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The 5 most expensive houses of 2019
5. 18-19 Kensington Palace Gardens – 57 Million Pounds
“The Most Exclusive Address In London”
Location: 18-19 Kensington Palace Gardens, West Central London, United Kingdom
Current Owner: Lakshmi Mittal
Features: Marble flooring and pillars, 12 bedrooms, a pool, a winter garden
Also known as the Taj Mittal, this Italian-inspired palazzo-like home is one of the biggest mansions in the “Billionaires Row” – an entire road where the UK’s rich and powerful live. This house has had a long string of owners that have improved and renovated the house with ever-increasing grandeur, including using marble from the same quarry that supplied the Taj Mahal. Today it belongs to Lakshmi Mittal, an Indian steel magnate who has also purchased the surrounding properties for his children.
4. Fairfield Mansion – 500 Million Dollars
“The Largest Beachfront Residence in the US”
Location: Sagaponack, New York
Current Owner: Ira Rennert
Features: 29 bedrooms, 3 dining rooms, 28-metre long formal dining room, 3 swimming pools, a 164-seat theatre, and an on-site power plant
The biggest house in America isn’t in LA or California’s Beverly Hills – it’s a beachfront home in NYC. Owned by businessman Ira Rennert, the house is the largest residential compound in the country, complete with a sports pavilion and Mediterranean-inspired decor. It holds the distinction of being one of the few homes in the world with its own power grid – a nod to its owner’s investments in the industry.
3. Villa Leopolda – 750 Million Dollars
“A Royal Retreat On the French Riviera”
Location: Villefranche-sur-Mer, Alpes-Maritimes, Southeast France
Current Owner: Lily Safra
Features: 19 bedrooms, various swimming pools, indoor movie theatre, and art gallery
Architect Ogden Codman Jr. designed this French villa with heavy Neo-Palladian influences, which resulted in gorgeous landscaping and gardens like you’ve never seen. Renowned architect Renzo Mongiardino further outfitted the already lustrous grounds with Italian-styled furnishings and other decor upon the request of the current owners, with stunning results. In fact, Alfred Hitchcock handpicked the villa for his 1955 movie To Catch A Thief, because of the beautiful interiors that match the high-class airs of his film.
2. Antilla – 2 Billion Dollars
“A Home For One Of Mumbai’s Giants”
Location: Mumbai, India
Current Owner: Mukesh Ambani
Features: 27-story home with an indoor Hindu temple, three helipads, winter bedrooms, ballroom, home theatre, and indoor yoga studio
Few homes on this list are as striking as Antilla, the 2-billion dollar home of India’s richest family. Towering over the Mumbai skyline, the house features extra high ceilings with a staff of 600 people and can withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake.
This hotel-like structure is the only home of Mukesh Ambani’s wife and children, in contrast to the usual multiple residences of other rich families. Initially built by Australian company Leighton Holding, it was finished by B.E. Billimoria & Company, with design input by US architecture firm Perkins and Will.
1. Buckingham Palace – 3-5 Billion Dollars
“The Pride of the British Monarchy”
Location: Westminster, London, United Kingdom
Current Owner: The Royal Family of England
Features: 775 rooms, a private park, post office, cinema, jeweller’s workshop, doctor’s surgery, public and private spaces, and guest suites
Buckingham Palace is the official home of the Queen of England, but it also serves as a public symbol of England’s monarchy. Originally designed as a residence for Queen Charlotte in 1761, succeeding queens redesigned and refurbished the property to its present state.
Most of the interior is furnished in the classic 19th-century Belle Époque style, while many of the later rooms are furnished with Chinoiserie influences. It’s famous for being a centre of British pride and celebration over the years and is maintained by both the Crown and England’s government.
Architectural marvels
These architectural marvels are some of the best houses in the world, and they’re only getting fancier and fancier as the years go by. One thing is for certain: this list isn’t permanent – expect to see far more high-tech and grandiose residences in the future!
