Luxe Living

Here’s a good one from the real estate rumor mill: according to reports, Beyoncé has plunked down close to $6 million on an opulent Houston, Texas, mansion for mom, Tina Knowles. If you haven’t stayed close to the Knowles’ family drama in the past few years, you may not have heard that Tina split from long-time husband (and former Beyoncé manager) Matthew Knowles after she found out that he fathered a love child with another woman during an 18-month-long affair. There’s no forgiving and forgetting in that family, so the duo split for keeps, and Tina’s now a ‘single lady.’

Lucky for mama, Beyoncé knows that a change can do a woman good, and a new house means a serious change of scenery.

The home, which was listed as a short sale, is the epitome of resort-style living. Nestled in a very private location in affluent Houston, the estate is built with striking Italian and French architecture and looks out onto views of lush gardens and sculpted granite.

Throughout the property, you’ll find state-of-the-art lighting, audio, security, and HVAC systems. The entryway is punctuated with suspended staircases, and just beyond, you’ll find a mirrored elevator, granite floors with marble, interior cast stone columns, malachite inlays, wide walnut and cherry floors, soaring seamless-glass windows, gold-plated fixtures and more.

That definitely sounds like a home fit for a ‘diva.’

As one of the music industry’s most powerful dynamic duos, valued at a net worth of around $750 million between the two, it’s no surprise new parents Jay-Z and Beyonce, along with their 7-month old baby girl Blue Ivy, can afford to live a lavish lifestyle. But just in case you ever doubted these two for even just one second, hip hop’s Bonnie and Clyde are here to remind us yet again that they’re still very much “big pimpin” and “spendin that cheese.”

According to the NY Post, the couple have reportedly zeroed in on a famous Hamptons vacation home to rent for the month of August, shelling out $400K to lounge around mega-builder Joe Farrell’s million dollar “Sandcastle” playhouse. Made famous for its out-of-this-world amenities and lonely-love-seeking-billionaire clientele, the mansion is actually listed on the market for $43.5 million, however is available for rent in the interim –  only to those of the likes of Jay-Z and B, of course.

Sitting on 11.5 acres in coveted Bridgehampton South, the 31,000 square-foot, three level estate oozes luxury and entertainment and drops even the most privileged of jaws. Its standout amenities include a 10-seat theater with interactive seats, a baseball field, 2-lane bowling alley, skateboard half pipe, squash and racket ball court, karaoke stage and bar, 60-foot heated pool with underwater stereo system, sunken tennis court, virtual golf course, and a “children’s performing area.” The media room includes 5 plasma TV’s and the in-house spa comes complete with Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and massage area. For guests, a two-bedroom apartment houses four comfortably. Among the estate’s over-the-top features, you can find 12 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms for those interested in actually sleeping during their stay.

Jay-Z and Beyonce might be wondering where the private landing strip is located, given the new Jet Beyonce purchased for her hubby this past Father’s Day. Although that feature has yet to be built, we believe there are plenty of perks to make up for it with this dream-come-true Empire State vacation home!