Ciaotraveler

Sophia Loren, one of the most beautiful and talented Italian actors, was promised and received the most lavish villa in Rome from her husband, Carlo Ponti.  This sprawling estate may be seen on Daily Mail See  here ... They had more than one home...this one below is in Capri taken when I visited in 2012.  It's located on the opposite side of the island where the Marina Piccola (small marina) is located.  Truly wonderful location for a wonderful star...see my Capri here        

Front courtyard Venice Beach, CA., Garden and Home Tour featuring the homes or gardens with Art Studios on the premises. Part II is linked at the bottom of this post. Children's Book Illustrator-Artist Micah Linton Garden and studio at his home Front patio and Mediterranean style home Continue...

I've featured George Clooney's Lake Como villa in a previous post but now visit George and wife's British country estate near London...see it at  Lonny .

This looks like a beautiful English cottage estate but it really belongs to Larry David, the producer/actor who recently sold this mansion in Pacific Palisades, CA.  Its worth checking out the large rustic kitchen... here Redfin Realty

Lakefront traditional elegance on Lake Como here          Wall St.Journal See my Lake Como photos and George Clooney  here See more Lake Como villas in my "explore contents" tab

This luxury villa is located in Positano along the Amalfi Coast in Italy. See this beautiful expansive sea villa  here ... (Wall Street Journal) For more beauty of Positano look here

Would you think this charming rustic red brick carriage home with the blue shutters may be English, French or European maybe?  This stylish cutie is located in  Brooklyn Heights. It's  a cozy 700 square feet over two floors, has a living area and kitchen on the first floor and a bedroom, home office, and a bath on the second.  It was featured on Curbed for sale at a lofty $995,000.  Lets compare the Celeste Blue shuttered house to similar ones in France .  It's always fun to look--continue...

We've seen the front of this Studio City villa near Los Angeles where supposedly the Kardashians lived this past season, but did you know its not really their home?  The villa, known as The Piazza di Sono, was i nspired by the Medici castle in Florence.  The Kardashians don't want the front of their real home recognized so they use this one instead.  By the way, it's also been used in True Blood.  I always thought the Kardashian interior design, which is mostly a black and white contemporary theme with a marble white kitchen, didn't match the exterior design of this villa.  The villa is very ornate traditional and currently for sale.  See it here at Curbed  here .   Do ya' think reality doesn't mean real?  Quite the puzzle...

This beautiful 1930's villa is located on the banks of Lake Como, Italy, directly opposite of the famous Villa d'Este.  It occupies one acre of land and is offered for sale (must call for the price) by Sotheby's.  I'm there!  Just a few of the magnificent villas available through Sotheby's International Properties.

The Move Channel real estate Some of the most beautiful properties are featured in the many real estate sites on the internet.  One such site is Your Life in Provence...

Irish Chef Extraordinaire, Bobby Flay, and wife, actress Stephanie March, have opened up their new home in the Hamptons for a look-see.  Ms. March took charge of the project that was just recently completed according to Elle Decor, publisher of the photos... 

Bramasole, the Cortona villa from Under the Tuscan Sun is rentable now for a mere several thousand a night...  See it here ...(from Curbed and Hooked on Houses) See my posts on Tuscany and the Sun movie Cortona . Tuscany weddings Tuscany provence Filmed in Italy Perfect  Positano

Lovely maison de maitre with garden  bordering a canal in Capestang, France...

Flipping through the French real estate market, I found these lovely decorative French cottages.   I created the palette for future projects.  Voila les coloeurs...

The colors of European cottages and buildings are full of charm and rustic authenticity.  Many are built of stone and finished with wood shutters and  a splash of color. Some of these properties are currently for sale or up for home exchange... Morbihan, France

Dwell photo While Amsterdam is known for its houseboat living, this one is exceptionally well designed. This couple did it the right way with clean lines, textured walls, open rooms and an overall contemporary comfort.  I think this would be a great place for my retirement!

Ever thought about swapping homes for a much needed vacation?  Many travelers are doing this every year to save money or to have a more personal experiences.  There are many services that handle these vacation home exchanges.  What a great way to see the world...more houses...

Gwyneth Paltrow has become quite the chef and now has a beautiful new kitchen in Los Angeles (among many including London)...more on her beautiful home at Hooked on Houses here .

London has by far the biggest concentration of ultra-wealthy people in Europe, according to a report by high-net-worth research firm Wealth-X—though about 60% of sales go to non-U.K. citizens. There are 5,955 ultra-wealthy individuals in London. This compares to 2,850 ultra-wealthy people in Paris and 1,775 in Zurich. Ultra-high-net-worth individuals can be defined as those with over $30 million in investable assets.

Scrolling through the real estate for sale ads in Europe(France, above) ,  I found these lovely fresh paint colors for houses and to use as accents.   I added some color swatches to match these homes for sale.  Now that its almost Spring, I want to paint the outside of my place!  See more...