Cher’s Luxury Abode — Italian Inspiration

The Silk Building’s striking Italian Renaissance style is definitely alluring in New York. This spectacular 12-storey structure is located in Manhattan’s Noho neighbourhood, taking up an entire city block between Broadway and Lafayette streets. The stunning quadplex penthouse was once owned by Britney Spears and Cher! Now, it’s up in the market for US$6.9 million. The building was built in 1908 but many celebrity A-listers have taken to task the needful renovation work to make it modern and comfortable. Cher was the first owner of this penthouse and she lived there till 1990 and then sold it to Russell Simmons for US$1.6 million.

Next, it was bought by Britney Spears, a time when she wrote her Grammy-winning song “Toxic” and lived there for four years. Some of the penthouse’s highlight features include a 400-square-foot outdoor terrace, a wet bar in the primary suite, and a fully operational wood fireplace. If you’re thinking of remodelling, the fifth bedroom could be added by repurposing the rooftop den with a bath that opens to the large terrace with enviable views over Greenwich Village and the Empire State Building.

The beautiful kitchen is styled up immaculate with the best fixtures and furnishings. Living in Noho means one can bump into an array of celebrities who own apartments nearby. If you’re out for a stroll, it can also be a hotbed for filming action and photoshoots. The Silk Building’s rich history also reveals that it was leased by Tower Records on the first floor back in 1983. Keith Richards once lived in the building where he owned two floors which included his recording studio.

Drake’s Posh Pad — California Cool

Drake’s rapping chops have clearly made him a successful celebrity and entertainer. His rise in popularity has been meteoric and at such a young age, his investments, endorsements, and business partnerships raked in US$94 million between 2016 and 2017. Drake is now known to be a real estate investor.

Now he has set his eyes on Elementi — one of California’s most spectacular homes designed by Michael Chen. Elementi’s grandiose features are all about living life large. The home’s bridge entry to a large pivoting front door over water cascades down past a dining room which is suspended over a lower courtyard, and then flows into an atrium on the lower level.

Offering 18,000 square feet of space, the home accommodates seven bedrooms and fourteen bathrooms. It includes a chef’s kitchen, butler’s pantry, and an atrium that opens from the root to the lower floor. The master suite cantilevers over a balcony and has two walls of glass to take in the enviable views. Complementing it are dual bathrooms clad in marble and one offering a skylight. The basement/ground floor is designed around entertainment.

Its pièce de résistance is a 150-year-old olive tree imported from the Mediterranean flaunting gnarled majestic branches. Here you’ll also find a 2,000-bottle wine cellar, gymnasium, office, and a home theatre. The posh Trousdale Estate is where Elementi resides. It was developed in the 1950s and has been the crème de la crème for many of Hollywood’s famous past residents such as Elvis Presley, Simon Cowell, Katy Perry, and Jennifer Aniston, to name a few.

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