Versailles house

Status of construction in February 2016

Versailles is a 90,000 square-foot house belonging to Westgate Resorts founder David Siegel and his wife Jackie Siegel — and under construction at 6121 Kirkstone Lane, Windermere, Florida, in the gated community of Lake Butler Sound in Orange County. Named and modeled after the Palace of Versailles in France,[1] the completed project will be one of the largest single-family homes in the United States.[1][2][3][4][5]

Construction began in 2004 and stalled at 60% completion in 2009 when Siegel's company encountered financial difficulties — and the home was listed for sale at $65 million.[6]

With Westgate Resorts' improved finances as of 2013, Siegel now owns the property outright and construction has resumed, with completion scheduled for 2016.[7][8] Expected to appraise at over $100 million, the project will be the fourth most expensive house in the United States.[5]

Designed as the primary residence of the Siegels and their children,[6] the home and its owners were the subject of the 2012 documentary film The Queen of Versailles as well as an episode of CNBC's Secret Lives of the Super Rich.

Design

Constructed on a man-made hill on 10 acres of lakefront property,[6][9] the residence will include 11 kitchens,[2] 14 bedrooms,[10] 32 bathrooms, a 30-car garage,[1] a two-lane bowling alley,[1] an indoor roller rink,[1] three indoor pools, two outdoor pools, a video arcade,[6] a ballroom with a 500 to a 1,000 person capacity,[4] a two-story movie theater with a balcony inspired by the Paris Opera House, a fitness center with a 10,000 square-foot spa,[1] yoga studios,[1] a 20,000-bottle wine cellar,[6] an exotic-fish aquarium,[6] two tennis courts,[6] a baseball diamond,[6] a formal outdoor garden,[6] and an elevator in the master bedroom closet.[2] Because the Siegels' children are older now, modifications to the original plans include turning playrooms into a yoga studio and a teenager’s cave with a second movie theater.[11][12]

Doors and windows are constructed using some of the last remaining Brazilian mahogany,[1] at a cost of $4 million.[2][6] Exterior walls are precast concrete with Pavonazzo marble veneer;[6] the entryway will feature a 30-foot stained-glass domed oculus;[1] and the residence will have ten staff quarters, each with a jacuzzi and a kitchen.[1]Granite and Marble installed by Hani Badi

Criticism

Though not yet completed, the home has been called "gaudy"[1] and "absurd".[13] Matt Hickman, writing for the Mother Nature Network, called the mansion a "wretched excess".[9] Alyssa Rosenberg of ThinkProgress called it "a monument to bad taste" and "a testament to waste".[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Whitelocks, Sadie (June 14, 2013). "America's gaudy 'Palace of Versailles' to be finished in 2015 after 11 YEARS of construction". Daily Mail. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Versailles in Florida: Construction Resumes on Biggest House in US". ABC News. October 1, 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Versailles Lake Butler Mansion by David Siegel". Nine Homes. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Boom years are back: Construction resumes on America's largest house, 'Versailles'". Death and Taxes Magazine. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  5. 1 2 Riefflen, Lauren (May 3, 2011). "Top 10 Most Expensive Homes for Sale in the U.S.". Zillow. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Berfield, Susan (March 15, 2012). "Versailles, the Would-Be Biggest House in America". Businessweek. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  7. ↑ Christopher Parr. "CNBC's Robert Frank Interview on 'Secret Lives of the Super Rich'". Pursuitist.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  8. ↑ Clarke, Sarah (13 November 2013). "Jackie Siegel, 'Queen of Versailles,' to host charity garage sale". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 Hickman, Matt (January 24, 2012). "Versailles: 90,000-square-feet of wretched excess and shattered dreams". Mother Nature Network. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  10. ↑ Massey, Robert. "The Property Man: Tragedy strikes family building the biggest home in America".
  11. ↑ "Jackie Siegel, 'Queen of Versailles,' really down to earth | Toronto Star". Thestar.com. 2013-12-13. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  12. ↑ Whitelocks, Sadie (2013-04-16). "Construction FINALLY restarts on vast Queen of Versailles mansion after recession-hit owners raise the $30m needed to complete it". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  13. ↑ Juzwiak, Rich (September 26, 2013). "The "Queen of Versailles" Shows Off the Progress on Her Absurd House". Gawker. Retrieved 8 February 2014.

External links

Coordinates: 28°28′23″N 81°33′5″W / 28.47306°N 81.55139°W / 28.47306; -81.55139

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