Christie Brinkley's Beach House

Christie Brinkley, the ageless Uptown Girl herself, is selling her home on the beach in Bridgehampton for $30 million. I wrote a post about it over at Hooked on Houses today, but I thought you'd like to take a peek:

The house, known as "Tower Hill," was built in 1898. Despite its lofty price tag, I think it looks comfortable--not pretentious at all. Check out her beach-themed fireplace:

You can read more about Tower Hill and see the rest of the photos at Hooked on Houses. To see more famous beach houses, click here.

The B&B from "Nights in Rodanthe"

Did you see the Diane Lane-Richard Gere tearjerker Nights in Rodanthe, based on the Nicholas Sparks bestseller? On my other blog, I wrote a post about the house that was used for the Bed and Breakfast in the movie, and a reader who visited it this summer sent me this photo she took:

I was shocked to see how different it looks. This makes me wonder--were the blue shutters and the wraparound porches just special effects? What do you think?

Lisa, who sent me the photo, tells me that the house has been condemned because it is practically falling into the water now. People have been breaking into the house and stealing things because it was in the movie and they want a piece of it. How sad.

You can see more photos of the house in the post I wrote here, or check out a list of all of the movie houses I've featured on my Houses Onscreen page.

UPDATE 1/10: For the latest information about the house and the efforts to rescue it, visit Hooked on Houses.

Kate Hudson's Beach House in Malibu

Guess what Goldie Hawn gave her daughter, actress Kate Hudson, as a wedding present back when she married Chris Robinson? A beach house in Malibu! Lucky girl. Here she is playing on the beach in front of her house with her son Ryder (via People).

According to Radar Online, Kate is renting it out this summer for $90,000 a month. *Cough.* I hope that includes cable.

It's right on the beach and looks like a great place to spend the summer.

The article says it's decorated in a "Balinese" style, but I'm not crazy enough about it to show you all the photos. I guess it's just not my thing. You can see the rest at Celebrity Digs HQ, though.

Want to see more famous beach houses? Click here to see all the celebrity vacation homes I've featured before, from Rachel Ashwell's to Billy Joel's.

P.S. I'm giving a tour of Julia Child's former home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, today over at Hooked on Houses.

Billy Joel's Beach House in the Hamptons

Billy Joel & Katie Lee on their wedding day in 2004.

Boy, have I been swamped with work projects lately. I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping up both of my blogs this month -- and I'm way behind on my blog reading and e-mail replying. Add to that the fact that my kids are home from school for the summer, and things are just plain crazy around here. I apologize.

I thought I'd try to make it up to you by showing you some photos of the house Billy Joel and his wife Katie Lee share in the Hamptons. Today when I heard the news that they are separating, it reminded me of a post I wrote about this house on my other blog last year when they purchased it. Take a look.


I like how comfortable and unpretentious it looks. I could use a vacation in a place like this right about now. . .



The beach house was reportedly $18.75 million. I'm guessing these views made it worth it.


To see more photos and learn more about both the house and the Joels, go to Hooked on Houses. And cross your fingers for me that I'll somehow manage to meet all of the deadlines that are looming. Thanks! :-)

Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick's Home in the Hamptons

Elle Decor published photos of Sarah Jessica Parker's house in Bridgehampton that she shares with husband Matthew Broderick and son James Wilke a couple years ago. I featured some of them on my other blog last month but thought you might enjoy them, too. Here are a couple that I didn't post before. Take a look!

For more photos and information, click here to see my original post about it at Hooked on Houses. If you're a fan of Matthew Broderick's 1986 movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," then check out my Movie Monday post today! One of the houses from the movie is on the market, and I found the real estate photos.

Kelly Bensimon's Hamptons House

I have a confession to make. I watch "Real Housewives" on Bravo TV. All of them. I have seen every season of "The Real Housewives of the O.C."--even the most recent one, which was pretty much insufferable from beginning to end. I cringed all the way through the ridiculous girl fights between NeNe and Kim on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." And lately I've been watching Jill, Bethenny, Kelly, Ramona, Alex, and The Countess duke it out on "The Real Housewives of NYC:"


I don't know why these shows stay on my DVR schedule. I don't understand why I continue to watch, even as the women on them make me want to throw something at my TV screen.

Well, one reason is probably the real estate. I love seeing where these women live. Check out Season 2 newcomer Kelly Bensimon's Hamptons house, which we've seen on the show and is now on the market for $10.9 million:

(Click on the photo to enlarge.)

For more information, check out this post by the Real Estalker.

In other "Real Housewives" real estate gossip, the Countess is splitting from her Count after discovering his long-term affair, and they're selling their Hamptons home for $9.5. If I can track it down, I'll be sure to let you know.

Click here to take a peek into more celebrity real estate over at my other blog.

Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Beach House

Shabby Chic creator Rachel Ashwell recently moved from a house with over 4,000 square feet into a beach house less than half the size. She told Oprah that it made her realize she isn't "a big house person."

"Less is so much more. In the case of this room, the sofa, a couple of chairs...no clutter," says Rachel. "I really find it easy to decorate with pastels starting with a platform of white on the walls, the sofa, whatever, and then layering in your color."

Rachel says there are few things no home should be without: "Candles not too far burnt down, yummy flower arrangements, a chandelier, and lovely china."

{Photo source: Oprah.com}

Hemingway's House in Key West

As an English major in college, I studied Ernest Hemingway. I admit I wasn't all that interested in his novels--I was more into writers like Jane Austen and George Eliot, to be honest. But I think if I had seen the house Hemingway lived and wrote in during the most prolific time of his career--with those gorgeous yellow shutters!--I might have paid a little more attention in my Modern Lit class.

According to the Hemingway Home website:

Legend has it that Hemingway owned the home from 1931 until his passing in 1961. The Spanish Colonial style home was constructed of native rock hewn from the grounds and boasts the first pool built in Key West. The pool, built in the late 1930's, cost $20,000. This price prompted Hemingway to take a penny from his pocket and press it into the wet cement of the surrounding patio and announce jokingly, "Here, take the last penny I've got!" That penny is still there.

Ernest Hemingway with one of his cats, whose descendants still roam the grounds of the property today:

According to the Hemingway Home website:

The story goes that Hemingway made the acquaintance of a sea captain who owned an unusual six-toed tomcat. Upon his departure from Key West, the captain presented the cat to Hemingway. Today many of the numerous cats that inhabit the grounds still possess the unusual six toes.

To see more photos from Hemingway's home in Key West, check out Carl Miller's gallery.