Cindy Crawford

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Cindy Crawford was deemed one of the most recognized supermodels in the 1980s and 1990s gracing the cover of multiple magazines, walking runway shows, and serving as the face of fashion campaigns. She has since expanded into other ventures and in 1998, married nightlight industry businessman Rande Gerber. Gerber co-founded the tequila brand Casamigos with acclaimed actor George Clooney in 2013. In 2017, Crawford and Gerber purchased a mid-century modern home in Beverly Hills for $11.6 million through a trust. However, the two are now bidding farewell to their humble abode listing it on the market for an initial price $15.995 million last August. Since then, the price has been reduced to $14.75 million in May before recently securing a buyer. While the transaction has yet to appear in public records and the buyer’s identity remains anonymous, the home was last listed at $13.5 million.

Additionally, the celebrity couple have secured several other properties with two homes in Malibu, a vacation home in La Quinta’s Madison Club, and a cottage in Canada. Aside from Crawford and Gerber though, other notable names in the entertainment industry have inhabited their Beverly Hills abode. OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder and his wife, Genevieve, purchased the house in 2014 and spent almost two years restoring and expanding the property. Prior to their residence, the space belonged to film producer Gregory Goodman of “Jason Bourne” and “Captain Phillips.”

In 2019, Crawford spoke to Architectural Digest about her Beverly Hills home. “It's midcentury modern, so it's been fun putting it through our own filter. We make a lot of our upholstery,” she explains. “My husband is very, very picky about the cushion density and seat depth because he's taller.” However, Crawford also claims that Gerber “would sacrifice functionality for the look” in certain aspects of their home while her utmost priority lies in comfortability.

Built in 1959, the chic mid-century modern home spans 5,386 square feet and includes five bedrooms and 5.5 baths. The single-story space rests beyond gated walls in the posh Trousdale Estates neighborhood and has been completely renovated and restored during Tedder’s residence. The open floor plan presents four separate lounging areas partially separated by a dividing wall with sleek fireplace and wet bar. The sky-lit kitchen and adjacent dining area offer an atmosphere perfect for entertaining. The separate media room is equipped with sliding doors to provide privacy and distinct from the kitchen area. Stepping outside, the expansive exterior opens to a large swimming pool and spa with adjoining daybeds. The seating area is surrounded by a firepit, fruit trees, and art installations.

Kurt Rappaport of Westside Estate Agency represented both the buyer and seller in this deal.

For more on the latest in luxury real estate, visit hauteresidence.com.

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Some people work and strive their whole lives hoping to acquire their lakefront getaway. They are enraptured by the slowness of time spent on the lake, the shimmering water, the cool, inviting breezes that form a sense of peaceful balance.

The writer Wallace Stevens once said, "Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake."

These lake house properties offer the tranquility of nature while not sacrificing an ounce of modern luxury.

Bill Gates' Medina Lake House Mansion

The Microsoft co-founder's $82.2 billion net worth could afford him the ability to build anywhere. For his extravagant "Xanadu 2.o" Bill Gates chose a parcel on the edge of Lake Washington in Medina.

This is Gates dream house, and a quote from the Great Gatsby covering the library's ceiling confirms that fact. It reads, "He had come a long way to this blue lawn, and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it." The library also contains Leonardo da Vinci's actual 16th-century notebook Gates purchased in 1994 for 30.8 million.

The estate is built into its natural surroundings making it 'earth-sheltered.' This decreases the environmental impact by making the home more energy efficient.

As anyone would expect from a giant in the tech industry, all 66,000 square feet are loaded with technological innovation. Wall art can be switched out digitally as its displayed on 80,000 worth of LCD monitors.

GPS tracking pins are given to each guest, enabling them to change the temperature, lighting, and music anywhere in the house with the push of a button. Electrical outlets, phone jacks, and servers are hidden inside walls for a sleek seamless look throughout.

There is also a famous "trampoline room" which only select guests get to enjoy, but it's rumored to be part of a 2,500 square foot fitness facility that also includes a sauna, steam room, and separate men's and women's locker rooms.

Those wishing to take a swim, have a 60-foot pool with its own underwater music system located in a separate building on the property. By swimming underneath a glass wall, someone in the water can surface near a terraced area nearby.

The residence took over seven years to complete and cost over 63 million. Like the fictional Charles Foster Kane, Bill Gates is living in a real-life Xanadu–a mega-mansion of enviable proportions.

A Lake House Jewel on Lake Tahoe

Located on over 5 acres and taking up two prime lakefront parcels, this jaw-dropping 75 million dollar residence is a harmonious blend of creativity, ingenuity, and luxury.

A private gated drive leads up to an entry pavilion. The residence has an attached guest house and the estate also includes a beach house with its terraced lakeside beach.

Surrounded by private forest land, this eight bedroom, ten bathroom estate offers every imaginable comfort during the day or at night. There are manicured gardens, a 4-car garage, 13 fireplaces, two funiculars to lift guests from the lake to the house, a 10-seat theatre, and a 1,687 bottle wine cellar.

Lake Tahoe is America's largest alpine lake. Located on the border of Nevada and California, this setting has it all. No wonder Mark Twain called it, "the fairest picture the whole world affords.”

George Clooney's Italian Lake House

Clooney put Lake Como on the map for Americans when he moved into a charming eighteenth-century villa on the exclusive Italian lake in 2002. However, if he hadn't gotten lost on his motorcycle in the lakeside area of Laglio in 2001 and discovered the beauty of the place, Lake Como may never have gotten its most famous resident.

The Clooney's spend the summer at the lake, and Clooney even allowed part of Oceans Twelve to be filmed here. George and his wife, Amal, enjoyed an intimate dinner at a Lake Como restaurant just three weeks ago. Clooney is staying at his villa while he recovers from a recent motorcycle accident.

Lake House Luxury in the Carolinas

His Airness, Michael Jordan, plus a bevvy of NASCAR stars all call Lake Norman home. Located due North of the banking city of Charlotte, Lake Norman boasts some grand estates on one of the most beautiful lakes in the South.

Lake Lure, best known as the lake where Patrick Swayze lifted Jennifer Grey out of the water in the '80's romance, Dirty Dancing is another majestic lake offering pristine views from stunning luxury properties.

Some of the world's most desirable homes are lake houses. With plenty of party space, ample boating and fishing areas, and the natural buffer of miles of clean, clear water–it's easy to see why so many wealthy residents are choosing to spend so much time at the lake.

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When it comes to the design of their five-and-a-half acre expanse on the Thames island of Sonning Eye in Berkshire, the Clooneys used passion, precision, and personality to renovate a 17th-century estate into a home that has it all.

Photo Courtesy of Savills

George and Amal Decorate With Things They Really Like

The Clooney's prefer silver-framed family portraits and reminders of their past to priceless works of art.

A vaulted grand entry hall with Georgian molding leads to a more lived-in house with reminders of who the Clooneys are and where they came from.

There is a large painting of a giraffe (Amal's favorite). It was during a giraffe encounter on a safari trip that George Clooney watched one of the graceful animals walk right up to Amal. The manner in which the giraffe singled her out of the group as a trustworthy soul, sparked something in George and he knew at that moment that he wanted to ask her to marry him.

George's favorite painting is of his former beloved cocker spaniel, Einstein, styled as a Physics professor. This is not the type of art that commands million-dollar insurance policies – but it demonstrates the sense of humor and magnetic warmth the couple share.

The Clooney's Designed Their House Around What They Like to Do

Rooms in the Clooney home are functional. There is a formal sitting room for professional meetings and a cozier library for conversing with family and friends. Two children's high-chairs hang from the ceiling for easy access in the kitchen. The twins, Ella and Alexander, whom Amal gave birth to last year in June, are a presence of lively joy in the stately home.

The adjacent glassed-in pool house has been dubbed "party central" and includes monogrammed bathrobes for the hosts and an old-fashioned photo booth for capturing candids of family and friends. Though Amal and George both keep extra office space upstairs, the pool house is mostly remembered for the 3am portraits of the famous guests whose revelry is captured and tacked to the wall. A 12-seat home theatre attached to the pool house is where George watches and edits films. It's stocked with the couple's favorite candy and a cinema-style popcorn machine. Amal is also collaborating with a colleague on a law book and often finds the pool house a preferable place to pore over notes.

Photo Courtesy of W8 Media / Splash News

As a gift to her man, Amal had a wooden cabin built on the banks of the river. It's an idyllic reminder of Clooney's Kentucky roots. The hangout spot features a large porch with facing swings and a rowboat kept ready for lazy paddles up the river. The cabin is the perfect place to sip a glass of Casamigos tequila (the beverage company Clooney founded with two friends that they recently sold for a billion dollars).

Fitness is another focus of the couple and their property. There is a full gym in the main house and an astroturf tennis court hidden behind a cluster of tall trees. The Clooney's had many mature trees planted around the property for increased privacy.

Walking paths through the manicured gardens provide peaceful views of the river and an abundance of shaded spots beg for a slow stroll to seek tranquility.

George and Amal Clooney Support the Local Community

When renovations to the home and grounds caused months of noise and street disturbances – the Clooney's made amends with the neighborhood by putting their next door neighbors up in a luxury hotel for a month and having the road that was damaged by construction vehicles re-paved.

George and Amal also hire staff from the nearby restaurants to serve at their home dinner parties, and the couple will regularly turn up for a pint at the neighborhood pub, The Bull Inn. When travel obligations slow down, they even try to catch a show at the Thames-side dinner theatre where George delivers pep talks to the thrilled local actors.

The tucked-away island known as Sonning on the Thames was described by novelist Jerome K. Jerome as “the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river.” When standing on Sonning Bridge, looking across the river at the little lights that dot the manicured gardens of the Clooney grounds at night, you might imagine mythical beings could live there. It definitely suits the real-life fairy-tale of George Clooney and his love Amal Amaludin.

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Nicknamed "The Island of Love," Seychelles has also played honeymoon host to George and Amal Clooney plus Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade among other famous faces.

An Island Oasis in the Indian Ocean

Located 1,133 miles northeast of Madagascar, this island chain boasts some of the world's most beautiful beaches and exclusive hotels.

Arriving by private jet, after somehow keeping their destination a secret for weeks, the newlywed couple landed on the secluded North Island. Consisting of only 11 luxury villas, Prince William and Kate Middleton found themselves nestled among pearlescent sand, coconut palms, and lush green takamaka trees.

Each private villa faces Anse d'east Beach, showcasing the breathtaking ecological beauty of the coast and lightly chopping Indian Ocean current.

Private Beachfront Villas

Guests staying in these secluded dwellings tucked away just behind the tree line, enjoy a large master bedroom, second bedroom, and changing room with en-suite bath.

There are three ways to rinse off from a day at the beach. Indoor and outdoor showers provide convenience, while the handcrafted Balinese natural stone baths offer a chance to soak the stress away.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge would not have had to see another soul unless they wanted to–even when going for a swim. A private plunge pool and lounge is a part of this premium villa experience.

A Unique Barefoot Luxury Experience

Staying on North Island is always all-inclusive, and there are several additional spa treatments available that can be personalized to the needs of each guest. Escaping to this beach allows nature to clear the mind while the body is properly pampered.

Vacationers who tire of lounging under graceful punka fans can take a picnic on the beach or observe the many species of birds that call this island home. Every villa also gets its own golf cart for easy island exploring. There is also a certified dive-center on site for anyone who elects to do some world-class scuba diving.

Premium Service in an Environmentally-Friendly Setting

It is impossible not to feel special staying at a place like this. The service and dining are unparalleled. One recent traveler to the island, who vacationed with his family in a villa, remarked, "our butler was great, always one call away, always ready to be of service in any way he could."

Guests that stay here seem to especially enjoy the little things that make North Island special. There are friendly sea turtles that greet newcomers outside the villas, and fresh water bottles are placed everywhere by unseen staff throughout the day.

It comes as no surprise that Prince William and Kate Middleton selected the "3rd Best Hotel in the World" according to Condé Nast Traveller Readers in their 2014 awards. This ultimate lover's paradise starts at $8,600 per night.

Photos Courtesy of Booking.com.

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