Nic Cage is Doing it in the Bahamas

SELLER: Nicholas Cage
LOCATION: Exuma Island Chain, Bahamas
PRICE: $7,000,000
SIZE: 45 acres
DESCRIPTION: This exceptional private island is quite simply one of the most beautiful islands in the Exumas. Easily accessed, the island is located between Lee Stocking Island and Norman’s Pond Cay and near to all amenities. This splendid 45-acre island enjoys beautiful beaches on the northeast side, a sandy beach with a well-protected cove on the western tip, and glistening crystalline waters. Excellent fishing and sheltered anchorage.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Thanks to some digging and scraping through the interweb over the weekend by our dedicated researcher B.S. Beaverman, Your Mama learned that not only has hairifying actor Nic Cage listed several of his many residences for sale, he's also put his private Bahamian island hideaway up for sale with an asking price of $7,000,000.

Now children, Your Mama hasn't a clue how to look up property records for private Bahamian islands, but most reports state the Mister Cage purchased the 45 acre undeveloped piece of paradise in 2006 for around $3,000,000. If we put those purchase and listing figures through our bejeweled abacus we discover that someone thinks the island has more than doubled in value in just two years of ownership. Hmm. Well, Could be. What do we know about the value of private islands? Nuthin', that's what.

Although the island is only about 85 miles southeast of Nassau, it is certainly remote enough that Mister Cage and his much younger wifey Alice Kim would be free roam the beaches nekkid as the day they were born with little fear of paparazzi snapping pix of their naughty bits. However, the undeveloped island is, well, undeveloped, which means there are no cooking or terliting facilities. Presumably the Cage couple parked a big boat out in the bay where they could retreat when tired of digging a hole in the sand in order to do their dirty bizness.

The island, called Leaf Cay, is located in the Exuma chain of islands where several other rich and famous types who are rumored and reported to own private islands including country crooning super stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill (who have recently listed their Beverly Hills home), ex-pat a-list actor Johnny Depp who reportedly picked up Little Halls Pond Cay in 2004 and creepy magician David Copperfiled who owns a string of islands known as Musha Cay which can be rented out for as little as $37,500. Per day.

Your Mama trotted out our beloved abacus once again this morning to add up the listing prices for all the properties that we are aware of that Mister Cage currently has on the market and the number totals more than sixty million clams, a staggering and impressive figure by any standard.

We'll be sitting on our back patio sipping our lunch, flipping through the gossip glossies while on pins and needles to see if Mister Cage continues to divest of his real estate portfolio by putting more of his many properties on the market. We're also aching for the day Mister Cage or one of his spokes people puts out a statement about why he chose to sell all these properties now, at the very moment when even rich people are thinking twice about buying real estate follies.

Nic Cage Is Doing It Again in the Big Easy

SELLER: Nic Cage
LOCATION: Prytania Street, New Orleans, LA
PRICE: $3,700,000
SIZE: 13,176 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 5 full and 2 half bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: The most superlative of Garden District mansions with the best of every amenity. Ample room for a large family and big-time entertainment venue with formal gardens, parking, and everything anyone could possibly want in a most grand of grand, star-quality home.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Okay children, Your Mama needs to interrupt this weekend of raucous and typically lurid behavior by our visiting compatriot Fiona Trambeau, who is currently holed up in our guest room with an outrageously manly blatino she picked up in Silver Lake last night, to discuss the dozens of recent reports and onslaught of covert communications we've received the last couple of days about hair challenged actor and prolific trophy house collector Nic Cage selling off the infamously blood soaked LaLaurie House in New Orleans.

At least one local New Orleans news outlet has recently reported that Mister Cage has listed the Royal Street fright house for $3,900,000. However, our meager early morning research did not turn up any listing for the LaLaurie house which happens to be located just around the corner from the almost as famous Jolie-Pitt house on Governor Nicholls Street. We did, however, turn up listing information for a property on pretty Prytania Street in the Garden District that records indicate is owned by the Oscar winning actor and listing information reveals has been hoisted on to the market with an asking price of $3,700,000.

Property records for the behemoth Big Easy beauty show that a trust controlled by Mister Cage purchased the historic 13,176 square foot mansion in June of 2005 for $3,450,000. Although Mister Cage purchased the house from an antiques dealer, it is our understanding that the previous owner was homoerotic vampire novelist turned Christian memoirist Anne Rice. Listing information shows the house includes six bedrooms and seven terlits divvied up into 5 full and 2 half bathrooms.

Listing information also shows the three story house claims a living room that measures in at a staggering 77' x 44' and a super sized dining room that stretches forty-four feet long. The meticulously maintained grounds include formal gardens, oodles of covered balconies with intricate iron work balustrades, large brick terraces and a heated swimming pool.

Mister Cage, a man who owns more properties than Your Mama cares to count, has lately been lightening his fat real estate portfolio. Not only did he recently sell off his big-ass bay front mansion in Newport Beach, CA for a reported $35,000,000, he has also recently listed a huge house in Las Vegas (with an asking price of $9,500,000), the gorgeously rambling Gray Craig estate in Rhode Island (listed at $15,900,000), and his legendary Bel Air residence on Copa de Oro road which currently carries and asking price of $29,999,000.

One has to wonder (and privately snicker and speculate) why Mister Cage would chose to list so many high priced properties at a time when real estate prices are headed down the proverbial terlit. Should we soon expect his 500-year old Bavarian Schloss to hit the market? Or what about the private Bahamian island he's rumored and reported to own? Or the castle outside of Bath, England? So what gives Mister Cage? Why sell now? With 12 film project in post production, filming or scheduled to be filmed, it can't be that he needs the dough, right?

Don’t tell anyone but Artie Colors Outside the Lines!

 

 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the best part of blogging is the friends you meet along the way.  Artie, an ex-pat Texan, is one such new friend.  He writes the charming blog Color Outside the Lines, a daily diary of his decorating issues with his house in upstate New York.  He also writes about gardening, entertaining, designing jobs he takes on, and recipes thrown in for good measure.  He describes himself as a “jack of all trades” and for sure he fits that bill.  He is young, very young, and talented, very talented, with a long life and career ahead of himself.  He’s funny and self deprecating and very sweet at that!   He loves HGTV’s Rate My Space and writes clever stories about his misadventures there.  He also launched a successful contest which was quite a hit with the winner receiving a very generous gift certificate to Calico Corners.  

Recently Artie asked if he could interview moi, thinking that I might know something about decorating worth hearing.  Too funny!!   To read Artie’s interview with me, go here. 

In the meantime – below are some of my favorite pictures Artie has posted of his work:

 

 

Artie recently made this charming lamp himself – he even posted his how-to instructions.  Using driftwood in design is all the rage today.  This natural material with it’s silvery tones fits right into the gray interiors everyone seems to love right now.   Readers of Cote de Texas will remember that Sally Wheat also makes objects out of driftwood. 

 

Artie and his partner Scott recently hosted a guest from out of town.   Naturally Artie fretted about getting his guest room in order.  Here is the room as it looked awaiting the out of towner.  Instead of a typical headboard Artie used a mural he had purchased before.  White sheets, khaki duvet and kilim pillows finished up the tailored look.  So nice Artie!

 

Across from the bed in the guest room are these bookcases that Artie recently refinished.  He arranged his books by color which is a very hip thing to do right now.  He stained the exterior of the bookcases and painted the interiors a shade of rust to go with the other colors in the guest room.  You need to see how these bookcases looked before they were refurbished to appreciate how the talented Artie fixed them up:

 

Hard to believe, but this is how the book cases originally looked before Artie remade them.  He also posted step by step instructions to copy.  Most everyone I know either owns bookshelves like this or did at one time and they could benefit with a makeover too.   They look great now Artie !!!

 

 

This summer Artie set up this tent in his backyard in anticipation of a dinner party he was having.

 

Here is a peek inside the tent right before the party.

 

Here’s how the table was set for the party - notice how he laid bands of burlap over a black tablecloth creating the striped effect.  Artie reported the party was a success and that eating inside the tent was magical!

 

Thanks Artie for everything!    To read my interview by Artie,  please go here.