Friday, June 5, 2009

Nicole Richie Settling Down in Laurel Canyon

BUYER: Nicole Richie and Joel Madden
LOCATION: Los Angeles, CA
PRICE: $1,912,000 (asking)
SIZE: 5,380 square feet, 4 bedrooms 5.5 bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: Privately hidden behind gates, this walled compound is one of Laurel Canyon's largest! Extensively renovated with contemporary design focus, the ambiance is Aspen Lodge meets Tropical Paradise. Soaring ceilings w/ huge sky dome adds dramatic sunlight. Full guesthouse becomes screening theatre. Marvelous eat-in kitchen. Lagoon pool features Key West cantina. Motor court & garage parking...

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: While that naughty Paris Hilton curses Cannes with her dirty dancing, wanton ways and vulgar public displays of sexual affection with her reality tee-vee star boyfriend Doug Reinhardt, her old paper thin BFF Nicole Richie is out making babies and buying houses in Los Angeles' traditionally bohemian enclave of Laurel Canyon.

Last summer it was widely reported that Miss Richie and her baby daddy–rocker Joel Madden from Good Charlotte–were out hunting for a new house. Not finding anything to their immediate liking they temporarily settled into a lovely Spanish style casa on Outpost Drive even though Mister Madden owns a big house in hot as Hades Glendale, CA where they surely could have shacked up and saved some money until finding their dream house. But money is not an object for Miss Richie whose father is, of course, the wildly rich crooner Lionel Richie who has enough moolah to keep all the children in over-priced rental properties. Anyhoo, with Miss Richie preggers with bottle nipper number two, having a house they could call home became a priority and after searching far and wide the tattooed twosome finally settled on a 5,380 square foot house in Laurel Canyon that carried an asking price of $1,999,000.

Property records and previous reports show that the 4 bedroom and 5.5 bathroom house was purchased from retired professional footballer Mike Croel for $1,912,000. Given that Mister Croel, who now works as a graphic designer, paid just $875,000 for the house in 2003, it would seem he and the wifey made off nicely in the deal.

Listing information indicates the walled and gated property is an unexpected (and not particularly successful) combination of "Aspen Lodge" and "Tropical Paradise." Now children, Your Mama is all for eclectic architecture and day-core, but there are some styles that are simply not meant to go together, and Aspen ski chalet and Key West Conch are two of them. No. No. No.

The woodsy interiors are full of towering ceilings, heavy beams, large sky lights (or sky domes according to listing information), 4 fireplaces, wood floors and large windows and sliding glass doors that open to the lush (tropical) landscaping in the back yard that includes a lagoon style swimming pool and spa, flag stone terracing and something called a "Key West cantina." Somewhere is a separate guest house that converts to a screening room which is a good thing because, let's be honest chickens, unlike regular people, Tinseltown types are seldom satisfied with just a big boob-toob in the family room.

If Your Mama is being truthful, and we always are, we'd whisper to the children that this house is a hot mess of wacky roof lines and counter-intuitive landscaping, but we'd also have to admit that in that this is a lot of damn house for the money (in Los Angeles) and in that sense Miss Richie and Mister Madden did quite well for themselves.

Your Mama wishes the Richie/Maddens well in their new home and ask they remember to invite Your Mama to the big house warming because we have a few words of wisdom we'd like to offer that Hilton girl.

32 comments:

SID DELUCA said...

yes, Mama, this is confusing day-cor wise but hell yeah it's a damn good deal for the money. Looks like y'all are coming to your senses out there finally! Have a bootiful weekend, play safe, drive friendly!

Anonymous said...

The interiors by themselves, ignoring the furnishing and a few paint color choices, is kinda nice. Can't tell much about the exterior, but it does seem to be a bit confused. I love those sort of pools, but they are so overdone now...

Anonymous said...

Yes the house has an eclectic decor. But remember her old condo unit in Empire West on Alta Loma in West Hollywood (1.9 Million and only 2,200 sq ft)? Her 10th floor unit was designed like a northern grandma would decorate her abode. Eclectic mixes of modern with old wood antiques.... interesting....

For the money great $ per sq foot.. and good buy.... as you would say get a nice gay decorator in their to clean up some messes.

xo to you Mama

Anonymous said...

I actually kinda like the house. It has some issues in the present decor but think it could be made into a pretty rockin' house.

A bit surprised that the couple is only spending $2m on a house with all the Lionel money she may or may not have access to... but I would think Mr. Madden who fronts a punk rock band that has sold millions of copies could afford more house than that.

That siad, I remember seeing his house, presumable the one mama mentioned in Glendale was loaded with skulls and cross bones and crusifixes everywhere... look like Ozzy damn house.

Chris said...

I really like this house and based on the pictures and locattion would suggest it a very good value. It would seem they both have good sense and are buying a property well within their means. Good for them! Financial restraint is something you don't see often in LA celebrity real estate... see Hank Araria.

PS - I keep oranges in my trunk

Chris said...

Azaria

angeleyes said...

I like bohemian neighborhoods alot and understand Laurel Canyon is quite nice, there's alot of house and property here for the money for LA, it's walled and gated so privacy and security is assured, and an open floor plan with soaring ceilings appeals to just about everyone, me included.

Mama you're spot on in your assessment of the Aspen Lodge meets Tropical Paradise theme. Hopefully, Nicole and Joel are planning to put their own stamp on the place, and have a nice decorator friend who will tactfully but firmly guide them in the right direction away from Aspen/Key West and back closer to home.

I like the property alot too, and can easily appreciate why they decided to call this one home. Thanks again Mama, and wishing everyone a safe, pleasant weekend!

Anonymous said...

They should have called it Hawaiian plantation style. To me that's the tropical style with lots of wood and sloped ceilings like that. However, anything Hawaiian evokes corny images of the 50s hula accessories.

Now, I understand it's good value, however, I can't seem to see beyond wood... and more wood, and ever more wood.

eddie in pdx said...

I for one am diggin on it.

Anonymous said...

It's awful, like the buyer. Bull doze the thing and start new.

Anonymous said...

Perusing the photos, I kept expecting to see a shot of lifelike mechanical birds spontaneously dropping from the ceiling, singing "It's the Tiki Room".

Anonymous said...

Interestingly, this property is listed as "multi-family" on Zillow...

Anonymous said...

Not much of a kitchen.

Cecelia said...

Holy moley

Is that place an ugly barn or what!

It doesn't seem a bit like something the exotically styled Nicole would like!

Anonymous said...

Nicole's Mom Brenda still lives in a 50 yes 50 room mansion in bel air and Lionel mansion has been featured all over in the past.
i'm glad Nicole got something relatively modest because has an only child, she already owns her parents homes so to speak.

I particularly love how she made Joel move of off glendale to a rental all this time while still house hunting. Its obvious who wears the pants here.

Nicole Peeke said...

Maybe if will look like the inside of Hot Topic- As tacky as Joel's tattoo's and inspired by Nicole's former K-mart hair extensions. They should buy in Temecula or Beaumont...close to his "roots".

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:23: I've seen Lionel's home in AD, very over the top. Where does Brenda live? 50 rooms? Unbelievable divorce settlement.

Anonymous said...

You have to love folks like nicol and paris that keep the market up and are willing to pay any price to get what they want, but 2MM ????

everyone now knows that real estate are bad investments unless you can get them for 10 cents on the dollar

Anonymous said...

yes, 10 centson the dollar. ur about as useful as a poopy flavored lolly pop anon 6:00

Anonymous said...

Take out the palms and plant something native.

Anonymous said...

1.9,. huh? But they have more $$ invested in real estate.

tier second residence,...tiny ass apartment on the Lower East Side in NYC apt costs about same as their main house.

Anonymous said...

their second residence*

Anonymous said...

I bet if they white-washed the ceilings (not solid white, but light enough so the grain of the wood still shows)the interior spaces would look a lot lighter - more California contemporary and less 80s Hawaiian guest cottage.

Not my style, but there is the potential for a great L.A. family home. Needs a team of BGDs (Big Gay Decorators) to get it magazine ready.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous contemporary home. Good choice Nicole and Joel.

Anonymous said...

I think the house is absolutely wonderful and would move there in a heartbeat. A great place to begin anew. I love it.

Anonymous said...

Wow, 2 kids and a home but can't get married.
Nice family values these days.
I think it is hilarious these people fight for gays right to get married but don't have the decency to do it themselves.

Oh Mama said...

Looks like a house that could be a great home for a growing family. A little surprising that they'd choose to be at the bottom of the canyon ( = no view and a lof of through traffic for Lookout and Wonderland).

Anonymous said...

9:48 just because they fight for gays to marry doesn't mean they have to do it themselves. Furthermore, even if same sex marriage is legalized it doesn't mean that all the gays are gonna go get married but they deserve the right to do so if they want to. It's not about actually getting married, it's about having equal rights to marriage if they choose to. Also, why should Nicole and Joel get married? There are many couples with children that aren't married and they are perfectly healthy and normal.

Anonymous said...

I agree. I know lots of straight folks who choose not to get married. But they could if they wanted, which is the important part of that equation.

"Family Values" is a hoax perpetrated on people by religious types.

Don't get me wrong, I think families are a great and important thing but I don't need to be preached to about "family values" by a segment of the population that manages to keep less than half of their own marriages intact. Worry about cleaning the weeds out of your own back yard before coming into my yard and telling me how to garden.

As for this house...the exterior is for shit, but the inside architecture is interesting, warm, organic feelings if you like all the wood stuff.

Anonymous said...

Warm & organic? It looks like it stinks inside. I loathe the orange wood.

Preppy Pauper - I admire your perspective. Keep 'em coming please.

Mama - you never cease to delight me. Thank you for all that you do for us 'chillun.

Anonymous said...

I have no respect for a woman who reportedly only dates circumcised men. The sexism and complete lack of respect for men's bodies in that statement is downright disgusting. Apparently, Richie was raised wrong. I fear for her child if it's born a boy. Who knows what kind of plastic surgery she'll force it to undergo in addition to mangling the symbol of his masculinity.

Anonymous said...

6:35 - Do you respect men who only date women with large breasts, men or women who only date people without piercings and/or tattoos?

It's called personal preference.