«Forget the sprawling suburban mansion with tennis court and swimming pool–from New York to Los Angeles, Miami to Chicago, the visionary home owners featured within these pages have created legendary, livable residences right in the heart of the city. From an artist’s warren of studios in New York City–crowned by a magnificent rooftop garden draped with wisteria arbors–to a 16,000-square-foot château in Chicago with a master bedroom created from a former ballroom, these spaces are truly spectacular. They are also warm, friendly, and original. In short, they are real-life homes–but with many more rooms and amenities than most urban dwellings. «Majestic Metropolitan Living» offers a tour through these unique and beautifully designed interiors. Their visionary owners have reinvented the original spaces, combining apartments or turning former warehouses and other nonresidential buildings into comfortable family homes. They include: • A bright, breezy French-country-style family home in a former Russian embassy that offers views of the San Francisco skyline and an indoor basketball court for the children • A tony penthouse apartment in Miami with more than 4,000 square feet of terrace space and a pool 500 feet in the sky • A former hat factory in downtown Manhattan, now a space-age family home where the three children hold rock-band practice Decorated by some of the top designers and architects today, from Thomas O’Brien to David Easton, Matt Baird to Daniel Romualdez, and with artistic owners like Loree Rodkin, Denise Rich, and Izhar Patkin, these spaces brim with ideas that can be translated for interiors of any size. «Majestic Metropolitan Living» is a visual feast for anyone who has ever dreamed of creating an inventive, beautiful, and personal oasis in the city.»

An Intimate Look at L.A.’s Hottest Trendsetters and the Inspiring Spaces They Live InRooted in innovation, aspiration, and tradition, daring in its scale and often in its luxury, Los Angeles style is unique. Nothing expresses these values more strikingly or more beautifully than the homes of L.A.’s hippest and most influential set: the designers, artists, stylists, and entrepreneurs whose tastes lead the way for American style.“Just like the people who live here, Hollywood homes reflect a creativity and sensibility that is rarely seen elsewhere... With Hip Hollywood Homes, Sue Hostetler has given us a chance to peek inside some of the most uniquely designed residences in Los Angeles.” Courteney Cox Arquette“What does the word ‘hip’ mean, anyway? The reason I choose to live in Los Angeles is that I’m inspired by the architecture here by the freedom of so many choices Angelenos have in how they want to live, both visually and emotionally. Style is so personal here. To me, everything about Los Angeles is about freedom and that's hip!” Sharon Stone“Hollywood used to be all about cheese and glitz and schlock. What happened? Every house in this book is so hip and groovy you just want to move right in.” Simon Doonan, Creative Director, Barneys New York.