Luxe Living

Much of the Midwest and some of the East Coast is currently mired in a record heat-wave, and ongoing power outages. And with temperatures over 100 degrees again today in St. Louis, it’s time to find a pool for some much needed relief. That’s where this beautiful home on 3 Saint Andrews Drive, comes in.

Situated on 2 acres of land and overlooking the golf course, this 8 bedroom and 9 bathroom property boasts 10,929 square feet of living space. The foyer welcomes guests to the house with a sweeping circular staircase and tall ceilings. Barrel vault ceilings and millwork are prevalent throughout the home, which also features a dining room for entertaining and library.

The large modern kitchen includes two center islands, as well as 3 sinks and work areas, along with top-of-the-line Viking and Jenn-Air appliances. In the same area of the home you’ll find a hearth, breakfast room and a wine room, as well as an office.

The second floor features a master suite with sitting room and fireplace, 2 dressing rooms and a bathroom, 6 additional bedrooms and 5 full bathrooms, as well as a 2-room guest suite.

But perhaps the highlight of the home is the large pool area, which includes a solarium, sport center and luxury custom pool and hot tub, perfect for cooling down as Saint Louis continues to deal with a hot summer.

Summer is upon us and it’s a great time of year to be living the luxury lifestyle. If you are looking for a waterfront compound full of history and posh living quarters, look no further than Newport, Rhode Island. Known for being the location for some of the “Summer White Houses” during the administrations of Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, Newport, Rhode Island is a well-known New England summer resort town and is famous for its Newport Mansions. One of these mansions, called Fairholme, is “a dazzling historic oceanfront estate, superbly sited on 4.3 acres of Newport’s legendary Gilded Age coastline with 425′ of ocean frontage.”

Fairholme is a large waterfront compound that includes a six bedroom carriage house, three interconnected greenhouses, a swimming pool with luxurious cabana pavilion and a manicured outdoor living area overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The main house, which is a Tudor revival masterpiece, was designed by Frank Furness and originally built in 1875.

This well-constructed gem has over 20,000 square feet of living space, with richly textured surfaces, silk covered walls, molded plasterwork and 8 fireplaces, as well as a library, salon and grand ballroom that can seat up to 120 people for dinner.

Upstairs the same attention to detail and comfort is everywhere to be seen in the 2 master bedroom suites and the 9 guest bedrooms. Additionally there are 7 staff bedrooms and 5 large storage rooms located within the staff wing. The second floor is divided into two generous oceanfront master suites, both with private, substantially sized ocean-facing stone terraces, bedrooms, bathrooms, fireplaces, dressing rooms, and custom designed walk-in closets.

Outside on the grounds, prepare to fully unwind and enjoy the summer weather. One highlight is a stunning, fully tiled, infinity edge swimming pool. Adjacent to the pool are two heated marble cabanas, both with full bathrooms and heated floors, a covered veranda, a bar, and an extensive sound system, creating an unmatched setting for entertaining.

To the north of the greenhouses is a 4000+ square foot carriage house with three staff apartments. The garage can accommodate 5 cars; additional features of the building include a gym, an estate office, a staff restroom, a maintenance shop, 2 additional storage rooms and laundry facilities.

Fairholme is simply a special place, and one can almost feel the history amid all the luxury. With a bit of imagination, it’s easy to sense that former guests of the home, such as the Vanderbilts, the Astors or even Jack Kennedy are still there.

With Euro Cup 2012 well underway, and Spain’s ongoing success in the tournament, maybe you caught a little Spanish fever? If you’re in the market for a fine looking Spanish-Style mansion, which are most popular in cities across the American Southwest and Southern California, look no further than Los Angeles. In this town of countless warm, sunny days and fabulous parties, Spanish-Style homes seamlessly blend the inside with the outside and use thick masonry walls coated in stucco and red tile roofs to provide cool comfort and relaxation for family, friends and entertaining. One such property, which can be found on the outskirts of exclusive Bel Air, embodies the best of all .

Gated and private, this Beautiful Spanish-Style Estate with over 9,200 sq.ft. of living space is located on one of the most prominent streets in Lower Bel Air and sited on almost 35,000 sq.ft. of verdant grounds overlooking the Bel Air Country Club golf course.

Enter the estate to a grand 2-story, light-filled foyer. Spacious public rooms include the lovely formal living room, grand formal dining room, library, and family room. The large kitchen is a chef’s dream with professional Viking and Traulsen appliances, center island, and separate breakfast area. The 2nd level of the estate houses all 6 bedrooms, all en suite, including the luxurious master suite with fireplace, sitting area, separate office, and dual baths and walk-in closets. The lower level of the home offers great space for entertaining with media and game room. The grounds are extraordinary with pool, spa, lawns, mature trees, Japanese meditation garden, and European garden with picturesque domed arbor.

So, whether you are living and dying with each moment from Spain’s run to the Euro Cup 2012 championship, or you simply have good taste, this mansion is clearly a goal.

The news just broke that high-flying Oracle CEO Larry Ellison purchased 98% of the island of Lanai – the 6th largest of 8 Hawaiian islands – for more than $500 million. Lanai is 18 miles at its widest and totals 140.5 square miles, with approximately 3,000 residents, but features only one town, Lanai City.

Ellison, meanwhile is one of the most wealthy people in the world, with Forbes listing his net worth at a cool $36 billion. Some of Ellison’s other expensive purchases include a 23-acre Japanese-style estate in Woodside which set him back $200 million and a $194 million yacht, not to mention the $80 million he spent on yacht racing over a recent three year period.

So what about the mere millionaires among us? Well, you too can own some incredible properties that feature large amounts of land and access to the water, without all the headaches and expense of owning and operating an entire island.

For example, there’s this stunning $15 million dollar property in beautiful Santa Barbara (any city with two bars in the name must be great), that features 16.5 acres of secluded beachfront property, and is just minutes from downtown.

Or maybe you want to be closer to the action of Los Angeles? If that’s the case, this $18.9 million dollar ocean front beauty is available in the exclusive town of Malibu.

With either choice, you will be master of your own domain, if not master of your own island. It’s hard being a millionaire.

Vineyard Knolls, an exclusive Napa Valley estate including a personal NCGA nine-holegolf course, is on the market for only the second time since 1989. The estate has an impressive Hollywood and Silicon Valley pedigree. Originally built in the 60′s by David L. Wolper, the Hollywood legend who produced Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Roots, Wolper transformed Napa’s first municipal golf course into a compound for entertaining Hollywood’s elites.

In 1999, Jeff Mallett, former president and COO of Yahoo! purchased Vineyard Knolls and transitioned the one-of-a-kind estate into an exclusive retreat for friends and family, which includes a spectacular Napa-inspired grand residence, separate clubhouse and beautifully landscaped  grounds to fully take advantage of the outdoor wine country lifestyle.

Priced at $17,500,000, the 25-acre property boasts a golf course surrounded by gentle rolling hills and lush estate vineyards. Only 45 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge and 15 minutes from the Napa Airport, Hollywood celebrities and business moguls found safe haven at Vineyard Knolls while discovering the world-class wine, food and recreation the Napa Valley is so famous for.

The property features unparalleled amenities including a nine-hole NCGA golf course, two lakes, a 7,500 square-foot main residence, clubhouse and caretaker’s home. The 4-bedroom main residence makes the best of indoor/outdoor wine country living from its serene setting at the center of the private golf course.

Vineyard Knolls also features a spacious 6,412 square-foot clubhouse which includes an expansive main room for entertaining, featuring a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, commercial kitchen, numerous office and meeting rooms. The St. Andrew’s inspired full bar and seating area opens up to a wrap around sundeck overlooking the 9^th green.

A sapphire swimming pool, tennis court, croquet lawn and open-air pool pavilion provide lounging and dining areas located just outside the clubhouse. The combination of the clubhouse and pool pavilion creates a perfect place for entertaining a large gathering of guests or intimate groups.

Vineyard Knolls golf course is a NCGA sanctioned course and was used as a teaching course by golf’s famous short game guru Dave Pelz. Since 1965 this exclusive 9-hole golf course has hosted many challenging and enjoyable rounds of golf for beginners to PGA professionals.

Vineyard Knolls is listed by Jocelyne Monello of Heritage Sotheby’s International Realty, Sylvia Seufferlein and Hadar Gordon of Sereno Group Real Estate.

Interested in living in a 15,000 square foot home situated on it’s own mini-peninsula? Then Coral Gables has the place for you.

Relax in style as you soak up some sun and take in the view from this lush resort-style estate. Or maybe you want to take the boat for a spin from one of the two docks on the property? Either way, life is good when you are living on the water.

Designed by Chris Fergis and built by Coastal Construction in 1996, this ridiculous 8 bedroom, 10 full and 2 partial bathroom estate has it all. The home boasts a theater, game room and shooting range as well as a gorgeous cherry wood library and observatory for scanning the heavens, with outdoor amenities including a heated pool and spa, along with multiple grottos and almost 1,000 feet of prime waterfront.

Got $21.5M and want to drive into the life of luxury? We have the house for you.

Just listed in Bel Air, CA is this stunning $21,500,000 brand new French Estate with 7-bedrooms, 11-bathrooms and approximately 17,000 square feet on one of the most prestigious streets in lower Bel Air. This sprawling and impressive estate boasts everything one could possibly ask for sophisticated modern living; including a state-of-the-art movie theater, wine cellar, cigar room, indoor pool and spa, enormous master suite with dual baths and spectacular 2-story closets, security room, outstanding gourmet kitchen, guest house, fabulous outdoor spaces with pool and barbeque area, and subterranean garage parking for 6-10 cars – perfect for a serious car enthusiast. Gated and set on a large lot, the breathtaking grounds are lushly landscaped and offer the utmost in privacy. This stunning home has been masterfully designed to the very last detail.

What’s your favorite room in this home?

Built in 1904 for the prominent industrialist and financier Julius Mack, this timeless residence of uncompromising elegance from the Beaux-Arts era is gracefully situated on the corner of one of the City’s premier residential blocks in the heart of Pacific Heights, one of the most pricey and elegant neighborhoods in the City by the Bay.

With extraordinarily unique architectural features, grand-scale rooms, lovely views of the Bay and City lights, and a wonderful quality of light and openness, this Renaissance Revival-style mansion affords an elegant contemporary lifestyle while enjoying the unforgettable glamour and timeless elegance of another era.

This residence’s many amenities include eight bedrooms, seven baths, two powder rooms, seven fireplaces, two libraries, four offices, sitting room, two terraces, formal dining room, kitchen with separate butler’s pantry, ballroom converted into a giant family/entertainment room, and motor court for six to seven cars parking.

Joel Goodrich of Coldwell Banker holds the listing and this stunning home was also featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Megan Ellison is making some serious real estate moves. Before we get into the details, you’re not alone if you’re scratching your head wondering where you know that name. Here’s a hint – focus on the last name…

Got it yet?

Her father is none other than Larry Ellison, the ritchy-rich founder and CEO of Oracle, and also “the nations’s most avid trophy home buyer.”

26-year-old film producer Megan is quite the avid home buyer herself. She purchased this home at 9258 Nightingale Dr. in West Hollywood on February 4, 2008 for $12,600,000. She also sent real estate tongues wagging last year when she purchased the house next door for almost 14 million. Now, this first home on Nightingale Dr. has been listed for $15,500,000.

The home is a “stunning architectural masterpiece” that has been re-built from the ground up with no expense spared. Through glass windows, you can gaze upon downtown to ocean city lights views. Perfect for a movie producer and any other “Hollywood type,” the home has a 20 seat theatre and whole home audio and security. The gated and private home also has a pool, 13 foot ceilings throughout, amazing volume, 8′ wide gallery hallways, poliform kitchen/closet, agape baths and tre-piu doors. According to the listing, nothing like this has ever been built in the hills.

Now for sale in Los Angeles – a piece of rock and roll history: 1567 Blue Jay Way. Known best for inspiring George Harrison‘s song “Blue Jay Way“, this property is in a class of its own. The home can only be reached from downtown Los Angeles via a complicated street route, difficult to navigate on a foggy night — thus creating the backdrop for the opening lines of the song: There’s a fog upon L.A., and my friends have lost their way.”

Now, someone with deep pockets (and perhaps a penchant for music history) can find their way home. Home to the exact property that inspired this famous Beatles song on the Magical Mystery Tour album, to be precise. Harrison rented the home in August 1967 and was inspired to write the song after an evening where The Beatles’ publicist Derek Taylor was late arriving back to the estate.

With 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 4,116 square feet and a pedigree that money can not buy, the sellers are asking $4,599,000. 1567 Blue Jay Way has amazing views, massive walls for art, glass sliding doors that expose house to courtyard with large outdoor space that includes a wrap around patio, fire pit, pool and spa. A massive open floor plan with high ceilings offers tons of lights and the ideal indoor/outdoor living for Los Angeles. It’s well-suited for parties and entertaining. The home also includes a gorgeous screening room, touch screen surround throughout and a 2 car garage with direct entrance. The grand entrance is just the beginning of what this home has to offer in the sought after bird streets. This home in celebrity row is close to all things important in Los Angeles: The Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills and Century City are just minutes away.