He's already rumored to be building the most expensive yacht in the world, now The Telegraph reports that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is working on a home that will be the most expensive private residence in Britain. The home in Knightsbridge, London will join two existing townhouses that are currently divided into apartments in Lowndes Square. The two-houses will be combined into one eight-bedroom home with a home theater, indoor swimming pool and steam room on eight stories total. The home is expected to be worth around £150 million when complete which actually makes it less expensive than the planned One Hyde Park Development. Abramovich will be keeping the classical exterior of the homes much the same but plans to rehab the interior in Russian opulence with the latest and greatest that money can buy.Posts with tag mansion
Abramovich Plans London Palace
He's already rumored to be building the most expensive yacht in the world, now The Telegraph reports that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is working on a home that will be the most expensive private residence in Britain. The home in Knightsbridge, London will join two existing townhouses that are currently divided into apartments in Lowndes Square. The two-houses will be combined into one eight-bedroom home with a home theater, indoor swimming pool and steam room on eight stories total. The home is expected to be worth around £150 million when complete which actually makes it less expensive than the planned One Hyde Park Development. Abramovich will be keeping the classical exterior of the homes much the same but plans to rehab the interior in Russian opulence with the latest and greatest that money can buy.McAfee's Mansion For Sale Again
While browsing through real estate listings searching for an estate of the day I came across a rather familiar home. The McAfee mansion in Woodland Park, Colorado, which sold at auction for $5.72 million back in May, is now back on the market. At the time the mansion and 280-acre estate were expected to sell for $20 million but Jeffrey Patrick Wu, a 29-year-old Chicago commodities trader got himself quite a deal. At the time Wu said he planned to use the mansion as a vacation home. Yet here we are seven months later and the mansion is listed at $8.9 million. It would be a nice return on his investment if he gets that price. Check out the pictures from when it was our estate of the day here.
Penderyn, Estate of the Day
It might look like an old English manor but Penderyn along the Wye River in Queenstown, Maryland was built in the 1980s. The Palladian lines of the home are designed to make it look like a contemporary of the 1780's Wye Hall manor. The nine-bedroom brick manor sits on a 17-acre peninsula with its own pier. The estate is named after a village in Wales. The Wye River is also named after the Wye River in Wales. The home has a 60-foot long arched hall lined with busts, urns and jars. The home is full of all sorts of antiquities including a 19th-century English chandelier by Perry and most of the fireplace fronts in the home are antique pieces from country estates in England. Other features include a bar, an observatory, formal drawing room and a marble foyer. This home is listed at $14.9 million.
Gallery: Penderyn
Erich Ginder Mansion Chandelier
It may look like intricately carved wood, but this magnificent chandelier is actually made from laser-cut aluminum, glass and stainless steel. Halogen bulbs illuminate faux candles and the result is a glowing spectacle that is surely fit for a mansion. If you don't actually have a mansion in which to hang this chandelier, you will at least need a very large room as the fixture measures 3 feet across. Suspended by aircraft cables and available in several colors , this made-to-order chandelier sells for $3,700.
Babcock Mansion, Estate of the Day
Pittsburgh recently made the Forbes list of most affordable cities. The probably weren't thinking about the high end of the market but there are deals there too. Check out the Babcock Mansion, a vintage beauty in the Shadyside area that dates back from the 1880s. The elegantly columned home was designed by Pittsburgh Architect George Orth for the founders of the Babcock Lumber company. The home has entertained presidents, Madam Curie, Mary Pickford and a host of others. The home has five bedrooms and all sorts of period details including stained glass, ten exquisite fireplaces, hardwood floors, chandeliers and ornate ceilings. It's gorgeous although as we often see with older homes, it might not work for those with more modern wishes like a home theater and a massive bathroom. It is listed at just $1.85 million. After the jump, walls that whisper history.
Macao Will Get A Playboy Mansion
China's Las Vegas, Macao has taken another step toward luring tourists to the playtime destination. The Playboy Mansion Macao will be a 40,000 square-foot entertainment destination that will include a Hugh M. Hefner Villa for overnight stays. The Macao Mansion will be a part of the Macao Studio City complex and will pay homage to Hef's legendary Holmby Hills home. There is even a contemporary interpretation of the Playboy pool and the infamous grotto. And yes, there will be bunnies. It seems that the Playboy clubs, which were phased out back in the early 1990s are back in a new form with both this location and the Playboy Club at the Palms. The Mansion should open in late 2009. As, the Guardian notes, Playboy magazine itself is banned in China so this might be more of a draw for the international crowd.
New Orleans Mansion, Estate of the Day
I know, it's hurricane season once again but check out this beautiful New Orleans home. It was built around 1913 and designed by architect Emile Weil. The home is full of vintage details (the ornate windows alone are stunning). The home is located on a private and gated street off of St. Charles Ave. and has its own pool. The master suite has an elaborate marble bathroom. This home is listed at $4.5 million. After the jump, the perfect setting to read an Anne Rice novel.
Beechwood Manor, Estate of the Day
Today's estate is more than just an estate, it's a business that gives a peek into what life in Newport during the Gilded Age was like. Beechwood was home to the legendary Astor family. It was build in 1851 by architect Calvert Vaux and landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing for New York dry-goods merchant Daniel Parish. The Astors hired Richard Morris Hunt, who added the ultimate Gilded Age accessory, a ballroom with mirrored walls, gilt ornamentation and crystal chandeliers. The home is approximately 19,000 square feet with 15 bedrooms. The home currently hosts weddings and Victorian tours and events but could easily be home to one family again, hopefully one that would keep the home from being a relic and yet preserve it's charm. It is listed at $16 million. After the jump, own the legend, be a legend.
McAfee Mansion Sells For A Song
Thanks to a tip from our reader Gini, I learned that one lucky man got a crazy good deal on the gorgeous McAfee mansion in Colorado. Jeffrey Patrick Wu, a 29-year-old Chicago commodities trader picked up the house for just $5.72 million, way below the expected $20 million. Wu, who is originally from Colorado, plans to use the 280-acre estate as a vacation home.
In an article in the Rocky Mountain News, McAfee is quoted as saying that the owner got an excellent deal. McAfee is not new to the auction game, he has auctioned three other properties in the past three years. Bidding started at $15 million but dropped all the way down to $3 million when no one bid. The deal also included the furnishings for the home. It's simply amazing that all that land and all that house sold for this little, I was expecting it to easily hit $15 million or more.
LeBron James Plans A Massive Home
The word "massive" really has its work cut out when it comes to describing the new house basketball player LeBron James is building himself and plans to move into next summer. In addition to absolutely "massive" living spaces like a two-story walk-in closet off the master suite, and not only a huge "great room" but an even bigger "grand room" as well, James really outdoes himself (and the rest of the neighborhood) with a casino, a bowling alley, and a barbershop included in the over 35,000 sq feet of house plans.Throw in a Starbucks and a gas station and he can upgrade from "massive home" to "small town."
Building 'Green' in a Big Way: The EcoManor
With global warming becoming such an unavoidably huge issue, pretty much everybody has a soft spot for all things "eco." But that being said, not everybody takes it quite as far as Ted Turner's daughter, Laura Turner Seydel, and her husband did when they decided to built the biggest environmentally friendly home in the United States, the EcoManor.
It wasn't cheaper to build, although with features like recycled water from the showers irrigating the drought-resistant lawn, and rainwater-filled toilets, it will be cheaper to maintain -- 80 to 90 percent cheaper than other homes of similar size in the area. And with beautiful white linen wallpaper (made of recycled newspaper, of course) and natural lighting via solar tubes, the Seydels didn't have to sacrifice any style while they were doing their part to help the environment.
Woolworth Mansion, Estate of the Day
The department store F.W. Woolworth built some pretty impressive homes in the early 1900s. While his own home, the beautiful Winfield Hall in Glen Cove, New York, has fallen on hard times, the home he built for his daughter Edna on the Upper East Side has fared better. This 14-room residence is in a 25' x 94' townhouse designed by C.P.H. Gilbert.The home is in mint condition and has five bedrooms, a formal dining room and a dark and sumptuous paneled library. It is listed at $23.45 million. After the jump, be sure to look up while eating in the dining room.
Own the Real Haunted Mansion
Disney fans take note: the house that was the inspiration behind the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland is up for sale. The Harry Packer Mansion was built in 1874 and is in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, a town that is known for its appreciation of Victorian architecture. Despite appearances (and the fact that it is currently used to host Murder Mystery Weekends), the current owners assure prospective buyers that the interior "is anything but spooky," with high ceilings, Tiffany stained glass windows, marble fireplaces, period antiques and fabrics. The mansion is about 4,500-sq. ft. and is priced at $1.75 million.
[the disney blog via boing boing]
A Metallica Mansion, Estate of the Day
Via the gossip watchers at ONTD comes this celebrity-owned beauty. This moody masterpiece belongs to Kirk Hammett, the guitarist for Metallica. The home, located in Pacific Heights is a Georgian home dating back to around 1899. This exquisite example of classic San Franciscan excess is located on a hill and offers privacy and a touch of mystery. The home's facade matches well with the interior's velvet and burgundy style. The home has large rooms with details of carved wood ceilings, wainscoting and French doors. Newer touches can be seen in the gleaming appliances and granite countertops in the kitchen. The master suite has views out to the Bay. Special rooms include a billiard room, bar and cigar/wine room and a music studio. The home is one of San Francisco's treasures and is listed at $12.5 million. After the jump, the perfect shade of rock star red.
Venetian in Naples, Estate of the Day
New Florida McMansions can often leave me cold but this one has one thing that really endears me to it, an expansive enclosed lagoon pool area that includes a spa, koi pond and an outdoor kitchen. The two-story five bedroom home also has a a club room, library/office, yoga/meditation room, servants suite and a three-car plus golf cart and a one and two-car garage. The house was built in 2004 and is full of echoing marble floors, faux finishes galore and a style that is classic Florida lavish with a bit of a faux French kick (it looks like the refrigerator is tucked into an armoire in the ktichen). The home is listed at $10.5 million. After the jump, do you think the neighbors would mind if you decided to live outdoors.
