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Looking for a cool place to call home but unsure what you want? Inspiration strikes each day on Cool Houses Daily. A new cool house debuts each day, Monday-Friday.
July 2, 2009
Fit for a President
Location: New York, New York
Why it's cool: Celebrate America's independence in this lavish Plaza Hotel apartment where presidents, dignitaries and celebutantes have slept.
Coolest features: Happy Birthday, America! Celebrate the country's big day in style in the Plaza's presidential suite. Also known as the "Astor Suite," it was home to John Jacob Astor V during the 1930s. The apartment has picture windows in almost every room overlooking Central Park and Grand Army Plaza, as well as soaring ceilings, an enormous master suite and a formal dining room.
If you decide to share your Independence Day bash with friends, there are two guest bedrooms, each with a full bath and walk-in closet. If you're in the mood to celebrate America even more, grab some VIP passes and head down to the grand reopening of the Statue of Liberty. View the listing for interior shots of this unique luxury apartment.
Previous Cool Houses
July 1, 2009
Southern Charm
Location: Savannah, Georgia
Why it's cool: Sip some sweet tea on the porch of this historic district belle.
Coolest features: Perched in the center of Savannah's historic district, this 4-story Jones' Street home has been meticulously renovated. This home has beautiful pocket wood doors, a light-filled kitchen with a huge center island and breakfast bar, and a roomy breakfast area overlooking the courtyard.
In the winter, you'll never get cold with this home's whopping 10 fireplaces. There's also a luxurious master suite, complete with a dressing area large enough to house those hoop skirts and a master bath fit for Scarlett O'Hara.
June 30, 2009
Tour de House
Location: Dripping Springs, Texas
Why it's cool: Cyclist extraordinaire Lance Armstrong is selling this Texas compound.
Coolest features: Lance Armstrong is a busy guy ? he's cycling the Tour de France, having his fourth child (and announcing it on Twitter), planning a biopic about his life, and, of course, selling his house in Dripping Springs, Texas.
This 5-bed, 5-bath home is set on a whopping 447 acres. The country ranch has lots of space outdoors to hang out, including a negative-edge pool, pergola-covered patio, firepit, and an amazing mountain view.
The cycle-tastic home also has 7 miles of bike trails, the perfect place to get fit enough to beat Lance in a bike race. Just don't try to pilfer his bike at the end of the race, unless you want to take a three-year vacation from this compound.
June 29, 2009
Stage It to Sell
Location: San Francisco, California
Why it's cool: This very cool house features less-than-perfect staging.
Coolest features: In a down market, every little bit can help you sell. So while this house looks buyer-worthy from the outside, the seller's home staging looks more hand-me-down than Haight Ashbury. Buyers need to be able to picture themselves in the space, and the card tables, rocking chairs and blanket-covered recliner aren't helping the seller's cause.
The seller should stage the home in neutral, universally appealing furnishings to highlight its many great features, like the beautiful hardwood floors, fireplace and built-ins. To learn more about how to stage this home (or your own), check out our staging tips for every room from the pros at HGTV's Designed to Sell.
June 26, 2009
List Me Baby One More Time
Location: Beverly Hills, California
Why it's cool: Pop princess Britney Spears just re-listed this Italian villa at a reduced price.
Coolest features: Oops...it's listed again! Just like her career, Britney Spears' luxurious Beverly Hills home is making a comeback on the market -- but this time, with another major price chop. The house is listed at 6.49 million, down from 7.2 million and 7.9 million.
The Circus tour star's home boasts 7,500 square feet, and includes 6 bedrooms, wet bar, maids' quarters, library and formal dining room. Like the sofa? It could be included -- the home also comes with some furnishings.
June 25, 2009
Landscaped Patio
Location: San Carlos, California
Why it's cool: You can enjoy the summer heat from this beautifully-landscaped, pergola-covered patio.
Coolest features:
We're in the first official days of summer, so why not enjoy the nice whether while it lasts? This pergolicious backyard features comfy outdoor furniture, professional landscaping, stone tile, and a built-in grill (read: it comes with the house.) It even has a waterfall!
There's more to see inside the house: a modern family room with vaulted ceilings, an open floor plan, and a sitting area with canyon and mountain views. View the listing to see the home's amazing outdoor (and indoor) features.
June 24, 2009
Manilow's Mansion
Location: Malibu, California
Why it's cool: Musical legend and highlight aficionado Barry Manilow is selling this beachfront Malibu pad.
Coolest features: Singer, songwriter and performer of hits like "Mandy," "I Write the Songs" and "Copacabana" Barry Manilow wants to change his tune and sell this beachfront mansion. It has a prime location on Malibu Road, and is perched atop a sandy beach.
The house has an enclosed backyard, floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, and two story living room with fireplace, perfect for sitting around the fire with your favorite Barry Manilow album and a home frosting kit.
The contemporary pad has already undergone some serious price cuts -- it started out on the market at 12.6 million. View the listing to find out what the current price is and see more photos of Barry's beachfront hideaway.
June 23, 2009
Life's a Beach
Location: Hilton Head, South Carolina
Why it's cool: Escape to the ocean with a peek at this Hilton Head mansion.
Coolest features: Need to escape the everyday? Stick your toes in the sand from the deck of this oceanfront Hilton Head home. Located in North Forest Beach on Hilton Head Island, this home is within walking distance of shopping, golf, restaurants and the rest of Hilton Head's amenities.
Inside, the custom-built home has a spacious kitchen, living room and a window-filled rotunda perfect for watching the waves. View the listing to see more of this beachfront space.
June 22, 2009
Joan Rivers Sells Her Face-Lifted Condo
Location: Upper East Side, New York, New York
Why it's cool: Comedian, talk show host and plastic surgery enthusiast Joan Rivers is selling this remodeled penthouse on the Upper East Side.
Coolest features: Joan Rivers got yet another facelift...but this time, it was for her pre-war penthouse. Rivers bought this 5,190 square-foot condo about 20 years ago, and had a team of "museum-trained artists" restore it to its original splendor. According to the New York Times, the artists stripped years of paint and grime from the ornate walls. Artisans also added a sky blue ceiling with puffy white clouds to the ballroom.
The Upper East Side pad is steps from Central Park, and has 3 bedrooms and 4 and a half baths. View the listing to see more of Joan's spectacular pad.
June 19, 2009
Have a Ballroom
Location: Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Why it's cool: Be the belle of your own ball in this gothic-style mansion.
Coolest features: Take a step into the past in this ornate 1894 Gothic mansion. The ornate furnishings are straight from the 19th century, from the ornate chandelier and paneling in the white bedroom to the huge stained glass panels.
There's also a formal dining room with an enormous table that will seat at least 50 guests, and a grand ballroom for even more guests -- this is the perfec place to entertain in style, petticoats and all. View the listing to see more photos of this historic space.
June 18, 2009
19th Century Castle
Location: Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Why it's cool: This massive Massachusetts mansion is fit for a fairy tale.
Coolest features: With 40 rooms and 7 turrets, this isn't the type of listing you see every day. Known as Hopkins Searles Castle, this home is named for the interior decorator, Edward Searles, and the original owner, railroad tycoon widow Mary Hopkins. Hopkins hired Searles for the project, but they married a year before the home was complete.
After Searles died in 1920, the home was used as a private girls school for 30 years. Since the mid-1980s, the home served as a school for troubled teens; the school put it on the market for tax reasons. Today, you can buy the home for a school, conference center, or private home -- with more than 60,000 square feet, there's room for whatever you'd like. There's no moat, but the 7-floor French chateau-style home does have a dungeon, along with 36 fireplaces.
June 17, 2009
This Is Your Home (On Sale)
Location: Los Angeles, California
Why it's cool: You can fry an egg in the kitchen of the "Your Brain on Drugs" creator.
Coolest features: Sizzle. This is your brain. (Cue an egg) This is your brain...on drugs. That iconic 1987 public service announcement has spawned thousands of copycat videos and forever changed the way we think about a fried egg. Now, you can own the house of the creator, prolific commercial director Joe Pykta.
The home itself is somewhat of a Hollywood legend. Pykta bought the Spanish colonial estate 15 years ago from Madonna, who added the iconic red and yellow stripes on the exterior. Boasting 360 degree views of Los Angeles, the home was built in 1926 as for an oilman, and was at one point leased to Bugsy Siegel and used as a speakeasy.
Pykta spent years restoring the home to its original glory and relandscaping the entire property. The amazing home has 9 bedrooms and 6 bedrooms, and a courtyard, spiral staircase, and so much more.
June 16, 2009
Cliff Notes
Location: Bedford, New York
Why it's cool: This private, modern home is perched on the edge of a rock face.
Coolest features: This rockin' one-of-a-kind property is cantilevered over a spring-fed lake. Perched on the side of what used to be a working rose quarry, the stunning home was recently underwent a two-year remodeling job. The result? A clean, modern space that seamlessly connects the indoors and out with minimalist decor and lots of enormous windows.
Outside, multiple terraces and decks have been carved out of the rock face, further linking the home to its surroundings. See the listing to find out more about this beautiful home.
June 15, 2009
Beachfront Palace
Location: Sarasota, Florida
Why it's cool: This custom estate has panoramic bay views.
Coolest features: This palatial estate has towers, turrets and square footage galore. The 15,000 square-foot home was built with meticulous detail, from the local artisan touches to the rare onyx flooring. Outside, a pool and deck with boat lifts give you easy access to the Sarasota Bay, while a beachfront hammock lets you relax while you enjoy the view.
This lavish home also boasts a green building certification, so it's as efficient as it is elegant. View the listing to see 10 more photos of this beautiful estate.
June 12, 2009
Nic Cage Sells in NoLa
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Why it's cool: This legendary Garden District home is said to be haunted with ghosts and -- worse -- clown paintings.
Coolest features: Nicolas Cage is an actor by trade, but he certainly has an affinity for buying and selling real estate. This legendary New Orleans home, known as the LaLaurie Mansion, is one of two homes he has on the market right now in Nola. He also owns a handful of other houses around the country that are currently up for sale.
The home was originally built for French royalty, but its ghost story starts in the 1830s with the LaLaurie family. The family is said to have sadistically abused their slaves. At one point, a secret room was discovered with more than a dozen brutally-abused servants in cages, some missing body parts. Shockingly, the family managed to escape authorities and were never prosecuted, but the house is said to be haunted by the ones they tortured.
Despite its dark past, Cage picked up the historic home in 2006. Cage's decorating scheme was apparently inspired by the home's macabre history: its carnival-gone-bad decor includes pictures of vampires, magicians, and, worst of all, clowns. View the listing to see more photos of this haunted home.
June 11, 2009
Adobe Castle, Powered By the Sun
Location: Taos, New Mexico
Why it's cool: Castles aren't all about moats and dragons ? this desert castle is made of adobe and powered by solar panels and wind energy.
Coolest features: This castle might break all the storybook rules, but it's still worthy of royalty. The home has Craftsman details throughout, from the handmade, tin-punch cabinets in the kitchen to the custom tile artwork in the doorways. There's also an amazing post and beam ceiling and a tile floor throughout the home.
The castle can be entirely run on alternative energy. Solar panels and a wind generator power the house, and a grey water system provides sustenance for the desert garden. See the listing to find out more about this unique home.
June 10, 2009
Lay Down a Track
Location: Ossining, New York
Why it's cool: Drop your next album from the comfort of this cushy home.
Coolest features: Record everything from rap to metal to zytego music without leaving home in this spacious in-home recording studio. Designed by Russ Berger, an architect specializing in acoustics, the studio has top-of-the-line industry equipment and a spacious recording area. When your trio or quartet turns into a full-blown ensemble project, there's a 12-car driveway and 2 guest houses.
If your session isn't going well, relax and take in the natural surroundings on one of the three decks. With 200 acres of parks surrounding the property, you're not likely to be disturbed here.
June 9, 2009
Big Deck
Location: Austin, Texas
Why it's cool: This well-endowed deck has three tiers and water features.
Coolest features: They say everything's bigger in Texas, and this deck is no exception. Set on the banks of Lake Austin, the three-tiered deck features an infinity pool, a hot tub and a fountain, all with amazing water views. There are also beautiful views of the lake and Hill Country from every other room in the house.
But this home's not all about the deck. If you get your fill of the water, there are 5 bedrooms, a wine room, an exercise room with steam shower and much more. View the listing to find out more about this Texan beauty.
June 8, 2009
The Wright Stuff
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Why it's cool: Frank Lloyd Wright designed and built this circular fortress for his son, David.
Coolest features: To celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright's 142nd birthday, we're showing off this never-before-on-the market home. It wasn't built by the Frank Lloyd Wright foundation or one of Wright's students, and it isn't Frank Lloyd Wright "inspired" -- the man himself designed and built this circular concrete masterpiece.
Wright homes are rarely on the market, and Wright's son, David (the only owner) has left all the original details intact. The home has an elevated living space, and is surrounded by ramp that spirals up to a second-level entrance. Designed in 1948 as part of a Frank Lloyd Wright magazine story on how to live in the Southwest, it has many features that showcase Wright's famous design aesthetic: built-in storage, cantilevered construction, artful use of block and wood and efficient use of space.
Of course, this home comes at a premium price -- roughly $1,800 a square foot. View the listing to see the interior of the home and original construction shots.
June 5, 2009
A Villa You Can't Refuse
Location: Beverly Hills, California
Why it's cool: This massive home was featured in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and several other Hollywood hits.
Coolest features: Movie buffs, get ready for real estate lust: this home has made a cameo in several feature films. According to People magazine, the infamous horse-head scene in The Godfather took place inside, and the house also scored time in Fletch and The Bodyguard. It is also the former home of newspaper maven William Randolph Hearst and his mistress, Marion Davies, whose volatile romance was center to the plot of the the classic film Citizen Kane.
The complex boasts four houses, 29 bedrooms, 40 bathrooms, a three-tiered pool, a disco and countless other features, and was built in 1927 by the same engineer who designed the Hoover Dam.
So what's the price tag on this baby? Currently the most expensive home on the market in the United States, it's listed for $165 million, even more than producer , and has been on the market since 2007 with no price cuts.
June 4, 2009
There Once Was a House in Nantucket
Location: Nantucket, Massachusetts
Why it's cool: This tiny Nantucket cottage is seconds from the sand and comes with deeded beach access.
Coolest features: This home calls for a new version of the classic Nantucket tale: There once was a home in Nantucket; its owner decided to chuck it. It was right by the shore, there was fishing galore, and if you find a clam you should shuck it!
Limericks aside, this house has the most important attribute of all in real estate: location, location, location. Enjoy direct views of Monomoy and Shimmo over the Nantucket Harbor from the private deck, and walk to the beach on your very own boardwalk. The house comes with deeded beach access and a mooring permit, which allows you to dock your boat in the harbor.
Inside, this tiny Cape Cod doesn't waste an inch of space. Cathedral ceilings make the 650-square-foot space seem roomy, and it features a full kitchen alcove, working fireplace, one bed and one full bath.
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