Monday, August 13, 2007

Aimee Osbourne Buys Jessica Capshaw's Bird Street Nest

BUYER: Aimee Osbourne
SELLER: Jessica Capshaw
LOCATION: N. Dohney Drive, Los Angeles, CA
PRICE: $1,995,000 (list price)
SIZE: 2,038 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: Chic Modern in the "Bird Streets." Very private and serene 3 + 3 w/ great indoor-outdoor flow to pool and BBQ area, idea for entertaining. Lush views through walls of glass from living and dining rooms. Eco-friendly finishes. Custom Walnut doors and built-ins throughout. Cooks kitchen w/ Miele, Sub Zero appliance. Generous Master with spa-like bathroom w/ steam shower and "Egg" bath. Outdoor gym. Long driveway off garage with ample parking.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: We're going to start the day with a lovely little house in the "Bird Streets" that was owned by one famous daughter and was very recently purchased by another famous daughter. Even though Miz Ruth Ryon, the duchess of celebrity real estate at the LA Times, did not reference Your Mama and our little blog when she discussed a couple of properties in her most recent column that we had discussed WEEKS earlier, Your Mama is going to take the high road and let everyone know that this story first broke in Miz Ryon's Hot Properties column this last weekend.

From Miz Ryon we learned that Jessica Capshaw, the actress daughter of actress Kate Capshaw and step-daughter of freakishly successful film director Steven Spielberg, sold her Bird Street aerie to Aimee Osbourne, the publicity shy eldest daughter of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. For all those not familiar with Los Angeles, the "Bird Streets" are located in West Hollywood just above the Sunset Strip. The location is very desirable for its easy access to all things Los Angeles, as well as the staggering views that many of the properties offer. The area gets it's name from all the streets being named after, well, birds.

If the younger Miss Capshaw had been so inclined, she could have easily taken the all too cliché celebrity scion route of strutting around the clubs, flashing her cooch for the paps, cat fighting with the other gurls, and making all the wannabe Hollywood heart throbs prostrate themselves in front of her by simply mentioning her step-daddy's impressive and awe-inspiring name.

But instead, Miss Capshaw, who at 31 years old is really too old to be a starlet anymore, took a slightly different route through the wilds of Starletland. This gurl actually got herself an education at lefty liberal Brown University, studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and has been honing her "craft" on television programs which include a long run on The Practice and a not so long run as a lady lover on The L Word. Say what you want about her acting chops, or lack thereof, but at least she can spell chops, which is heads above what too many of these dim witted starvelets are capable of doing.

Anyhoo, Back in mid-June, Your Mama discussed the modest and delicious little Huntley Drive cottage that Aimee Osbourne recently sold in the flats of West Hollywood for $1,450,000. Your Mama likes this Aimee gurl. Not only does she largely eschew the public eye, she's stood up to a starvelet or two, and most important of all, she's got excellent taste in homes.

Miz Osbourne, who according to public records sold her house in the flats for $1,450,000, is moving on up the hill from her previous cottage and into a new "modern" home which occupies a tiny and very private perch in the Bird Streets just behind the house that Queen of Bling Kimora Lee Simmons had on the market earlier this year for $5,800,000.

Seldom do we discuss properties that Your Mama would actually want to buy. But if we're being honest children, we are swooning over this place and holding our breath that Miz Osbourne will well this place off quickly so Your Mama and the Dr. Cooter can move to "The Birds." Not only is the modern confection located up a long, narrow and private road that keeps out the riff raff and the paps, the house is modestly sized (something we like tremendously), meticulously renovated, and has a spectacular oval swimming pool in the backyard which reminds Your Mama of our pleasant stays at The Parker in Palm Springs which also features a gorgeous oval swimming pool.

Your Mama loves a backyard swimming pool, and we do like having a little color on our skin, but really, Your Mama is much more the type to be sitting in the shade reading a tabloid or a tawdry novel. But his soothingly shaped swimming pool and sunny pool deck has us off in a wonderland dreaming of baking in the sun and becoming one of those classic bronzed and leather skinned tragedies you see wandering around Malee-boo and the South of France.

The large living room features dark and glamorously glossy floors that have been thoughtfully offset by the verdant view through floor to ceiling corner windows and a pale, and probably very expensive antique rug. The Noguchi coffee table and the Eames lounger and turned stool are classic mid century designs that not only does Your Mama love, we also own. Now children, Your Mama is well aware that doing a room up like mid-century modern museum is tired. It's beyond tired really. The Testy Tastemaker over at House & Garden might disagree with Your Mama here, but we think it's still possible to successfully incorporate a few choice mid-century pieces into a room. And in our book, Miss Capshaw and her nice gay decorator have cleverly and wisely exercised enough mid-century restraint that the room stops short of looking like a Design Within Reach showroom.

We already know that a lot of you people are going to write in and whine and complain about that striped wall of wood in the dining room. But we do not want to hear it. We love it. We love the texture, the movement, and the addition of a natural material into the space. And we like it even more considering the design is carried down the hallway where it can be seen though the doorway of Miss Capshaw's office.

Although Your Mama prefers a kitchen that allows for more social interplay with guests, we'll not toss this baby out with the bathwater. Small and very well appointed, we'd happily cook in solitary confinement in this kitchen until the food is ready and we can rejoin the guests in the dining and living rooms. However, because Your Mama likes bright and shiny things, we might consider changing that multi-colored earth tone back splash to something a little more vibrant colored like below.
We adore the multitude of covered porches that allow one to sit outside without needing to be slathered in a layer of smelly sun screen, but we do take issue with that outdoor gym set up. Certainly if you're one of the many buff bodied exercise nuts that pepper the landscape of Los Angeles, this may in fact be a nice set up. But in Your Mama's world that is a waste of square footage. We would much prefer a nice wide and soft chaise lounge on which we could lay around, make phone calls on the iPhone, and eat Popcicles while our long bodied bitches Linda and Beverly soaked up the shade.

We have been told by our Fairy Godmother in Bel Air, that the driveway here can be a wee bit difficult to navigate, and in fact she was unable to steer her massive Mercedes around up here. But we don't care. Your Mama would gladly deal with the daily drama of getting our big BMW station wagon in and out of the carport in order to live in this house.

Aimee hunny, we know you don't like the publicity that swirls around the Hollywood scene, so Your Mama promises not to tell a soul if you invite us over to look at and drool over your new house. Give us a shout when you get settled doll. We'll bring the Veuve.

Sources: LA Times, Contact Music, Entertainment Weekly/Pop Watch

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really enjoy this house and I agree that the striped, d.r. wall is a nice touch. If I were to live in that area, this is the house I'd want but I'd add some plantings or something around the pool. That area looks a bit too...barren to me.

Anonymous said...

Great writeup Mama. This house, it's finishes, decor, you name it, is a winner and a keeper. I agree with you nancy; the hardscape is a bit stark and in need of some softening.

so_chic_darling said...

Oh Aimee & Jessica I am so proud of both of you for showing taste over ostentation in your domestic situations,also for showing that not all "gurls" in LA have to be dumb & tacky!

Anonymous said...

I have very traditional taste in decor and homes, but I just think this house is super-cute. I love everything about it!

so_chic_darling said...

By the way that wall of wood is so Brazilian chic!!!!
LOVE IT!

Anonymous said...

I love it, but there's no view!!! For 2 million, I want to be able to stand on the patio and shake a martini at the world as it shimmers below.

Anonymous said...

sometimes in the birds $6m doesn't get you a view!

Anonymous said...

I love this house, although I have to disagree with Mama on changing the backsplash in the kitchen to that blue. I would keep the warm,earthy tones or maybe go for more a iradescent green backsplash. Love the wall of wood and the dark floors and simple furnishings. I am not crazy about the bathroom, but it will do.

Anonymous said...

God, I LOVE that striped wall!

Anonymous said...

Wish I had 2 mil. I'd buy this place in a flash. I don't care about the pool so much (I would have that redone somehow, too stark), but the way the windows are set up with lovely views is wonderful. I also love the kitchen. I might need some sort of rail on the stares, though. Nice purchase for Aimee.

Anonymous said...

The bathroom needs to be redone, too. Is that flowered wallpaper? Probably not, but I don't like it. If I can't have an actual view, I'll take a view created with natural plantings and not fake stones and pools, etc.

Unknown said...

I love everyhting about this home and f$%$^$%in' luz me the striped wall. That in itself is a major selling point.

Mysterwright said...

Gorgeous place, Aimee. Man, if I was in Hollywood I'd be hanging around down to earth people like these ladies rather than most of the paper champion celebrities who didn't earn their diva status from hard work.