Amazing Abodes: 10 Stunning Homes Around the World

01 December 2018

The global housing market is reportedly shifting. Now, some of the most luxurious homes around the world are being sold at a fraction of what they cost a few years ago.

While it may be the dawning of a worldwide seller’s market, there are plenty of expensive homes exceeding the average buyer’s price range.

Even if you can’t fork over mega-millions for a mansion of your own, it’s fun to imagine what it might be like to live in the world’s most luxurious residences.

Amazing Abodes: 10 Stunning Homes Around the World

Read on for an inside peek at ten of the world’s most stunning abodes!

1. Beverly House, Beverly Hills, California:

The Beverly House is within walking distance of the iconic Sunset Boulevard and has been in many major motion pictures. It appeared on-screen in major box-office hits, such as “The Godfather” and “The Bodyguard”.

Designed by the famous architect, Gordon Kaufman, the Beverly House is on the market for a cool $135 million dollars. But, if you don’t want to commit to a mortgage, you can rent the star-studded digs for a mere $600,000 dollars a month.

If you’re looking to move out west, you could always sell your home to Otranto Real Estate. It won’t get you $135 million, but it’s a start, right?

2. Luxury Italian Villa, Otranto, Italy:

This luxury Italian villa has stood the test of time since its construction, which dates back to 1840. Perched on the coast, overlooking the sandy shores, and full of charming courtyards and gardens, this one-of-a-kind 16-room property is breathtaking, even in pictures.

It’s currently for sale, but the price isn’t open to the public. The price tag on this stunning display of Italian architecture is available by application only.

3. Buckingham Palace, London – One Of The Most Famous Homes Around The World:

It’s easy to see why this royal beauty is fit for a queen.

As the home of Queen Elizabeth, there’s no chance of buying this castle for yourself. But, you can visit and tour the castle’s grounds. Buckingham Palace is open to the public during specific times throughout the year.

It’s unlikely that you will get around to viewing all 775 rooms. But, many of the staterooms are available for viewing and they are every bit as glorious as you might imagine. In fact, every inch of Her Majesty’s royal homestead is worth the price you will pay for admission to the royal grounds.

While you’re there, make sure that you swing by Windsor Castle, which marks 900 years of royal architecture. If you want to see the actual home of the Queen, you will want to head to Edinburgh where you can visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Both are open to visitors all year.

4. Antilla, Mumbai, India:

Mumbai

The Antilla is a 27-story skyscraper that’s owned by the fifth richest man in the world.

Mukesh Ambani, the world-famous billionaire, had the luxurious tower built for his own private use. His wife visited New York and fell in love with Asian interior design, causing him to design the tower for her.

Antilla is the world’s largest and most extravagant residential property. The home cost the businessman around $2 billion dollars.

5. The Playboy Mansion, Beverly Hills, California:

It’s not the original Playboy Mansion, which was in Chicago, but Hugh Hefner’s final party house is bigger and better than the first.

Hefner, known for his partying lifestyle and hosting exclusive soirees, placed his mansion on the market for $200 million. However, the deal included a caveat that he would be able to use the address to party until he passed.

Eventually, the Playboy Mansion sold for half of the original asking price. The Greek millionaire who owns Hostess, the brand that makes Twinkies dessert cakes, bought the home.

6. Fleur de Lys Mansion, Los Angeles, California:

The former home of Mariah Carey recently sold for $102 million dollars, paid in cash by an anonymous buyer. Its spread includes 12 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms. There’s also a 3,000 square foot wine cellar, tasting room, two-story library, expansive ballroom, swimming pool, tennis courts, and a spa.

The Fleur de Lys Mansion, built in 2002, modeled the French castle known as the Palace of Versaille, which had been the most decadent home of its time. The Palace of Versaille was the home of Marie Antoinette, who became famous for her narrow-minded extravagance.

Supposedly, a crowd of peasants once stood in arms outside of her palace complaining that they hadn’t even a crumb of bread to eat. The wealthy Mademoiselle supposedly responded “Let them eat cake”, even though we now know that isn’t accurate.

The socialite’s supposed response, absurd to those hearing it, has defined Antoinette as one of the most out of touch characters to ever grace the pages of history books.

The quote is still cited when referring to the overwhelming differences in thought between social classes.

7. Xanadu 2.0, Medina, Washington:

Owners Bill and Melinda Gates built their sprawling Washington home with many cutting-edge features. As the mastermind behind one of the century’s most notable companies, Gates created the tucked away abode to match his tech-savvy image.

A few of the unique amenities of Xanadu 2.0 include an underwater music system, a separately-housed swimming pool, and a trampoline park with 20-foot ceilings.

The 66,000 square foot home has 24 bathrooms in all, 10 of which are full baths.

In addition, it also has 6 kitchens, male and female locker rooms, a sauna, and a 2,300 square foot reception hall. The reception hall has a wall-to-wall limestone fireplace and a massive video screen for entertaining. It can seat up to 150 people or accommodate up to 200 guests if standing.

Also interesting is the home’s heating and light system. They are controllable using a pin-passcode that guests can set according to their personal preferences. The house’s sheltered design aids in reducing energy usage and regulating temperatures.

Gates also houses his ancient Da Vinci manuscripts here, which he acquired in 1994 for over $30 million dollars at an auction. He can display additional artwork, stored on $150,000 worth of storage devices, via the $80,000 computer screens adorning the walls.

8. Acqua Liana, Florida:

Florida

This property’s claim to fame is that it holds the title for the world’s most luxurious eco-mansion.

The 15,000 square foot home boasts 7 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a waterfall spa that’s lit with fire, floating sun terraces, and an arched aquarium wet bar. It’s almost hard to believe that such extravagant details could also be eco-friendly.

Still, for any doubters, there are plenty of “green” qualities throughout the luxurious homestead. Acqua Linea has superior air quality, $120,000 worth of solar panels, ultra-efficient appliances, and extra LEED features. This helps the eco-mansion to maintain an energy-neutral setting most days.

Its’ designer created the home, not only to be sustainable living quarters but also as a work of art. His visits to exotic tropical locations such as Bali and the South American rainforests inspired him.

9. Palazzo Di Amore, Beverly Hills, California:

Jeff Greene, an LA real-estate mogul, owns the Palazzo Di Amore, which is Italian for “Castle of Love”. He listed the home for $195 million dollars but has since lowered the asking price by at least $66 million.

The sprawling compound is an entertainment mecca. It features a rotating dance floor, laser light system, and a high-tech DJ booth. There’s also a bowling alley, game room, theater, and parking space that can accommodate up to 150 cars at a time. The hard part is getting your friends to come over, it’s getting them to leave!

10. Kensington Palace, London:

Valued at $222 million dollars, Kensington Palace sits on one of Britain’s most exclusive streets, which also known as London’s “Billionaire Row”.

When the homeowner, Laski Mittal of India, purchased the 55,000 square foot palace for $128 million dollars, it was the most expensive address on the market. In addition to owning the famous mansion, Mittal also owns the world’s largest steel manufacturing company.

Kensington Palace was once home to the de Rothschild family. It’s located near the current home of Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton.

Looking Into Buying a Mansion of Your Own?

If you’re interested in purchasing one of the mansions above, you’ll be happy to know that several of these properties are currently up for sale. But, there are also plenty of other homes around the world priced for much less in the event you aren’t prepared to spend millions (or billions) of dollars.

But, before you invest in any type of real estate, there is some crucial information that you need to know.

Ready to start searching for your own dream home?

Check out this post for a list of essential things to know before buying a new house!

Read Also:

Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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6 Smart Organizing Tips for a Messy Store Room

Imagine going into your bedroom wardrobe and not finding a spot to display your clothing or finding shelves or cabinets to wrap your folded garments, clothes, and accessories away? This won't be easy to keep the clothing sorted without the framework and storage structures in place. The same laws extend to warehouses! This often appears that the best thing about storerooms is their weakness: they always become a blank canvas. These become open space or closet deficient in organizing, sometimes resulting in being a drop zone and landing area for bins and things to build up over time. When it causes you a headache when you try to search and grab it, it might be time to arrange your storeroom and unpack it. Here are some of the tips you can consider to organize your storeroom. 6 Smart Organizing Tips for a Messy Store Room: 1. Categorize and De-clutter the area You want to arrange similar things together, close to having sorted in certain parts of your house. This physical activity can help you see just what you possess, how much of it, and what to consider when determining when to go in the garage. Gather your childhood mementos, gather your holiday decor, take out your luggage and travel supplies, dig out service pieces, etc. Categorize the things that you don't need anymore. While making the area clean, do not forget to spray a Responsible Pest & Scorpion Control medicine to make your storeroom pests free. 2. Widen the vertical space Don't confine yourself to a room on the board. Usually, the storerooms have relatively high ceilings, so step up. The more things that you can push into more upper shelving or shelves, the more floor room you can open up and bring in your work workers, which is also a bonus. 3. Make adjustable shelves They are perfect for tiny rooms because you can change the shelves' heights to match different storage requirements and wishes. Make some storage unit shelves to get things placed easily. This will give the room a more approachable and organized look. 4. Place the most important things in front When putting something, you need it more frequently in front of you, and you would be able to get to them faster. Often, moving boxes or objects further would then be needless to enter the purpose you seek. It does away with unnecessary confusion and discomfort. 5. Make Labels The trick to an efficient storage room has to learn where each object is. It's possible to lose track of where they are, no matter how beautiful the memory can be. Making labels for your room's storage choices allows it more accessible to easily find items and recognize where to place new products when you buy them. 6. Keep checking and Clearing your storeroom To stop the hoarding of products, periodically visit your storeroom to give away outdated goods or give away things that have not been used for more than half a year. It will keep the items from collecting in the storage room, which will motivate you to tidy up more effectively. Read Also: Small Kitchen Storage Ideas How to Decorate a Room with no Cost 5 Innovative Ideas To Lend Your Bedroom With More Space

Installing A Kitchen Tile Splashback – The Basics

Adding wall tiles to a backsplash can be a really simple and effective way to spruce up your kitchen sink area, as well as protecting the surface as well. Here we look at the basics. Home improvements needn't be expensive, all it takes is a little research and time and you can make a significant difference to the house you live in. Choosing tiles for a kitchen splashback can be a really simple and effective way to spruce up your kitchen sink area, as well as protecting the surface as well. For a project like this, you are likely to need little more than a couple of days to complete it, and a minimal amount of money to achieve a great result, depending on the equipment you already have. Before You Start Prepare The Wall Before you start, clear everything out of the way that may obstruct the job and/ or get broken or damaged while you work. You should also check that the wall is good for tiling as well – chances are you will choose porcelain tiles, which are heavier than more traditional ceramic tiles so the walls need to be up to support their weight. If there is any level of condensation you must wait for the wall to completely naturally dry out before you begin tiling. If the drywall you're working with isn't sound, you must repair it before you do any tiling. Plan The Design You'll need to plan your design before you can purchase your equipment or begin the project. Measure how high you want the backsplash to be from the countertop and consider the type of tiles you would like to use. If you are unsure, take a look at sites like Pinterest for inspiration. Get Your Equipment When buying your equipment, especially your wall tiles, try to start with more than you need. With porcelain floor tiles or wall tiles, it is always good to have extras in case some get damaged during the job or even years after and you need a replacement tile that matches. In order to determine how much tile requires you need to measure the length and width of the area, you are putting a backsplash on. Simply multiply the length by the width to get your desired wall tile amount. If you don't know what type of equipment you need for the job, speak to an advisor at the shop or warehouse and they will be able to advise you on the best tools for the job. Read also: Close Look At Top 5 Roofing Materials – Pros And Cons Install Once you have done all the correct preparation, it's time for you to install your backsplash. Safety First The first thing you need to do is make the area you are working in safe. All electrical appliances nearby should be either turned off if they are permanent fixtures, or moved away if they are temporary. Read also: Making Your Office Safer For Workers Clean The Area Using a clean cloth, gently wipe the area with warm water and let it dry naturally. Apply The Adhesive Using the manufacturer's instructions, apply your tile adhesive using a tile trowel. Make sure the adhesive is spread thinly and only apply enough adhesive for the area you are tiling, or it will dry before you have applied all the tiles. Lay The Tiles Place the first tile at the bottom of the backsplash in the middle. Firmly push the tile on to encourage it to settle into the adhesive and use a level to make sure it isn't wonky. Use a spacer or piece of cardboard on each corner of the tile and push them into the adhesive well. Continue to lay the tile's row by row, taking care to remove any adhesive that pushes up through the tile gaps. Ensure you are leaving enough room for grout and checking constantly that the tiles are level. Cut Tiles Away In A Separate Area Depending on the equipment you are using, you need to ensure you follow all safety procedures to ensure you are working safely. Ensure you only score tiles where the scored section won't be showing, and only score tiles when you need to, as the measurements needed may change as the job progresses. Wipe Once all the tiles have been laid you can wipe away any adhesive that has seeped out using a clean, damp cloth. Leave The Tiles To Dry You must leave the tiles to dry according to the time stated by the adhesive manufacturer. Trying to skip this process will result in an uneven backsplash and tiles that will not remain stable. Grout When mixing grout you should be wearing appropriate safety equipment such as gloves, goggles and a mouth mark. Grout the tiles precisely and carefully, taking care to wipe away any excess once it becomes firm. Once the grout has dried, you can then wipe the tiles off completely. Well Done! You should now have a fancy new backsplash to enjoy in your kitchen! Remember, if you take the time to do the job right, you should end up with a well-done backsplash that will look fantastic and last for years to come.

Should You Get A Dining Bench

When it comes to dining seating options, you do not only have to choose individual chairs all the time. A dining bench can be a great choice depending on many factors. Let’s find out more about dining bench seats. What Is A Dining Bench? A bench is a long seat that allows more than one person to sit. It is usually made of wood but may also be made of metal or synthetic materials. Other types of benches also come with cushions and upholstery to make them more comfortable and stylish. In the dining room, a dining bench is a functional piece of furniture that creates a casual, cozy, and intimate dining experience while helping you save some space. Reasons For Getting A Dining Bench If you are hoping to convince yourself to get a dining bench seat, here are reasons why you may need one: 1. It Provides Additional Seating Worried about extra seating space for guests? A dining bench can be a viable solution for accommodating them on the table without squeezing in additional chairs. 2. It Is Well-Suited For Families With Small Kids If you are a big family with little kids, a dining bench can sit them comfortably without taking up much space for individual chairs. Even if you don’t have little kids, this setup is also helpful if your family members have small bodies. 3. It Is Suitable For Starting Families New and starting families can use a dining bench that provides for additional seating in the future. A bench can also make an excellent adult-kid dining arrangement in one seat. 4. It Creates A Cozy And Casual Dining Room Setting If you want a casual and laid-back dining atmosphere, a dining bench can help create this look and feel. You can also choose a dining bench for your patio, garden, or deck, where gatherings, snacks, and other fun things happen. 5. It Can Help Utilize Unused Spaces In Your Dining Area Thinking about an awkward space by your window or corner in your room? A dining bench can be a perfect solution for utilizing unused spaces in your dining area. For example, you can use a dining bench in your bay window or alcove in your dining area. 6. It Is A Great Space-Saver As long as you choose a dining bench with the correct dimensions, you can have real space-saving furniture. You can push your bench all the way under your table, which gives you a spacious area around the dining table when not in use. There are also built-in bench types, which are effective space-savers too. 7. It Makes Your Home Unique If you want to create a unique home statement, get a dining bench. Most dining sets consist of a dining table and individual chairs. However, you can steer away from this setup and instead do a combination of a dining bench and individual chairs for a more unique look. 8. It Gives You Plenty Of Options Variety is one of the benefits of getting a bench for your dining area. You will find many dining bench types made of different materials, dimensions, and styles to suit your needs. If you want to get more trendy, dining benches are also very easy to style with. How To Choose A Dining Bench If you decide to get a bench for your dining room, below are some tips that will help you choose the right furniture piece. 1. Pick The Correct Dimensions To get the proper dimensions of a bench, measure your dining table first. Then, decide on the height and length of your bench. The usual height is between 18 to 20 inches or 46-51cm. The length would depend on whether you want your seat as long as your dining table or you want to tuck it under your table. 2. Choose The Appropriate Material The material you choose for your bench will depend on factors like homestyle, comfort, and its users. For a traditional homestyle, for instance, a solid wood dining bench would look fitting. On the other hand, if you want more comfort, you can choose a cushioned, upholstered dining bench. Finally, if you have little children around, you can go for a leather-upholstered dining bench to make cleaning easier. 3. Decide On The Bench Type Dining benches come in different types, including the ones compared below. Just go for the one that matches your needs, dining space, style, budget, and the look you want to achieve. Bench with backrest vs. bench with no backrest Banquet or built-in bench vs. detached bench Full-length vs. tucked-in dining bench Wooden vs. upholstered bench A dining bench can combine both functionality and style. If you want a practical solution to a limited dining space, choosing a dining bench is sensible. As an added bonus, it can give your dining room a unique look and casual feel. Read Also: Best House Renovations For 2021 Is Consumer Durables a Good Career Path In 2021? How You Can Manage Your Business with Scheduling Software? 4 Benefits Of Hiring 3D Designers For Remodeling Your Society How To Use A Captive Portal As A Beginner -Be Everything You Need To Know!

Amazing Abodes: 10 Stunning Homes Around the World

Amazing Abodes: 10 Stunning Homes Around the World