Monday, January 7, 2008

Paul McKenna: Celebrity Hypnotist Heads for the Hills

BUYER: Paul McKenna
LOCATION: Rising Glen Road, Los Angeles, CA
PRICE: $6,600,000 (sale)
SIZE: 4,529 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: Rare four-bedroom Regency pavilion at the top of Rising Glen in excellent updated condition with many details that recall Hollywood's "Golden Age"" terrazzo floors; bar in living room; brick-paved pool area. Grounds include large grassy area, guest house, four car garage & screening room. On one level except one bedroom currently in use as office, opening to terrace.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Unless you're British, a vice-ridden celebrity, or know a little something about neuro-linguistic programming, it's quite possible the children won't recognize Paul McKenna's name. However, all you thick waisted, small breasted and impoverished self help cynics who are afraid of your own shadows might want to sit up and take notice because among Mister McKenna's many feats of mental miracles the very rich and very famous British hypnotist and self-help author claims he can fix phobias, help smokers give up the cancer sticks, make fatties thin, help the poor get rich, and in a 2004 interview in The Guardian he said he can make boobs bigger. Well move over Anne Sullivan, because Paul McKenna has set his sights on Hollywood and there is a new miracle worker in town.

After several television programs in the U.K., at least half a dozen self help best sellers, and reportedly treating a slew of British big names such as the Duchess of York, David Bowie, David Beckham, and George Michael, the self confessed star fucker has landed in the good old U.S. of A. where he's already cured talk show kween Ellen Degeneres of her filthy smoking habit. Your Mama speculates that we might be seeing Mister McKenna up on the American boob tube shortly, partick because the networks are scrambling to get anything new on the air in the wake of the writer's strike. We don't know anything nor have we heard anything through the gossip grapevine, we're just speculating kids.

Why does Your Mama speculate and postulate that a show might be in the works? Because, in December of 2007, the eyeglass wearing and energetic forty something year old hypnotist put down some expensive roots in celebrity filled Los Angeles. Originally listed for $7,500,000 before being substantially reduced, property records reveal the mind bender scooped up a 4,529 square foot Regency style house high in the hills of Hollywood for a whopping $6,600,000.

According to property records, and the Movieland Directory, the 5 bedroom and 4 bathroom house on 1.5 acres has sheltered it's fair share of Hollywood types including gajillionaire gay David Geffen, song writing super star Diane Warren, and most recently prolific producer Chris Roberts, a man with an IMDB resume as long as Your Mama's arm but with nary a film we've ever bothered to watch.

Please note children that the interior spaces do not reflect the taste of Mister McKenna. In fact, according to the writer from The Guardian article Your Mama mentioned earlier, Mister McKenna favors, "frescos and swags of velvet." Yikes. Your Mama is petrified to think of what decorating crimes Mister McKenna's decorator has planned for the interiors of this house.

In addition to the main house, the private property features a 4 car detached garage perfect for Mister McKenna's Ferrari and a guest house that sits far enough from the main house that the new owner will never have to hear house guests fornicate or fight. According to listing information we received from Our Fairy Godmother in Bel Air, the media room includes it's own bathroom and it's own entrance from the outside, which is perfect for when you want to have a few folks over for film night but don't feel like washing the dishes or picking up dirty underwear that has been tossed aside in the living room.

The back of the house opens to a large brick terrace that surrounds a heated swimming pool. Can any of the snarky children that the long view down the hillside, over the flats of Los Angeles all the way to the Pacific Ocean drops the jaw, staggers the mind and creates envy in the hearts of all flat land dwellers who dream of a sliver of a view.

Mister McKenna's new digs sit just a couple doors down from the house notoriously kooky actress Brittany Murphy bought from he notoriously troubled krazy train that is Britney Spears back in 2003 for $3,850,000. Maybe Mister McKenna and his mental machinations can sort out the details on why the young and nubile Miz Murphy went and secretly married much older, much less attractive and wildly controversial screenwriter Simon Monjack. Now there's an odd couple for the children to ponder over a stiff cocktail or four. Not that Your Mama cares a lick about Miz Murphy and her puzzling ways, but we do confess to being a wee bit curious about what makes that relationship carousel go around.

Since Los Angeles has a long history of embracing alternative forms of everything, Your Mama suspects that Mister McKenna will be embraced with warm and open arms that will happily put many millions more into his already bulging pockets.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Look into my eyes and when I count to 3 you will believe that burgundy flock wallpaper and 6 foot tall capodimonte urns are elegant..........1....2....3.....SNAP!
But Mr McKenna this is a regency house and you know that I am the queen of Hollywood regency interior design don't you?
Ms Wearstler when I count to 3 and wave this blank check in front of your eyes you will believe that I am the one with good taste......1....2....3....SNAP!
Well Mr McKenna I can see that you are a man of taste and a lover of the fine arts,I'm sure we can work together.

Anonymous said...

Hardly what one could call mesmerizing, now is it?

Regardless of who is responsible for the interior of this shitpile, inside and out it is one fucking ugly home.

The decor is snore inducing (when it doesn't produce actual shivers of horror), and the house itself looks like a car dealership, which I guess is appropriate as the guest house looks like a gas station restroom.

The landscaping is uninspired and the pool just sucks.

With the view, let's just call it a pricey teardown.

Anonymous said...

The brown leather arm chairs,call the Salvation Army now.

ms_wonderland said...

I was just thinking the house was rather tasteful - until I saw the outside. And what's all this 'regency' business? In the regency period, Californians were still building with adobe. You mean 'cheap repro with a vague regency feel'.

Paul McKenna ia pretty good at what he does, and looks fine on telly. He may have to glitz it up a bit for the Oprah crowd though.

Anonymous said...

Dear Lil' Gay Boy,

Besides your own, is there an interior that has ever been posted here that you you like or have something nice to say about?

It seems to me that it's so much easier to pan a house than to actually say something nice about it.

As for little me...I love this house. This Regency style is gorgeous. It could use a nip and a tuck on the interiors, but they are not the abomination you make them out to be. I can imagine that a good decorator could do amazing things here. Admitedly the landscaping is drab, but the big lawn looks like a perfect place to run the dogs.

Do me a favor?...send me a link through the comments section of an interior space that you think is well done. I'm just curious what sort of place actually meets your rather strict decorative bellweather.

Anonymous said...

Hi There:

Just check out my comments on the Simon Fuller house from last Thursday and Saturday (not to mention the Slash & Perla Hudson house from last Wednesday) - now those were lovely homes.

Anonymous said...

Many thoughful interior details. The exterior is nice enough, but I'd still rather buy on the beach. Two observations: I'm not sure about that fascia out back. Is it aluminum? If so, ouch! And, the metal mansard roof on guesthouse is a little bothersome, but not a big deal. Thanks Mama.

Anonymous said...

Little buddy,

I'm with you on Simon property. Here are a few more pics. This place is sooo awesome.

http://www.bennettcarr.com/1407tanagerway/home.htm

luke220 said...

I have to disagree with LGB on this one. I love the foliage in the front yard and I like the warmth of the interior, it's not like something that was built yesterday. Maybe it's the New Englander in me (but I agree that the guesthouse is ugly).

Anonymous said...

not bad, good size, comfortable & livable space, dig the brick patio, pool & view.
burts gameroom would be a nice addition to this place.

Anonymous said...

He lives in London so I guess this is perfectly acceptable as a pied a terre ... & technically it only cost £3.3 Million which if you live in London is nothing ... well, it's a lot but in London it buys you a 2 bedroom apartment in Notting Hill, double it if you want Knightsbridge or Kensington!

10 years ago his shows were more about the general public doing ridiculous things while hypnotised then all of a sudden he totally changed & became all serious & started curing people of phobias, smoking, weight, health matters etc...

Anonymous said...

"but I'd still rather buy on the beach"

$6.6M for Malibu beachfront? perhaps in the early 90's!

Anonymous said...

It wouldn't be Los Angeles without a smattering of stylized/exaggerated/abbreviated mansard roofs atop sleek, mid-century interpretations of formal architecture. Regency architecture isn't my thing, but this is a decent example.

Too bad, though, about the silly guest house.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the link, sandpiper (I've been to the site before . . . ) I particularly like the 15th shot which shows how the rooms flow together as well as outdoors.

Luke220, I too am a New Englander but when I look at these interiors all I see is cold and sterile, not warmth (perhaps we're from different parts of New England?)

At any rate, I'm not trying to be mean or funny; I just truly don't like this house.

Sorry.

Anonymous said...

11:11 AM...

Or, perhaps in the early 80s.

Anonymous said...

^

Not really ... $6.6M in the early 90's bought you something pretty special on the best beaches of Malibu

Anonymous said...

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