The Legendary Louwana on the Block

SELLER: Estate of Aimee de Heeren
PRICE: $30,000,000
LOCATION: N. County Road, Palm Beach, FL
SIZE: 13,539 (approx.) square feet, 9 bedrooms, 5 full and 2 half bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: One of the last Great Houses of Palm Beach, an enduring legend of architectural and historic significance. Dating from 1919, this majestically picturesque 10-bedroom villa sprawls over 1.5± acres featuring 150± feet of idyllic direct beachfront. Held by only one family; exquisitely preserved in museum condition. Pool, tennis court, beach cabana. An exceedingly important offering.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Your Mama received a late night correspondence from a dee-pressed and despondent source whom we kindly call The Social Butterfly who is bent out of shape and broken hearted about the recent listing of recently deceased international high society maven Aimee de Heeren's legendary Louwana estate on N. County Road in posh Palm Beach. The ocean front property was designed in 1919 by noted Palm Beach architect Addison Mizner, has been held by the same family ever since and carries an asking price of $30,000,000.

Listing information for the property shows that in addition to the 9 bedrooms, five full and two half bathrooms, there is a guest house, a pool house and a conveniently located beach cabana so that all the Lilly Pulitzer types don't have to go streaking like a lemur across the lawn in their flower printed caftans in order to use a terlit. Additionally there is garaging for three cars, 4 fireplaces, an inground pool, tennis court and an elevator.

Although there are much larger, grander and certainly more capital "T" Tacky estates all up and down the sandy shores of Palm Beach–for example, the decadent and decidedly disturbing 80,000 square foot pile next door to Louwana being sold by the equally decadent and decidedly disturbing Mister Donald Trump for $125,000,000–the lovely Louwana is often referred to as "one of the last great houses of Palm Beach."

If the children will put on their thinking caps they should recall that it wasn't so long ago that Your Mama discussed Miz de Heeren's Louwana shortly after discovering that the estate had been put out for lease at $90,000 per month. This was, of course, shortly after we (and every other real estate gossip) discussed the soo-blime, old-skool and for sale at $33,000,000 Manhattan townhouse that Miz de Heeren called home when she wasn't gallivanting around the globe appearing to be many years younger than her chronological age and looking terribly chic and severe in the way only very rich international high society types do.

If we had to guess, Your Mama imagines some high flying hedge hog or big bizness baron will scoop up Louwana and give the place a full make-over that will include adding every possible modern convenience and luxury. Which is fine. Your Mama recognizes that many well to do people want reverse osmosis water purifying systems, pilates studios and his and her poopers in the master bedroom. However, both The Social Butterfly and Your Mama sincerely hope–we'd pray if we were the religious type–that the new owner, whomever they be, will restore rather than rip down and preserve rather than pick apart piece by piece.