owned by the Crown Estate and was originally a royal observatory to rent for £450,000 per year

A Grade I listed house set on 6.6 acres of World Heritage Site and Grade I listed land in the middle of the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Course has been listed to rent for £37,500 per month ($48,300, €41,000 or درهم177,300 per month).

Extending to 6,157 square foot in total but quite manageable in terms of the accommodation provided, The King’s Observatory in Old Deer Park, Richmond upon Thames was designed by the Scottish-Swedish architect Sir William Chambers (1723 – 1796) and used by King George III (1738 – 1820) to house his extensive collection of scientific instruments. It features the oldest cupola in the world specifically constructed to allow astrologists to “track the rare phenomenon of Venus crossing the sun.”

Owned by the Crown Estate, the building was used as a classroom for royalty, was converted to provide a home for the Meteorological Office from 1910 to 1980 and became the offices of Hill Samuel Bank and then Autoglas until 2011. Plans were approved to convert to a single residence in 2014 but features including a cinema, games room, gym, underground swimming pool and garaging for 16 cars were not actually constructed.

The King’s Observatory – which was built in 1769 – is offered by Knight Frank and includes 5 reception rooms, 4 bedroom suites and a large roof terrace.

August 21, 2017