Significant Sales | Volume II – Issue VIII
From a timeless Port Royal estate in Florida to a striking contemporary home in Belgium, this edition of Significant Sales also showcases homes from the United States and the Cayman Islands.
From a timeless Port Royal estate in Florida to a striking contemporary home in Belgium, this edition of Significant Sales also showcases homes from the United States and the Cayman Islands.
In collaboration with Aspen Snowmass Sotheby’s International Realty and several other resort Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates across the nation we present – LIVE Ski, an exclusive video highlighting the top destinations to live and ski in the U.S. There are two versions of the video, one full length representing all participating SIR Affiliates (see video below and click on “LIVE” to play) and one short clip representing just Telluride/Telluride SIR (see video above and click on “LIVE” to play).
The properties below embrace cultural heritage, living legacies and untamed nature — environments where you can go both deep and wide. They are vast, with views to forever and traditions rooted in the way-back, designed for the present.
These are luxurious homes in rugged and rural places, with all the resources, access and amenities to provide year-round comfort and revelation — homes designed for hosting exploration and discovery.
It began as one family’s dream to create a place where memories could be made to last a lifetime. It became a stunning residence and recreational facility on nearly 20 acres in a private Utah enclave.
Situated between Utah Lake and the city of Orem, the property is its own microcosm. The main residence, a 20,000-square-foot home called The Barn, gracefully melds classic European design with an American Western aesthetic that reflects the area’s neighboring farms and history. It was built to the highest standards to last for centuries — European carpenters aided the construction. Some of the Barn’s highlights: timber frames; cathedral doors and ceilings; mountain views; a massive central fireplace; an indoor 3-D theater designed by Disney employees to feel alfresco; an indoor pub room with full bar, pool table and other parlor games; a private bathroom in every bedroom; highest-end features and appliances; a 1939 Bösendorfer imperial grand piano from a Vienna opera house; and far more, uniting luxury with fun.
The property features an acre-large engineered pond (stocked with trophy-size fish), a boathouse (which includes changing/bathrooms and a lounge), a dock and boats. The outdoor swimming pool resembles an old rock quarry, with jump-off spots, an underground waterslide, multiple waterfalls, a hot tub, two water cannons, a kids’ pool and a secret passage into the rock face.
It also has a garage and hotel-style guesthouse; a motocross course designed by an industry pro, with a state-of-the-art motorcycle maintenance shop that houses a wet bar and full lounge amenities (could be a stand-alone apartment); two fire pits among the trees; a storybook tree house with AC and heating; a zip line; a “little red schoolhouse”; a ball court; and Utah’s largest private grove of sequoia trees, which add privacy. There is also a gated and tree-enshrouded “secret garden” that is wrought-iron fenced and surrounds a 19th-century fountain from a European church.
This estate can be the ultimate primary residence, vacation home or corporate retreat. Located a short distance from Brigham Young University, it is 20 minutes from Sundance Mountain Resort and less than an hour from Salt Lake City and Park City.
One of the most significant listings in the American West, West Creek Ranch is a spectacularly diverse private land and estate property boasting one of the finest residences and environments in the world.
Located in Mesa County, Colorado (approximately 6,412 acres), and in Grand County, Utah (approximately 507 acres), the vast property encompasses four parcels of unique land formations, including the soaring Precambrian rock-cliff walls of Unaweep Canyon and magnificent views of Utah’s La Sal Mountains. Together, the residential structures of West Creek Ranch (including the main residence, guesthouse, stables and Sky Mesa cabin) contain a total of 14 bedrooms, 12 full baths and two half baths.
On-ranch treasures include a bear and mountain lion habitat, genuine dinosaur footprints and the historic ruins of Driggs Mansion. The main residence features exquisite finishes and craftsmanship throughout more than 22,000 square feet of indoor living space that contains an 800-pound-capacity elevator servicing all four levels, a great room, formal dining room, breakfast room, chef’s kitchen, spacious study with panoramic views, art studio, theater room, game room, gym, staff quarters and pool and spa, plus four water fountains, six fireplaces, a two-level circular stone library, interior marble archways and columns, and modern geothermal heating/cooling. Also included are an emergency power generator, irrigated equestrian and bison pastures, fishing ponds, a trout stream, a grass airstrip and hangar, a helipad, a five-car garage, stables and an astronomical observatory.
West Creek Ranch is conveniently accessed by nearby Grand Junction Regional Airport and is close to Gateway Canyons Resort, voted in 2016 by “Travel + Leisure” readers as the “Best in the West” and by “Condé Nast Traveler” as the Top Resort in Colorado and third Best Resort in the U.S.
The estate and the four distinct land parcels included in the sale are a collection of some of the most enduring and treasured natural geological wonders in the canyon lands of the American West, which, surrounded by natural, open space, will be preserved for years to come.
Elm Grove Estate is one of Bucks County’s most legendary properties, having been a center of wealth and hunt-country heritage for hundreds of years. Offered outside the Paxson family for only the second time since 1680, this 75-plus-acre estate was part of the Colonial province of Pennsylvania.
The property began with a stone settler’s cottage and grew to include a circa 1700 stone manor house with later additions, a carriage house, barns, workshops and extensive stables used by the former owner. Well hidden behind a long, ivy-covered stone wall, the main house, outbuildings and the surrounding preserved countryside feel like an English estate. This property underwent extensive restoration and updates during the past 15 years, preserving its architectural details and manor-house proportions while also enabling it to serve as a comfortable family residence with modern amenities.
Built in three sections dating to 1700, 1739 and 1938, the main house is approximately 8,601 square feet. There are 10 fireplaces, high ceilings and a bounty of tall sash windows for great natural light. Its wide main entry hall is flanked by an intimate, formal reception room, the hunt room with walk-in fireplace and superb views, and an expansive formal living room that accommodates multiple seating areas and accesses a large rear patio.
Throughout its history, this home has hosted grand-scale events. The addition completed in 1938 contains an exquisite, formal, mansion-size dining room with a hand-painted ceiling and tall Jefferson windows with stunning views. Serving this area is a butler’s pantry and a true commercial-grade kitchen. Above are two floors of private quarters along with a library.
The carriage house is updated and offers complete, character-filled living spaces, with storage below. The house and dependencies overlook verdant, level fields with a stream, pond and forested hills beyond. Enchanting on a misty morning and as the night sets in, Elm Grove is a prime property that’s ready to add a new chapter to its long and storied history.
On 200 acres of gently rolling, lush pastures, Eldon Farm is a one-of-a-kind country estate in the heart of celebrated equestrian territory Keswick, Virginia. The estate’s multiple houses and barns have been meticulously renovated in keeping with its Virginia surroundings and European style by the current owners and renowned interior designer Jeannette Whitson, from Nashville.
Loving overhauls and new builds on the property include the main house, guesthouse, caretaker’s house, hunter barn, show barn and pool — all of which fuse tactile rustic with modern ease. The main home, built in 1940, features exposed-wood-beam ceilings, multiple fireplaces, exquisite Farrow & Ball wallpapers and paints, Carrara marble and Waterworks fixtures in all baths, and a Lacanche Sully dual-oven cooking range (with custom hood) and Sub-Zero and Miele appliances in the kitchen (plus a kitchen-side terrace with a custom-made Grillworks titanium wood-fired rotisserie grill). These and endless small flourishes mark a place designed to comfort and function with exacting precision.
In an area known for horse farms, Eldon Farm is an equestrian haven like no other. Along with its state-of-the-art barns, the extensive fencing throughout the grounds has been fastidiously maintained, and the property structures are equipped for both guests and business: The show barn, for instance, features a second-floor office and apartment, including a bath, large kitchen and bar above working ground-floor stables and two more offices, plus a trophy room (that can double as a conference space), a laundry room and a full equestrian lab — alongside a large outdoor riding arena. All stall and barn hardware was made by world-famous Lucas Equine Equipment. Two barns have backup generators, separate storage buildings (for tractors, hay or shavings), individual wells and watered paddocks.
Only a 25-minute drive from Charlottesville, Eldon has a painting-perfect tree-lined driveway that leads the way into its sprawling lawns, etched by natural features such as a year-round stream, two ponds and shade-tree stands. It also has classic-modern structures: a grand white trellis; a new, elegant 60-foot-long bluestone saltwater pool with a sun shelf and automated cover; and an oversized hot tub. This is a place for lovers of horses and extra-fine and functional country living.
The Berman Buckskin Ranch is one of the finest recreational properties in the Rocky Mountains. Located just 13 miles on year-round roads from the legendary resort town of Telluride, this ranch retreat offers everything outdoor-sports and nature lovers with fine taste can imagine.
The spectacular property was owned for generations by a regional ranching family until it was acquired by Hollywood producer Oliver Stone. Both Mr. Stone and the ranch’s present owner, gaming mogul and poker legend Lyle Berman, invested tens of millions of dollars in residential, recreational and equestrian improvements to the property, which has entertained scores of celebrity guests. Most recently, the equestrian facilities were used to train members of the cast for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight.
The main house, commissioned by Mr. Stone, was featured in Architectural Digest. It is a contemporary version of a western ranch home, featuring soaring windowed spaces that frame the dramatic surrounding views from varied levels and vantages. The spaces are accented with clustered columns of steel and timber and the home’s great room is the place to congregate around a towering stone fireplace. The home and extensive outbuildings have been further expanded, updated and customized by Mr. Berman.
Along with its extensive grazing pastures, rolling flower-filled meadows, aspen forests encircled by 14,000-foot mountains (including the iconic Wilson Peak), and miles of private trails for hiking, biking, and snowmobiling, the ranch is a horse enthusiast’s dream. Its 32,000-square-foot equestrian facility offers a world-class 24-stall barn, indoor riding arena, paddocks and extensive corrals specifically designed to house and show horses, along with a top-of-the-line vet facility to care for animals in-house.
The property has two stocked fishing ponds, rich with cutthroat and brown trout, that have been carefully maintained for years and offer all-season angling. There is also an Olympic-quality sporting clays course with multiple stations for trap shooting.
The nearby historic town and ski resort of Telluride, Colorado, is recognized worldwide for its stunning alpine beauty, sophisticated charm, boundless recreational activities and the internationally important Telluride Film Festival.
From the September 2017 edition of Art & Home, Iyna Bort Caruso shows us that a library can be a true reflection of your best self.
Walk into a personal library and you enter a realm, not just a room. No other space offers as much insight into a homeowner’s preferences, style and intellectual curiosity. They can feel intimate and consequential.
$2,500,000 USD | Newport, Rhode Island | Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty
In Newport, Rhode Island, the centerpiece of one sprawling condominium is a massive library with vaulted cedar-shingled ceilings, cherry and mahogany millwork and an imposing fireplace. Although it looks authentic to the home, the library was a meticulous 21st century reimagining by its current owners out of a space where coachmen once met. The condo, joined together from three units, is in a former carriage house built in 1852 that was once part of an estate owned by John Jacob Astor. Kate Kirby Greenman of Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty in Newport calls the library “remarkable.”
$5,900,000 USD | Salt Lake City, Utah | Summit Sotheby’s International Realty
The 30 by 30-foot room, accessed by stairs or elevator, also has an adjoining butler’s pantry and wet bar which makes it ideal for entertaining as well as for quiet contemplation, notes Greenman. “People enter the library and are just awestruck,” she says. “It’s very peaceful, very beautiful and it just takes your breath away.”
$165,000,000 USD | Manalapan, Florida | Sotheby’s International Realty – Palm Beach Brokerage
In a digital world, the idea of a space given over to actual hard-covered books might seem anachronistic if it wasn’t still so alluring. Even die-hard texters, tweeters and e-reader enthusiasts easily get swept up in rooms dedicated to stories, history and ideas. But without question libraries have evolved. Today, they’re a backdrop for entertainment and a showcase for art and design.
$16,950,000 USD | Paradise Valley, Arizona | Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty
“I love the way you can manipulate space with books,” says architect Susan Bower of Mitchell Wall Architect and Design in St. Louis, Missouri. Line a room with books and they can give the impression of wallpaper. Build freestanding bookcases and they become sculptural pieces. “They lend a presence and a depth to any room,” Bower says. “In a library, you have all these ideas captured between bindings. It’s just a wonderful repository of human thought.”
The latest volume of Art & Home is here! This month, Iyna Bort Caruso takes us to the forefront of design and innovation.
There are architects who design homes. And then there are visionaries who rethink the very definition of what a home is and how it should be experienced.
$6,700,000 USD | Park City, Utah | Summit Sotheby’s International Realty
In certain circles, innovative architecture is a boundary-pushing test of one-upmanship. Architects are juxtaposing styles and exaggerating silhouettes to create what seems like newly invented forms. They’re embracing the element of surprise and a hint of playfulness.
$5,995,000 USD | Austin, Texas | Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty
To be successful, however, innovative design has to do more than break with the past. It has to be functional. It is the architect’s responsibility to create designs that better the lives of the people who inhabit the home, says Dan Brunn, a Los Angeles, California-based architect whose residences have incorporated pivoting walls to display (or conceal) artwork and zig zag-shaped balconies. Bringing shapes and spaces together, capturing volume and light, framing views and choreographing floor plans so that “forms comes alive” are the attributes of great architecture, Brunn says.
3.500.000 € EUR | Saxony, Germany | Berlin Sotheby’s International Realty
In areas like Scottsdale, Arizona, some luxury home buyers are shifting away from traditional Tuscan and Southwest Territorial styles. They’re opting for statement-making properties with striking contemporary lines that “contrast with our Sonoran Desert, yet balance with its natural setting in terms of aesthetics,” says Deems Dickinson, president and principal broker of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty in Scottsdale. A custom home located on the 17th fairway of the prestigious Mirabel Golf Club community, for instance, is a remarkable example of modern architecture that stands out in the openness of the desert surroundings. The home features an indoor atrium with a bamboo garden, a floating staircase and windows that extend from the floor to ceiling and beyond, becoming full-length skylights.
$4,490,000 USD | Scottsdale, Arizona | Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty
Architecture that challenges conventions has the power to turn heads. But architecture that’s fueled by transformational design has the power to turn homes into instant landmarks.
$3,275,000 USD | Orange Beach, Alabama | Kaiser Sotheby’s International Realty
No matter where you live, Telluride is “pretty remote,” “off the beaten path,” and some might say “a long way from civilization”. But that’s exactly what makes this southwestern-Colorado town so amazing. You won’t find a prettier spot in ski country: Readers rank Telluride, surrounded by “breathtakingly beautiful” peaks, No. 1 for Scenery. A free gondola makes shuttles between Mountain Village and downtown a cinch, and locals and visitors alike love that the slopes are “virtually empty.” While some might bemoan the high prices and want some cheaper dining, Telluride delivers a ski experience that “caters to all.” Families praise the well-run ski school, and strong intermediates will find the easy-to-access Revelation Bowl a dream, even if it does get tracked out quickly. Experts, take note: Whether you’re up for a 20-minute hike or you just want to stick to the lifts, Telluride offers “some of the best steep terrain in the country”. Hop on the Gold Hill Express or hike toward Palmyra Peak for plenty of fresh tracks, chutes, and steep lines. And while we can hardly wait for the ski area to replace the achingly slow Plunge lift, you can’t beat skiing into town after a long day in the alpine. Telluride’s growing reputation means it’s no longer the “best-kept secret in the world,” but this picturesque ski town “needs to be on every skier’s bucket list.” —Megan Barber
To see all 30 western ski resorts click here
The latest volume of Art & Home is here! This month, Iyna Bort Caruso showcases homes with captivating and architecturally significant staircases from around the world.
Staircases are among the oldest architectural elements, conceived in function and, in the most dramatic cases, elevated to an art object.
Price Upon Request | Como, Italy | Italy Sotheby’s International Realty
Their roles in literature and history are classic. Think the iconic staircase in Gone with the Wind, the red-carpeted staircase of the White House and the heart-shaped limestone staircase at Rosecliff, the great Gilded Age mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. Then there is the famed Tulip Stairs at the Queen’s House, the former royal villa in Greenwich, England. Its self-supporting spiral staircase reflects a brilliant harmony of mathematics and majesty.
Price Upon Request | Lugano Carona, Switzerland | Fontana Sotheby’s International Realty
“Staircases add value,” says Diletta Giorgolo Spinola of Italy Sotheby’s International Realtywith offices in Florence, Rome, Milan and Como. “They are a status symbol. Throughout the ages, staircases have played an important role in giving a house a special style and elegance.”
$8,900,000 USD | Park City, Utah | Summit Sotheby’s International Realty
Staircases define the character of a home and set the tone for the interior design to come. In estates of distinction they can be the unexpected focal point, expressing power by their twists and turns. They long ago stopped being simply an answer to an age-old challenge, getting from point A on one level to point B on another. They are a showcase of innovation and ingenuity.
$17,000,000 USD | Big Sky, Montana | Big Sky Sotheby’s International Realty
Winding, curved, spiral, helical, flared, twin and seemingly gravity-defying are among the countless options and variations. Staircases are complex affairs. All parts need to interact structurally. Building codes ensure aesthetic considerations do not eclipse safety and functionality concerns.
Price Upon Request | Paradise Island, Bahamas | Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty
While the evolution of technology has helped to turn staircases into architectural stars, they can function beyond visual showpieces. They can be experiential. Custom builder Ted Visnic of Visnic Homes in Rockville, Maryland, says some homeowners, for instance, ask that staircases be “tucked around a corner so you discover them, if you will.” Others request staircases be framed by a bank of windows to “wash the homeowners in natural light” as they ascend and descend the stairs, Visnic adds.
$6,900,000 USD | South Barrington, Illinois | Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty
Shape, materials and finishes dictate pricing. One of Visnic’s current residential projects is an estate in which the staircase cost upwards of $120,000–not bad for a scene-stealing work of art.
Beginning with a European-Style stone mansion in New York to a soaring townhouse in Hong Kong, this month’s collection of exceptional properties for sale features homes in some of the world’s most sought after destinations.
$75,000,000 USD | Pound Ridge, New York | Renwick Sotheby’s International Realty
New York – This stately European-style stone manor rests on more than 262 sylvan acres stretching across the New York and Connecticut border with stunning views over formal gardens and a picturesque lake. Originally built in the 1920′s, the 20,000 plus square-foot residence is an exquisite showplace for grand-scale entertaining adorned with imported antique marble, limestone, onyx, mosaic tile and stained glass. Fireplaces serve as focal points in the elegantly paneled formal living and dining rooms, cloak room, library, conservatory and breakfast room. An indoor pool with Italian mosaics complements the grounds.
$52,000,000 USD | Wielkopolska, Poland | Poland Sotheby’s International Realty
Poland – Boasting over 279 hectares, this extraordinary estate is located in the heart of a national park overlooking Warta River. It is situated 25 kilometers from Poznan, which is connected via highway with Berlin and Warsaw, approximately 300 kilometers from each of these cities. The main building has an oversized area of 3.246 square meters with four floors. There are nine beautifully furnished suites with private bathrooms located on the first and second floors. The ground floor features a huge ballroom with a hand painted ceiling and crystal chandeliers, a library and cigar lounge, a dining room with mahogany panelling, owners’ kitchen equipped with Clive Christian furniture, a study and the main lobby with white marble floor and an indoor swimming pool.
Price Upon Request | Provence-Alpes-Cote D’Azur, France | Cote d’Azur Sotheby’s International Realty
France – This magnificent ‘Belle Epoque’ mansion built in 1901 has been completely renovated throughout with only the finest materials. Over four floors, this majestic building towers the skyline and enjoys panoramic sea views. Sitting in a landscaped garden of 1200square-meters with large family sized swimming pool and terraces, this property offers six-bedrooms, all en suite and with dressing rooms, two living rooms, an office and a beautiful oval dining room. The home also features a wine cellar, a home cinema room and a hamman – sauna.
$19,500,000 USD | Orem, Utah | Summit Sotheby’s International Realty
Utah – It began as one family’s dream to create a place where memories could be made to last a lifetime. It became a one-of-a-kind residence and recreational facility on twenty acres that includes not just a 20,000 square foot luxury home called “The Barn,” but an engineered pond with trophy-sized fish, a boat house and pool, a garage and hotel-style guest house, a motocross course with a state-of-the-art motorcycle maintenance shop, a large outdoor gathering area in the pines surrounding a huge fire pit, a storybook tree house, a “little red schoolhouse” and much more. Large mature trees, including the largest private grove of Sequoia trees in the state of Utah give the property incredible privacy and seclusion.
$180,000,000 HKD | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Sotheby’s International Realty
Hong Kong – One of the five exclusive townhouses in a secured compound, this detached home enjoys the serenity of the Peak and the Southside marina view. The spacious living and dining room, fourth bedroom and study are featured on the lower level. Floor-to-ceiling windows across the living and dining room bring the terrace and pool inside and provide a bright, light-filled environment for family entertaining. Travel via the elegant staircase to the three ensuite bedrooms upstairs. The master bathroom features a Jacuzzi, separate standing shower and double basins in marble top. Marble floorings accent the living and dining rooms while wood floors give warmth to the bedrooms. Enjoy alfresco dining, barbeque or sun bathing on the large rooftop terrace.