Luxury House Design | Luxury Home Design

Revisiting Chateau Du Lac

2009-05-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

I covered this one a year ago but since it has had a $4 million price reduction and there are new pictures I figured it was worth a second look. Chateau Du Lac is far and away the most lavish property in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin. In fact when it hit the market it instantly became the biggest and the most expensive home for sale in Wisconsin history.

The 35,000 square foot chateau is located on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. Jaw-dropping features include the grand parlor, two story library, plush red art deco theatre, the indoor pool and spa with Jerusalem pavers and the 5,700 square foot, seven-room master suite. It comes furnished right down to autographed first edition books, and multiple sets of china, silver and crystal. The 100-acre estate also includes a guest house, a separate studio house, and a separate beach house with steps that lead to a sun pier on the shores of Lake Michigan. It is now listed at $25 million but that may still be an ambitious price unless there is the perfect buyer out there with a love of faux finishes and floral wallpaper.

Luxury Home : Montgomery Township

2009-05-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

I love this one. A classic 1800s New Jersey farmhouse that has been given a classically lovely updating. The six-bedroom house is one 47 acres in Montgomery Township but the home boasts a Princeton mailing address. The grounds include a tennis court with a gazebo and cutesy blobs of shrubbery and a pool with a large pool house. The six bedroom main house includes a formal dining room, eat-in kitchen and plenty of rooms stuffed with cozy couches that are placed for conversation not for television watching. In fact I didn't spot a single giant television in any of the listing pictures, instead there is art over the fireplace. Truly beautiful.

Luxury Home : Casa San Miguel

2009-05-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today's home is a bit of re-imagined Morocco tucked into the Mexican countryside in San Miguel de Allende. The home was designed by local architect, Juan Manual Barbosa and features high vaulted ceilings, columns and arches. Hand forged light fixtures and iron railings, antique Morrocan wood doors and Cantera stone columns add to the oasis-like feel. The home is being sold with the furnishings which include many twinkling chandeliers, plush sofas and a marquetry dining room table set.

The home includes a fully outfitted theater and a master suite with his and hers bathrooms. There is an office overlooking the gardens and a guest wing with three bedrooms. Outdoor seating areas are located near fountains, ponds and a tile pool and the rooftop offers wide-ranging views.

Luxury Home : A Chateau In Chicago

2009-05-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've seen a property quite like this in Chicago before. I haven't been able to dig up too much information but the listing says that this chateau-style home was built by Landry Design, the same group behind Lenny Dykstra's California home. The Chicago chateau was done on a lavish scale and has a huge rotunda, formal dining room, salon/spa, wine cellar, library and more all done on a grand scale and decorated in an elaborate style. Columns, chandeliers, ornate stone fireplaces and swaths of drapery all create a very fancy setting. And a very fancy price.

Luxury Home : Steven Hilton in Malibu

2009-05-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

Philanthropist Steven M. Hilton may be most famous for being Paris and Nicky's uncle but he's also the the president and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Berg Properties Big Time Listings reports that he has listed a lovely four-bedroom contemporary home in the Ramirez Canyon area of Malibu. The home sits on over two acres and was built in 2000. There are two master bedrooms and dramatic high ceilings accented with skylights. Outside there is a pool and spa with a waterfall and large decks and patios. This is the home which was involved in a thwarted robbery attempt at the end of last year just days after Hilton's niece Paris was robbed. Hilton bought the home in 2002 for $1.625 million but wants $2.96 million for the home now.

Luxury Home : A Hollywood Lawyer in Bel Air

2009-05-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Today's estate is the secluded retreat of Hollywood lawyer Peter Nelson. The LA Times Hot Property column reports that the dealmaker bought the home in 1997 for $2.1 million and spent more than $1 million in improvements. The traditional home sits on nearly 1.75 acres with ocean and city views. The four-bedroom home has a relaxed style that the listing likens to a Hamptons vacation home. Key features include a large family room, brick-accented country kitchen and a formal dining room.

Luxury Home : East 82nd Street

2009-05-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

New York City's East 82nd Street is home to another plum real estate deal. Last month we saw Laurence Salander's townhouse on the street which has had a price drop over $9 million. Today's townhouse on the same street has seen a similar price plummet from $40 million in 2008 to $29.5 million today. Cityfile reports that the home was once bought by billionaire Ron Perelman as a home for one of his executives back in 1996 and was later bought by private investor Keith Gollust.

The townhouse was built by architect Henry Andersen in 1895. The limestone exterior sets the tone for a home which is the embodiment of vintage grace, a true grande dame of the city. The home has 14-foot ceilings, five fireplaces, hardwood floors and six floors served by an elevator. The home gets lots of sunlight, a fact that is enhanced by the lemon and cream decor in many of the rooms.

Luxury Home : Pioneer Springs Ranch

2009-05-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today's estate is located in the Snowmass Village area of scenic and still pricey Aspen, Colorado. The home was built in 2004 by the current owner and is being sold for the first time. The property is on over 40 acres and the grounds offer outdoor entertaining areas with a hot tub, pizza oven and water features. The living space is over 13,000 square feet with seven bedrooms including a master suite with an attached exercise room, walk-in closet, and steam shower in the master bath. There are two media/family rooms, a game room, a private office with a deck and a bar and four-sided fireplace in the living room.

Luxury Home : The Benjamin Mansion

2009-05-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

The Benjamin Mansion is one of the most lavish homes in Boston. The home is located on the flat of the elite Beacon Hill neighborhood directly across from the Boston Public Garden. The residence is an exquisite renovation of an 1828 row house. The home now has six bedrooms, an au pair suite, wine cellar, media room, gym, elevator and a stunning rooftop infinity pool that appears to drop off right into the trees in the garden below. The home blends modern style with certain allowances for the quirks of this grand home. The master bathroom with its huge glass box of a shower is one of the most intriguing bathrooms I've seen in a long time. The home has Smart House technology and an entire house water purification system.

Luxury Home : Chaseholme

2009-05-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

Today's estate, Chaseholme, is located in the heart of the Cornish Art Colony in Cornish, New Hampshire. The Cornish Art Colony had its heyday from 1885 to 1917 and attracted creative types including Maxfield Parrish, Isadora Duncan and President Woodrow Wilson whose made his Harlakenden house in Cornish, his summer White House. Artists were drawn to Cornish's scenery and by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the sculptor who had a large network of students and friends.

The original home was built in 1797 and has been renovated and expanded over the years. The approximately 6,000-square-foot residence now has seven bedrooms and the 13-acre property includes a heated pool, bath house, greenhouse, tennis court and barn. The Federal-style home has eight fireplaces and has been renovated with an eye to keeping the spirit of the original home. Some accommodations for modern tastes have been made, a bathroom with a fireplace in it also boasts a separate shower and spa tub.

Luxury Home : Observatory Circle

2009-05-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

Another big listing has hit the market in Washington DC. This home on Whitehaven Street and currently is owned by Lea and Wayne Berman. Lea was Laura Bush's social secretary, and Wayne is a lobbyist. The grand home shows, as the Washington City Paper put it, a "penchant for patterns" including a room papered in a tartan plaid. The house was designed by Washington architect Nathan C. Wyeth, who also designed the Oval Office and it was also home to part of the art collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, who lived next door. Both homes overlook the British Embassy and its elegant gardens. The eight-bedroom home has classic lines and is perfectly designed for entertaining Washington's elite.

Luxury Home : Pickfair

2009-05-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

We've been covering Pickfair practically since we started this blog and yet never given it full estate of the day treatment. I recently came across the sales website for the estate which features a bumper crop of photos that show how Pickfair is now. The current estate which occupies a prime spot on Summit Drive in Beverly Hills, California and has a $60 million price tag. Unfortunately the home that exists currently bears little if any resemblance to the original.

In the 1920s, this was the most fabled home in America, a stately manor owned by two of the world's most popular stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. This pair, the girl with the curls and the winsome smile, the original "America's Sweetheart" and the man with energetic physicality and devil-may-care smile, the original movie action hero captured the minds of a nation even though their romance was born in scandal. Their home, Pickfair was the stuff of dreams and legends, a place where they entertained anyone of consequence. The couple spent a fortune expanding their home, turning a small hunting cabin into a huge mansion.

The couple expanded the home in the early 1930s with the famed architect Wallace Neff. Eventually the couple divorced and Mary Pickford lived out the rest of her days in seclusion at the home. After her death the home was sold to Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss. The Real Estalker reported last fall when this home went back on the market again that Buss had paid $5,362,500 a huge number for the time. In 1988 he sold to Israeli businessman Meshulam Riklis and his petite sex bomb wife, actress Pia Zadora. They paid $6.675 million for a property smaller than the original 15 acres (just 2.7 acres).

And this is where the story of Pickfair truly ends because the couple tore down most, if not all of the home, saying that it had termites. What went up in its place bears little resemblance to the original home. It is a pastiche of architectural styles and ideas all tangled up in a Las-Vegas-like fantasy of luxury. It is said that the gates are all that remain of the original home. The couple split up and the home was on the market in 2004 for $27 million which was when we first started writing about it. She sold the home in 2005 to businessman Corry Hong for $17.65 million. Flash forward to now and the home is on the market for $60 million.

For your money you essentially get a small hotel, 17 bedrooms, 30 bathrooms and public rooms that are huge, ornate and impersonal. It has a library, home gym, home theater, an indoor spa, a wine cellar and its own nightclub complete with dance floor. The grounds include a swimming pool with a cabana, gardens, fountains and outdoor sculptures which the owner is willing to sell. The fact that the listing doesn't show many of the private rooms may indicate that major renovation is needed. The listing says that it "awaits your updating." It also seems that Mr. Hong is willing to accommodate a variety of arrangements, the property website says that the owner will consider an exchange for "commercial property, business or other." Even with that offer, I think this one will eventually end up on the list of the biggest real estate price cuts. I'd be amazed if it sold for more than $35 million.

The Las Vegas Parade of Homes Still Showcasing Luxury

2009-05-04T06:55:00.001-07:00

Though prices have dropped by as much as 45 percent in Las Vegas the annual Parade of Homes is still being held. The tour of 12 homes showcases the latest luxury mansions. THis years homes are located in the luxury communities surrounding Las Vegas including neighborhoods such as Red Rock Country Club, MacDonald Highlands and The Ridges. Some of the homes feature green features such as a photovoltaic system and turf that uses less water. But the homes are still huge with plenty of concrete and glass, marking a turn from the more Mediterranean villa-styled McMansions of the last couple years. The parade of homes runs through May 10 and tickets are $10.

Luxury Grovenor House Condo

2009-05-04T06:53:00.000-07:00

Today's home is another mansion in the sky in Miami. This home in Grovenor House is a five-bedroom home which includes a luxurious outdoor rooftop sanctuary that has a heated infinity edge pool, full service kitchen and walls of stone with flowing waterfalls, ample sunbathing areas and of course, a stunning view. The home has balconies and plenty of windows, spa-like bathrooms and a spiral wood and glass staircase. It's heavy on the beige and light wood but the built-ins in the living room are quite nice and given the gorgeousness of the outdoor area, why go inside anyway? This home is listed at $16.9 million.

$35 Million Manhattan Townhouse Up For Auction

2009-05-04T06:48:00.000-07:00

Manhattan's luxury real estate continues to be a bit precarious. The townhouse at 11 East 74th Street serves as an excellent example. The NY Observer tells the story of this 10,800-square-foot townhouse which will be auctioned off on May 14 with a minimum bid of $15 million. It sounds like a lot but this home was once listed for as much as $35 million. The home with a limestone facade has sixteen rooms with seven bedrooms. Other features include a grand staircase, elevator, three kitchens, rooftop deck, full-floor master suite and more.

The townhouse was bought in 2006 by a family of developers named the Rinzlers who paid $11,230,700. A year later they put it on the market for $35 million, slowly taking the price down million by million to $20.95 million last month. That should all end on May 14, when a new website, Bid on the City, puts the house up for sale. Potential bidders can register for the auction on May 5 and an open house is scheduled for May 4.

Luxury Home : Evermay

2009-05-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

I first mentioned Evermay when it went on sale last fall for $49 million but didn't give it the full estate of the day treatment. Now that it has had a $10 million price chop it seems as good a time as any to take a second look. Evermay, a Georgian Revival estate on 3.58 acres, is Washington D.C.'s priciest home. The 12,000-square-foot house was commissioned in 1801. It created by Samuel Davidson, a businessman and international maritime merchant who once owned more than 150 acres of land in the heart of the city, land eventually occupied by the White House, Treasury, Old Executive Office Building and Lafayette Park. Evermay is located in walking distance to the White House with views of views of the Washington Monument and Rock Creek Park. The eight-bedroom home includes a ballroom and was rented out to a foreign official for the inauguration. The land includes a gatekeepers house and a separate office. This home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Luxurious Residence With Stunning Views Over Los Angeles

2009-05-04T06:44:00.000-07:00

On the market with LA Classic Estates for $4.95 million, the stunning views over the amazing Los Angeles is what makes this luxurious residence well worth the investment. Located at 8400 Grand View Drive, on the exquisite Hollywood Hills, the house is an amazing architectural masterpiece that breathes celebrity lifestyle from any angle. With stone finishes for a (more) natural appeal, lots of steel and glass for the modern theme, state-of-the-art lighting, cantilevered terraces and floating stairs for the spectacular factor, that’s quite the dream home we’ve always imagined. So if anyone’s interested, that’s what I’d spend my $5 million if I were to win the lottery.

Luxury Home : Castillo Del Lago

2009-05-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

Castillo del Lago is one of the legendary homes tucked up into the Hollywood Hills. It was originally built for oil explorer Patrick Longdon but more famously was later the home to mobster Bugsy Siegel who may have turned the castle into a speakeasy. The story gets interesting again when Madonna picks up the home in 1993 for around $5 million and her brother sets to work decorating it for another $3 million. Those rather interesting stripes on the outside? Blame Madonna's brother who says in his memoir that he got the idea from a little church in Portofino. The home has nine bedrooms and the property roams approximately three acres on a hilltop with views of the Hollywood reservoir.

The interior has tall beamed ceilings, cool tile floors, and has a huge spiral staircase for ascending the home's many levels (there is also an elevator). The bright white kitchen includes a vintage O'Keefe and Merrit stove and twin SubZero refrigerator/freezers. For those who prefer a little less light there are also a few rooms that look cool and dark including a long library, paneled billiard room and some sort of cozy space draped in multicolored fabrics. As you might imagine, the tower provides full views as far as the eye can see (or the smog will allow).

Casa Elegante - Pure Luxury

2009-05-04T06:39:00.000-07:00

Casa Elegante is a pure simbol of luxury, that I’ce decided to post under my Dream Homes collection. I know that I didn’t post to much in that category, but this house is really amazing, and I had to post about. Now let’s find a few things about this luxurious home. The home was developed by Laughlin’s Luxury Lifestyles and built by Triangle Construction and is a lavish 14,243 square foot residence. Believe it or not, the listing says this one is a certified green home. There are five bedrooms and the finishes include lots of marble and travertine as well as exotic woods including Brazilian cherry, teak and bamboo.The grounds include a large pool and spa and a dock and boat lift. Now if the pictures that I’ve posted here are not enough you can take a virtual tour of this home by going to this link, and you’ll be able to see a few 360 degrees pictures. Finnaly if you wonder how much a house like this cost …the price is $9.950,000.

Be It Ever so Humble…it’s HOME

2009-04-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

by Linda Hutchinson

There’s no place like home but let’s face it - when it comes to luxury homes, no one is eating humble pie. Most people now think of home as the place where homeowners can strut their stuff.

Home is the new place to show off. With the advent of designer show homes and the popularity of HGTV we have created a sub-culture of decorating wanna-bees who go over the top with the latest in design and luxury touches.

When was the last new home you saw that did not include (a) stainless steel appliances (b) bowl bathroom sinks (c) Mediterranean exterior (d) all of the above. The amazing thing is a lack of originality and the fact that too much is not too much. In a time where the economy is tanking…excess is in. As F. Scott Fitzgerald once said “The rich are different from you and me.”

Humble pie? I don’t think so. It’s home style - supersized!

Outdoor Living Space - The New Luxury Item

2009-04-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

One of the hottest trends we are seeing in Florida is the extension of the home into the outdoors. The new must-have for the luxury homeowner is an outdoor space with pool, fire pit, sofa, pillows, pergolas, and state-of-the art grilling centers. These are now top selling features in upscale homes. Fireplace in the back yard? Not a problem. More and more home buyers are looking for a place to hang out in the fantastic Florida climate and enjoy the day late into the night. I think the high stressed and hard-working homeowners want to enjoy the outdoors to the fullest and the new outdoor living room is just the answer.

When you are thinking back yard…it’s not just a screened pool anymore. It’s a fireplace, a waterfall, a lounge area. It’s so much more. It’s totally zen and a spa-like retreat for the work weary.

Modern backyard landscape design takes the traditional, simple lawn and extends the enjoyable living space of your home into the natural appeal of the outdoors. Today’s outdoor living spaces incorporate all the elements of indoor living, from purposeful living areas to detailed accents, to create a true estate home that is enjoyable throughout.

Creating an outdoor ambience is critical and should compliment your home design and style. It should be a place to entertain, relax and to bond. Look for this trend to continue well into the next few years.

It’s extending home life into the outdoors.

North Korea’s Luxury Hotel

2009-04-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

The Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea’s capital, Pyongyang, closely resembles Kim Yong Il’s unstable, goliath-like, hollow regime.

Even though construction of the hotel began in 1987, the government’s financial difficulties meant that building ceased in 1992, leaving the building with no windows, fixtures or fittings.

This state remained for the next 16 years, until Orascom Group resumed construction in April 2008.

Currently the world’s 24^th tallest building – and at one time would have been the world’s tallest hotel – there are 105 stories reaching 330m (1083ft).

The refurbishment of the hotel is estimated to be completed by 2012, marking the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung (the Great Leader).

Then there is just one more hurdle to overcome – finding guests that will actually pay for the “luxury” of staying in the hermit kingdom’s monolithic masterpiece.