SEE THIS HOUSE: A GLEEFUL SPANISH STYLE ABODE FOR HOLLYWOOD PRODUCER RYAN MURPHY!

Hollywood television producer Ryan Murphy opened up his 1927 Spanish Colonial Revival home in the latest issue of entertainment industry trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter.  Ryan is best known in Hollywood for producing hit television shows...he the executive producer of game changers like Glee, American Horror Story, Nip Tuck and New Normal.

Murphy apparently bought the home for about $10 million dollars from actress Diane Keaton.  It is located in the flats of Beverly Hills.

According to the article, Murphy worked with designer Cliff Fong to create interior spaces that were relevant to the architecture and overall vibe of the home.  Reportedly, Murphy is a collector of 1920s and 1930s Monterey Spanish furniture and Bauer pottery among other things.

I like this house...it definitely has a vintage mood and feel to it...I also love the use of dark wood floors (uh oh...this may make me change my mind on my floors again) and the subtly masculine furniture throughout.  I would call this vibe understated elegance with a vintage Spanish twist.  Make sense?

Anyhoooo....take a look.

The interior courtyard of the home features a fountain and views of the stunning architecture. (above)

In the family room, on floating wall shelves, Murphy displays his collection of Golden Globe statues, Bauer pottery, all under the glow of a vintage illuminated metal letters - California design at its best! Love his Bernese Mountain dog too!(above)

Danish pendant light, Monterey dining set, and a German sculpture all come together in a parlor area of the home. (above)

Leather works in the bedroom in the form of mid-century wing chairs, a tufted headboard for the bed, and tufted Chesterfield sofas. (above)

What do you think of this Beverly Hills home? I like it. I would move in without question...wonder if they have room?

Happy Thursday!

xo
Coco

Read More »

Add Comment

AN celebrity home, decor, decorate, design, exterior design, Hollywood, interior design, kitchen, SEE THIS HOUSE, Spanish style

WINTER BARN STYLE (& THE STORY OF HOW I FELL OFF A HORSE AND THEN GOT BACK ON)!

Yesterday at the family Christmas dinner at my tiny little cottage in the Hollywood Hills, we started talking about barns. JS, long time family friend, said her next big home project is that she is planning on building a barn at her home in Maine. Love the idea of a barn!

Maybe her barn will look like this! Wouldn't it be great to have this barn? In the snow or in warm weather...I love the idea of a barn. I used to ride horses and I've always loved being in a working barn.

About 6 years ago, I used to ride horses, 3-5 times a week in fact. Dressage. I rode a horse named Kip, a handsome Thoroughbred - a huge regal horse, who was over 16 hands high. I leased him. He wasn't my own but I adored him. Under my horse lease arrangement, I had the right to ride Kip 3-5 times a week...and I enjoyed pretty much every minute of my regular rides - I conquered a lot of fears over the 5 years I was riding and it felt good. After some doing, Kip and I developed a wonderful relationship - I think he liked me ...or maybe it was just the carrots I brought him every day. I used to get to the stables at about 6am to ride with Kip on weekdays before work. I loved riding. Horseback riding is really a very quiet sport...a very intimate relationship between rider and horse that a observer would never see...with a breath, a small shift in seat, a flick of a small finger, or the slight pressure of a leg, you can communicate with what I think is a rather magnificent animal. Kip was magnificent but Kip was also so easily spooked by the small things in life. He also had a little leg issue which made him stumble from time to time. Don't know whether he stumbled or got spooked the day he was trotting along with me on his back...he flinched and then before I knew it he was falling on his head doing almost a ...complete somersault with me on his back...he did something though to protect me...somehow I fell but kind of just slid down the back of his neck right before he and I both flipped over...he was fine...I was fine...scary for both of us though. I got back on that day and rode for another few months. I got back on because of that saying...when you fall off the horse you MUST get back on (think that has great application to the rest of life too). I have to admit though...riding was never the same for me after that fall...I got back on. A few months later, however, I hung up my cute velvet helmet, my stunning black leather tall field boots (the riding boots with the cute laces), long crop, array of jodhpurs and have not really been on a horse again. I will get back on a horse in 2011. At least just once. I will. I still adore horses...miss riding, miss Kip and miss going to the barn...I do. Well readers it has happened again..I totally digress...as usual...help...need to figure out how to maintain focus...help...back to barn architecture.

Anyhoooooooooooo...in addition to a barn being a functional work space, I love the concept of a barn transformed into a living space too...the high ceilings, the rustic architecture, the classic exterior...love love love.

A green barn with red trim, metal roof and weather vane...standing oh so proudly in the snow...perfect!

Happy Sunday! Hope you had a Merry Christmas! Now onto New Years!

xo
Coco

Photo: Jeff McNamara

Read More »

Add Comment

AN architecture, barn, barns, country, exterior color, exterior design, Nbaynadamas

A COZY ITALIAN VILLA ON A HILLSIDE!

I never got a proper vacation this summer so I am dying to get away. Any place sounds good. Anywhere. That's probably why this Italian villa in the Liguria region looked so appealing to me. It is not for rent but I imagine myself spending a relaxing week in nice little historic home like this! The eclectic design is full of character...quite comfy...and definitely cozy. And the views...oh the views...











I'm loving the exterior color of this house...yellow with black shutters and white trim. Wonderful!

Where would you take a fall vacation if you could?

Going to a party at Brooks Brothers in Beverly Hills this evening...friend Social Primer invited a bunch of us to the launch of that new book True Prep (by the same lady who wrote the Preppy Handbook). Need to figure out what I will wear. Hmmmm....need something that I can wear to work today but then looks cute in the evening...arghhhhhh...there I go...I'm stressing myself out...need to go get ready for work! Yikes. Oh boy.

Anyhooo...hope you have a fab Thursday!

xo
Coco

P.S. Check out today's Reader Submission on the Nbaynadamas FACEBOOK PAGE. See how a little blue box from Tiffany & Co. inspired reader and friend JLF to do a dresser makeover! Also, make sure to please leave a comment! I think the "after" of the dresser is absolutely fantastic! A must see!

Photos: Simon Watson

Read More »

Add Comment

AN bedroom, books, built-in bookshelves, exterior color, exterior design, hillside, historic home, Italy, kitchen, library, Nbaynadamas, ocean view, shelves, vacation, vacation home, villa

THE POWER OF A PINK FRONT DOOR!

Photos: Moises Esquenazi & Associates

Pink raised panel front door at a Palm Springs, CA home! (above)

These pictures speak for themselves I think. Retro, 1950s, Palm Springs chic, resort living, Hollywood glam all embodied in one front door! The pink goes oh so well with the white washed exterior color of the house...and I like the silver toned hardware and lantern porch lighting as well.

Photos come from interior designer/artist Moises Equenazi's website. Nicely done. Surprising and full of charm and whimsy.

Palm Springs home exterior lit at night. (above)
Hope you have a powerfully pink Thursday!

xo
Coco

P.S. My friend Julie S. from fabulous Los Angeles jewelry store PERSIMMON is hosting a designer trunk show this evening. If you are in Los Angeles, you should stop by. Go to the Nbaynadamas FACEBOOK PAGE to see jewelry photos and invite details!

Read More »

Add Comment

AN doors, exterior color, exterior design, front door, Moises Esquenazi, Nbaynadamas, Palm Springs, pink

SEE THIS HOUSE: SPANISH REVIVED FOR A $9MILLION DOLLAR SALE!

Photos courtesy Meridith Baer & Associates

Exterior of a new construction Spanish revival style home in Los Angeles. The stone pathway, garden gate and fountain make a wonderfully charming entrance. (above and below)



This estate sits on almost half an acre in one of L.A.'s toniest neighborhoods. Last year, this new Spanish revival home was for sale and last year it sold thanks to the efforts of premier home staging expert Meridith Baer.

In staging this Southern California house for sale, Meridith and her team kept the decorations simple, clean and elegant. Lots of white upholstered chairs and sofas, dark wood detailing on furniture and neutral accessories like pillows and throws. Meridith left off window coverings to take advantage of the wonderful windows and natural light - making the space bright and inviting to prospective buyers. All of these decor elements were combined not to make a bold interior design statement per se but to make the home an upscale, tasteful, stylish and livable looking space - a place that possible buyers could imagine as their own. Well, whatever Meridith and team did worked...the home sold for over $9 million! Wow.

Here are some details on this property: almost 11,000 square feet, 7 bedrooms, 8 baths, 5 fireplaces, 2 family rooms, media room, library, office, pool, canyon views and a 4 car garage. Hmmm...all of this would work for me!

I wonder if the home's new owners kept the furniture that so Meridith used for staging...I would have!

A picture is worth 1000 words (I know...cliches are bad form in writing but in this case a cliche works for me :-) ...)...so I will let the photos of this home tell the story...here you go...




Living room features a grand fireplace. A jute rug, two white sofas and a large tufted ottoman define this inviting space. (above)

































What do you think of this Spanish Revival home?

Hope you have a fabulous Monday!

xoxo
Coco

P.S. Check out the Nbaynadamas FACEBOOK page for a little visual architectural/neighborhood trivia. I have uploaded 4 photos onto the Nbaynadamas FACEBOOK from my travels this past weekend. See if you can figure out in what city this photo was taken. I'll reveal the answer later today. Also, please remember to click on "Suggest to Friends"when you are on the page - so close to the 1000 fans goal which also means close to an exclusive Facebook giveaway just for fans!

Read More »

Add Comment

AN exterior design, Nbaynadamas, Spanish style

SEE THIS HOUSE: SANDRA BULLOCK'S NEW ORLEANS HOME - WHY IT WAS ONCE MY DREAM!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

An ornate Victorian home in the Garden District of New Orleans known as the Koch-Mays House, The Swiss Chalet House or Freret's Folley. (above)
This is the house that I coveted and took photos of back in 2008 when I was in New Orleans for my annual December trip to visit best of friend FF and her family for their spectacular holiday festivities. These are the photos. It was for sale back in 2008 and I even made the person I was with call the realtor to find out more about it including the price. I saw it first before it was made internationally famous by a Hollywood star.

It was one of only one or two (or three) houses I took pictures of in the Garden District that gorgeous December day in 2008. I wanted it. I adored it. I admired it. I felt like a pauper as I stood there peering through the fence, snapping photos and dreaming of what I might do with this house. I desperately needed the house at the time I thought. I even told best of friend FF who lives in a gorgeous grand home on St. Charles Avenue that I had found the house I wanted. So back in 2008, while in New Orleans, I decided this was absolutely the home I had to have. When I returned to Los Angeles, I did a post on this so called Swiss Chalet House (here is my December 2008 post and proof that I saw it first ... seem petty?...don't answer).

I knew one day I would own it. I was zeroed in on my dream home in New Orleans. You know...my laser focus kicked in.

It seems that my laser focus kicked in so much, it had me focusing on a million and half other things besides my so called New Orleans "dream home" right after getting back from New Orleans in December '08 (is that called A.D.D.?). Which meant right after typing out my original Nbaynadamas post on this house, I pretty much forgot about it...the house, the whole dream forgotten. Yup...forgot about it. (That's the way I roll...)

Well last night, I happen to be on the interweb (Yahoo in particular) and I see a story about Sandra Bullock's New Orleans home - the home she has moved into with her new adopted son Louis. When I click on the picture I come to find out that Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock stole the show by purchasing my New Orleans dream house last summer. AAAAAAHHHHHHHGGGGGHHHHHHHHH. Sandra Bullock has swooped in and purchased my home right from underneath me. Well not quite. I did have almost 14 fortnights to consider before she bought it in the summer of 2009 (I love using the word fortnight...I could have just said almost 7 months...but had to figure out a way incorporate this erudite sounding measure of time into one of my posts...could be considered annoying and pretentious word usage by some...but those "some" would not appreciate my lock jaw cheeky humor anyway...am I beginning to sound British...wait this is a story about the South and New Orleans...I need a southern accent and need to stop yappin' about fortnights and the like y'all).

Did I mention...there were also just a few obstacles that stood in my home purchasing way...that kept me from swooping in and buying this home before Sandra Bullock became the lucky owner: 1. The price...$2.25 million was/is/will be a little steep for me; 2. I live in Los Angeles and I work in Los Angeles and I would need to work in order to continue to live. Just some minor obstacles.

Considering all that she's been through as of late, I am happy that at least it is this seemingly down-to-earth actress who swooped in and bought my house before me. I have always liked Sandra Bullock's personal style, her public demeanor and now her taste in New Orleans homes!

I also realize, I am doing this story much later than most other blogs, newspapers, websites, t.v. shows and any other form of in-the-know resources...many of which were right on the latest celebrity and real estate news when they published their stories way back in August of last year.
I found out about this breaking news last night...so it breaking news at least to me if no one else.

This house is on Coliseum in the New Orleans Garden District. It was built back in 1876 by architect William Freret. Reports have it at over 6,600 square feet with 5 bedrooms. The ornate ironwork, the exquisite carved eaves and the wonderful roofline with its three steeples...looks like something out of a storybook. When this was my dream, I imagined all of the wonderful things that could be done with this house.

Dream is over for me but glad this house dream is a reality for Sandra Bullock and her new baby!


The historic home now owned by Sandra Bullock is on a corner lot and stands three stories high. (above)



Notice the "For Sale" sign on the iron gate...further proof that I saw it and coveted it while it was still on the market back in 2008! (above)


The view of street and neighborhood outside of Sandra Bullock's New Orleans home.(above)
Well c'est la vie for me and good for Sandra!!

What do you think of this New Orleans home?

xo
Coco

P.S. Remember to enter the fabulous and fantastic Nbaynadamas GIVEAWAY #4 in the post below. Today is the last day to enter!!!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

Read More »

Add Comment

AN celebrity, exterior design, Nbaynadamas, Sandra Bullock, SEE THIS HOUSE

SEE THIS HOUSE: A TRADITIONAL MANSION IN MAINE!

Photos provided courtesy of Peter Pennoyer Architects

Facade of a home on the Maine coast. (above)

I had to refrain from posting this house for about a month as I realized it would look like I am obsessed with the work of New York architect Peter Pennoyer. When I looked back through my archives, I realized that each month, at about the same time, I was posting an architectural wonder as designed by Peter Pennoyer Architects firm. There was no explanation for why once a month I was finding something from him that I wanted to post. Only explanation it seems is that I am indeed obsessed with Peter Pennoyer's architecture and design. So there. I've copped to it.

Now that we've got that admission aside...onto this grand home!


The home boasts a traditional East Coast waterfront exterior with gray shingle siding, black shutters and white trim (above)


A blue library with its arched windows, a fireplace and classic furnishings is the signature space in this home. The shade of blue reminds me of photos I took in Philadelphia's Independence Hall. (above)

Detail of carved woodwork on fireplace mantel. (above)

Guests in the home's dining room can enjoy the stunning view of the ocean from the demilune bay of windows.(above)

The wood carved and paneled main stairs and entry hall. (above)

An exposed beam angled ceiling and more carved woodwork on the railing of the second floor landing. (above)

The cozy fireplace seating area in an upstairs bedroom on the second floor. Room is painted a classic grey-blue with paneling trimmed in white. (above)


A stand alone porcelain tub sits in a arched nook in the master bath...with a magnificent view of the sea.(above)

A cream colored bedroom with a wood four poster bed. (above)

The sun porch! (above)


The guest house. (above)

Photos provided courtesy of Peter Pennoyer Architects

Read More »

Add Comment

AN architecture, bath and bathroom, bedroom, blue, dining room, exterior design, guest house, library, Nbaynadamas, SEE THIS HOUSE