Celebrity Home of the Week

Gee, it was a tough decision this week. Lots of house eye candy. The three finalist were Debi Mazar's livable Los Angeles villa, Biz Stone's artsy Berkeley bungalow, and Rob Cohen's Balinese beauty. Here's a recap:

1. Debi's Digs. Her home is very livable and stylish. But she probably could have used a designer to pull together her dining room a little. Still, you can't beat that cool chandelier.

2. Biz's Digs. His home is ultra cool. It's also located in a hip, funky town full of intellectuals. Perfect spot for a creative tech genius type. But at 800sf it was a little on the small side. Plus, that decor certainly was uninspiring--staged or not.

3. Rob's Digs. His vacation home is unbelievably beautiful--pure fantasy. We really dig the seclusion offered by the separate bedroom pavilions. And it's eco-friendly to boot. But Bali sure is a long way away. And what happens when that volcano erupts?

We have to declare Debi Mazar's digs the winner this week! We could actually picture ourselves living in her house. Makes us wonder why she's put it up for sale . . . .

Ah well, congratulations Debi! You have the Celebrity Home of the Week (CHOW)!

CIAO!

Film Producer's Paradise: Eco-Friendly Retreat in Bali

The East Bali vacation home of american film producer/director Rob Cohen is featured in the August 2009 issue of Architectural Digest. Cohen, who brought us movies like xXx: State of the Union and The Fast and the Furious, acquired the property while on holiday with his wife and decided to build an environmentally friendly retreat there.

The home consists of several elevated pavilions -- including a living/dining pavilion and two guesthouses -- built almost entirely from recycled woods and bamboo.

Pictured below is the master bedroom pavillion, which has a view of the Indian Ocean as well as the sacred volcano Mount Agung and Seraya mountain range.

Well, we always thought only people in the movies live like this. Turns out that it's actually people who make movies that get to live like this. Can't blame them, though. This is truly paradise.

FYI, this is a great issue of AD, so be sure to pick up a copy. For more information and photos, check out AD's article here. Photography by Tim Street-Porter.

Twitter Co-Founder's Berkeley Digs Up for Sale

Last week, Twitter co-founder and creative director Biz Stone tweeted that he's selling his home in Berkeley, California. For all you architectural buffs, it's a 2-BR, 800sf midcentury cottage built by California architect William Wurster, who used it as his own personal studio.

The house is totally cool and totally minimalist. Judging by these photos, Stone's views interior design the same way: Less is more. Probably keeps his mind clear to come up with more creative ventures!

Okay, so he could have upgraded the bed linens and hopefully the wall art at least has meaning. Or, maybe he's moved out and this is all generic staging furniture.

Whatever! We really DIG those floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room and upper level bedroom. And the redwood-paneled ceiling in the lower level bedroom is simply divine!

Probably a steal at the $575,000 asking price!
Photos: Urban Bay Properties

Clooney Cruises Around Near His Lake Como Home

Handsome actor George Clooney owns this beautiful villa in Lake Como, Italy. Photo: Frezza-Lafata/Matrix. He was spotted earlier this week riding around near Lake Como on what looks like a motorcycle with training wheels.

As we know, Clooney had a bad motorcycle accident back in 2007--which could explain the new-style bike.

Anyway, the views around the lake are stunning. For a jaw-dropping 360-degree view, visit this site: tour. Nice!

Debi Mazar's Digs Up For Sale

Debi Mazar of HBO's hit show Entourage has placed her colorful Los Angeles home up for sale for $1.4M. And, though we love the chesterfield sofa shown in the photo above, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT HER HOUSE. Photo: More.com


It's THIS small spanish villa and it's so charming!


The kitchen (above) has pretty turquoise tile countertops, and the dining room (below) has the coolest retro chandelier.
Yes, it looks like she hasn't had the benefit of an interior designer. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Her home looks real. And stylish. Just like her.


Have a look at the personality-infused kids' bedroom:

Even her musician husband's studio looks lively.

Debi has always had that imperfect kind of beauty. The same can be said of her lovely home.

Opposition Says "NEVER!" to Neverland as Tourist Spot

The Associated Press reports that the neighbors of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch have formed a group called "Never!" to oppose any attempts to turn the property into a tourist destination. Of course, no development has been proposed . . . yet.

WTF? Harvard Professor Gates Arrested at His Home

P.M. UPDATE: THE CHARGES AGAINST PROF. GATES WERE DROPPED TODAY!

The New York Times is reporting today that Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates, prominent scholar of African-American studies, was arrested AT HIS OWN HOUSE last week by a police officer who responded to a "robbery in progress" report.

Gates had just returned from a trip to China to his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He found his front door jammed and forced the door open, with the assistance of his cab driver. Someone saw this activity, called the cops and, well, we know where this is going . . . .

The funny thing is that the police officer acknowledged that Gates proved that it was his house, but claims that Gates became so belligerent that he had to arrest him for disorderly conduct. All we can say is, WTF?

Anyway, the house is cute. It is a part of the University's faculty housing network.

Photo Source: Harvard University Affiliated Housing Network

Buzz Aldrin's Boyhood Home

As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of NASA's Apollo 11 lunar landing, we thought we'd search for homes of the three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. So far, we've only run across Buzz's boyhood home in New Jersey. Found it on Flickr. Very quaint.

Thug Monday: 50 Cent Lowers Asking Price Again

Our favorite thug rapper 50 Cent aka Fiddy aka Curtis Jackson aka P.I.M.P. is still trying to unload that 50,000sf museum he calls a house (50 for 50, get it?) in Hartford, Connecticut. He purchased it from known arbiter of style and good taste, boxer Mike Tyson, for $4.1M and then reportedly added at least $6M in updates before setting the original asking price of $18.5M. After getting no takers, he lowered it to $14.5M and now it's down to $10.9M.

Last year, he let MTV Cribs tour his 19-bedroom, 37-bathroom crib with 6 kitchens, a home movie theater and a disco, allegedly to give prospective buyers a peek.

MTV Shows

Heard Michael Vick is being released from home confinement today. He might start shopping for digs large enough to house his posse and his, um, pets.

Thug Monday: Michael Vick Released From Home Confinement

Pro Footballer Michael Vick is being released from home confinement today. After serving 19 months in a federal prison at Leavenworth, Kansas, for an illegal dogfighting operation, Vick has remained under confinement at his McMansion in Hampton, Virginia, for the last 60 days.

Photo: Hamptonroads.com

Earlier this year, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback's 8-bedroom, 11-bath Mega-mansion outside Atlanta (shown below) went up for auction. Alas, no takers.

Photos: Funari Realty