In 2018, Ron Burkle bought Bob Hope’s 5-acre Los Angeles estate for $15 million; after restoring it while preserving Hope’s oak library and golf hole, he sold it for $26 million in 2023

In 2018, Ron Burkle bought Bob Hope's 5-acre Los Angeles estate for $15 million; after restoring it while preserving Hope's oak library and golf hole, he sold it for $26 million in 2023

An iconic piece of Hollywood history in Los Angeles has changed hands for $26 million (£20 million) after undergoing a sensitive multi-year restoration project. American businessman Ron Burkle acquired the sprawling five-acre Toluca Lake compound that once belonged to the legendary entertainer Bob Hope in 2018 for $15 million (£11.5 million). Following a meticulous restoration … Read more

Billionaire Ron Burkle bought Frank Lloyd Wright’s earthquake-damaged Ennis House for about $4.5 million, roughly 70% below its original ask, then spent up to $17 million restoring it before it sold for $18 million

Billionaire Ron Burkle bought Frank Lloyd Wright’s earthquake-damaged Ennis House for about $4.5 million, roughly 70% below its original ask, then spent up to $17 million restoring it before it sold for $18 million

Photo credit (L-R): Burkle Foundation and the MLS Billionaire investor Ron Burkle purchased Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House in Los Feliz for about $4.5 million in 2011, roughly 70 percent below its original asking price, after the landmark had been damaged by earthquakes and heavy rains. He then spent up to $17 million on a … Read more

Researchers studying ageing in mice found that declining cellular recycling helps ‘zombie cells’ evade immune clearance; restoring the process improved their removal and reduced age-related inflammation

Researchers studying ageing in mice found that declining cellular recycling helps 'zombie cells' evade immune clearance; restoring the process improved their removal and reduced age-related inflammation

Experiments in mice found that declining CMA affects senescent cells and the macrophages that clear them. (Representational photo) Researchers studying ageing in mice have identified a cellular process that may help explain why what are called ‘zombie cells’ become harder for the body to remove as it gets older. The new study led by researchers … Read more

In 2014, Shonda Rhimes bought a 1923 Hancock Park mansion for $8.8 million; after restoring and expanding it, she sold the 12,000-sq-ft estate for a record $21 million in 2022

In 2014, Shonda Rhimes bought a 1923 Hancock Park mansion for $8.8 million; after restoring and expanding it, she sold the 12,000-sq-ft estate for a record $21 million in 2022

Rhimes purchased the mansion from actress Patricia Heaton, best known for Everybody Loves Raymond. Over the following seven years, she undertook an extensive restoration and redesign, turning the historic property into a home that balanced its original character with a more contemporary sense of space and light. There are houses that make a statement, and … Read more

Garth Stein bought a 1924 Seattle house in 2001 and spent 25 years restoring and updating it while raising three children; with the family now downsizing, the 3,970-sq-ft ‘forever house’ is asking $2.45 million

Garth Stein bought a 1924 Seattle house in 2001 and spent 25 years restoring and updating it while raising three children; with the family now downsizing, the 3,970-sq-ft ‘forever house’ is asking $2.45 million

Pic credit: Luca Sforza of Lensit Studio Bestselling author Garth Stein has listed his ‘forever house’ in Seattle. Stein is best known for his 2008 bestseller The Art of Racing in the Rain, which was adapted into a film in 2019. Seven years before the fame, Stein and his wife, filmmaker Andrea Perlbinder Stein, bought … Read more

After more than 50 years of pulp-mill pollution, regulators have proposed restoring North Carolina’s Roanoke River, including contaminated floodplain habitat damaged by toxic discharges

After more than 50 years of pulp-mill pollution, regulators have proposed restoring North Carolina's Roanoke River, including contaminated floodplain habitat damaged by toxic discharges

The Plymouth Mill began operating in 1937 as a wood and paper products manufacturing facility. Over subsequent decades, industrial operations at the site resulted in hazardous substances being released into groundwater, soil, Welch Creek and the Roanoke River (Image Credit: Domtar) For more than half a century, pollution from a pulp and paper mill has … Read more

Ann Hammond spent years restoring her 12-acre Iowa property with native habitat; years later, a federally endangered bumblebee appeared among her flowers

Ann Hammond spent years restoring her 12-acre Iowa property with native habitat; years later, a federally endangered bumblebee appeared among her flowers

Representative image Image credits: Wikimedia Commons For years, Ann Hammond worked to transform her 12-acre Iowa property into a welcoming place for native plants and wildlife. The effort eventually brought an extraordinary visitor to her flowers: a rusty patched bumblebee, a species listed as federally endangered in the United States. As reported by Iowa Public … Read more

Volunteers spent 16 years restoring a damaged Arizona desert; 133 native plant species now thrive where invasive grass once ruled

Volunteers spent 16 years restoring a damaged Arizona desert; 133 native plant species now thrive where invasive grass once ruled

An 18-acre stretch of Arizona desert that was once heavily disturbed and overrun by invasive buffelgrass has been transformed through 16 years of sustained restoration work by volunteers and conservation partners. The Waterman Restoration Project, located on Bureau of Land Management land within Ironwood Forest National Monument near Marana, began in 2010 after earlier attempts … Read more

In 1970, George Harrison bought Friar Park and revived its forgotten gardens; after his death, wife Olivia continued restoring its Victorian beauty

In 1970, George Harrison bought Friar Park and revived its forgotten gardens; after his death, wife Olivia continued restoring its Victorian beauty

In 1970, George Harrison bought Friar Park and discovered a grand Victorian estate whose once-famous gardens had fallen into neglect. Weeds, ivy and brambles had taken over parts of the grounds, the lake needed repairs, and the carefully shaped yews had grown into dense, unruly masses. Harrison set about restoring the landscape, clearing vegetation and … Read more

In 2021, a North Yorkshire estate began restoring 2,500 acres of intensively farmed land; four years later, 330,000 trees and 1,700+ species mark its comeback

In 2021, a North Yorkshire estate began restoring 2,500 acres of intensively farmed land; four years later, 330,000 trees and 1,700+ species mark its comeback

Nature recovery at Broughton Sanctuary Four years after moving 2,500 acres of North Yorkshire farmland away from intensive farming, conservation teams at Broughton Sanctuary have recorded more than 1,700 species and planted 330,000 trees across the estate. According to the Broughton Sanctuary State of Nature Recovery Report, published in December 2025, 80 per cent of … Read more