Category Archives: Homes of the rich and famous

A single man home for sale

Posted on January 21, 2011 | 1 comment

Tom Ford’s award-winning movie A Single Man was aesthetically stunning. I was in awe with the decor, light, set dressing, design; everything. It helped that two of the most beautiful people in the world starred in it. I really loved Julianne Moore’s house, but was also quite partial to Colin Firth’s glass mid Century gem of a home.

Scene from the movie. Image by Hookedonhouses.net

The home, designed by renowned architect John Lautner, was built in 1949. It’s currently on the market for $1,495,000. The house has been recently restored to its original natural redwood and glass beauty. A classic that Frank Gehry and Frank Escher both count among their absolute favorite homes. It boasts so many glass walls it feels transparent at times.

John Lautner's Schaffer Residence

Want to know more about John Lautner? The Homevoyeurs.com webshop sells many books about this influential 20th Century architect. For instance this coffee table book Lautner, 1911-1994: disappearing Space, by Barbara-Ann Campbell-Lange. It’s on sale for $9.99.

Lautner, 1911-1994: Disappearing Space

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Posted in Famous buildings and movie locations, Homes of the rich and famous, Products from the Homevoyeurs.com webshop, Unusual homes

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Cameron’s house from Ferris Bueler’s day off for sale

Posted on January 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

On a recent trip to Chicago I did a little John Hughes tribute tour. We went to see Ferris Bueler’s high school and the house of his movie friend Cameron. Imagine my surprise to discover that the famous glass house is for sale! It’s on the market for $1.65 million.

Photograph from Gawker.com website

The house, located in the leafy suburb Highland Park, was designed by architects A. James Speyer and David Haid in 1953. It offers 5.300 square feet of living space and floor to ceiling windows throughout offering views of the ravine that give this part of Highland Park, Ravinia, its name.

Photograph from Huffingtonpost website

The house is featured in a very famous scene from the movie. It’s when Cameron has a breakdown when he returns his dad’s Ferrari and discovers that hundreds of miles have been added to the odometer. He and Ferris decide to take mileage off the odometer by putting the car in reverse on a jack. The jack however lets go when Cameron kicks the car out of frustration and sends the car crashing through the glass and into the ravine.

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Posted in Famous buildings and movie locations, Homes of the rich and famous, See how others live, Unusual homes

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Prefab homes from Germany

Posted on December 24, 2010 | Leave a comment

Homevoyeur’s recent post about Sears Catalog homes got me thinking about the current trends in prefabricated homes. As a kid I would already order catalogs from Dutch companies like Goldewijk en Selekt.  And ever since I picked up a magazine with floor plans in the USA I have frequented websites of companies selling floor plans on more than one occasion. More recently, I learned about a German company called Huf Haus. They claim to be the Bentley of prefab homes, and they just might be right…

Huf Haus

I was lucky enough to witness their launch in the Netherlands as the company I worked for did their PR. They spread out rapidly and have recently opened shop in the USA. They build modular post and beams homes in a factory but leave a lot to their clients own wishes and demand. The homes are anything but standard. The modular structure allows for clients to build a unique home.  Huf Haus works together with interior designers and top of the bill appliance manufacturers to make sure the inside of the home it catered too also.

Huf Haus

Heat insulation layers on the structural wooden parts make the homes extremely energy-efficient. That and the fact that modular factory built homes are much kinder to the environment make Huf Haus a great green alternative too.

Huf Haus

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Posted in Homes of the rich and famous, Unusual homes

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Cape Town’s own Frank lloyd Wright

Posted on November 26, 2010 | Leave a comment

Cape Town based architect Antonio Zaninovic recently designed this private residence at the base of Table Mountain. Despite it being a very modern structure in rich contrast with the natural surroundings, it does not impose itself onto the landscape. Preferable to some buildings that are designed to resemble natural structures but hopelessly fail to fit in.

Image courtesy of The Cool Hunter

Bridle Road Residence, as the home is called, is reminiscent of homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Open structures, glass facades broken by small metal panes.

 

Image courtesy of The Cool Hunter

Image courtesy of the Cool Hunter

The Santiago, Chile-born, Zaninovic graduated from the University of Chile’s School of Architecture in 2000 and spent five years at Steven Harris Architects in New York before establishing his own practice in 2005 with Madrid, Spain-born architect, Ana Corrochano.

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Posted in Design, designers and online finds, Homes of the rich and famous, See how others live, Unusual homes

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