Roman Abramovich Spends Big for St. Barts Beach House

BUYER: Roman Abramovich
LOCATION: Gouverneur Bay, Saint Barthélemy, French West Indies
PRICE: €61,200,000
SIZE: 70 acres

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Listen children, Your Mama knows we're a little late to the publicity fair on this one but since Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are just around the corner and all the international jet-setters are preparing to pack their Louis Vuittons for their annual holiday trip to super-swank St. Barts, Your Mama thought it might be fun to have a(nother) little look-see at the St. Barts estate Russian multi-billionaire Roman Abramovich recently snatched up for a reported €61,200,000. A quick consult with Your Mama's currency conversion contraption indicates that amounts to a booty clenching $92,106,000 at today's rates. The figure reportedly beats the previous record for highest amount ever paid for a property in the Caribbean by three times.

The property, known as the Gouverneur Bay Estate, occupies land formerly owned by David Rockefeller and was sold by e-commerce software tycoon Jeet Singh. Designed like a Balinese village, the 70-acre estate spills gently down a lushly landscaped hillside and stretches approximately 1,000 feet along Gouverneur's Beach, one of St. Barts' better known nood beaches. Not topless, chickens, nood as in birthday suit nekkid with all the naughty bits on display.

The property's former owner, Mister Singh, apparently leased the property out to wildly rich winter time sun seekers because Your Mama managed to dig us up an old rental listing for the property which shows it went for $100,000 in the off-season and $150,000 during the high-season. That's per week puppies, per week.

Anyhoo, according to the rental listing, each of the many Balinese style bungalows are constructed of tropical timbers such as Guyanese teak, mahogany and green heart. The dee-luxe but barefoot casual estate includes 4 Balinese-style bedroom bungalows and a total of 8.5 poopers. The owner's suite, well situated for soo-preem privacy, encompasses a bay view bedroom with a wrap around veranda, a behemoth–and air-conditioned–bathroom with a free standing soaking tub, a walk in closet commodious enough keep all the beaded and and flowy tunics and strappy sandals Mister Abramovich's ladee-friend Daria Zhukova can buy, an outdoor shower for two, and a private swimming pool with a rock waterfall and several boulders sitting right in the middle of the damn thing.

In addition to the bedroom bungalows, the estate includes a catering kitchen for large parties, a main living room salon called the Lizard Lounge, and an entertainment complex that includes a swimming pool with in-water speakers and a swim-up bar, a fully equipped kitchen and bbq area, an outdoor dining room, a couple of shade providing pavilions, and an outdoor stage and cinema for watching movies under the stars. There are also two Har-Tru tennis courts for the sporty types as well as a caretaker's cottage and an area for garages and mechanical equipment.

According to a snippet in Page Six of today's New York Post, Mister Abramovich and his very female companion Daria–who is preggers with the billionaire's sixth baby–are planning a holiday party for as many as 250 people. The only question, apparently, is whether they'll be hosting the shindig at one of the islands finer restaurants or at his new estate overlooking Gouverneur's Beach. Your Mama knows which location we'd prefer, but alas, we'd bet our long bodied bitches Linda and Beverly we won't be invited to the billionaire's beach bash.

Mister Abramovich is certainly no stranger to international real estate gossip columns or lavish living. In addition to his house in Moscow–about which Your Mama knows not a thing–he is in the process of combining two townhouses into one 30,000 square foot beast of a mansion on London's Lowndes Square in the natty and nabobish Knightsbridge area. Plans show the house will have 5 stories above ground, another three below, 8 family and guest bedrooms, an indoor swimming pool and four flats for staff above the multi-car garage.

The jet-setting oligarch also owns the Chateau de la Croë, a Cap d'Antibes villa once owned by the exiled Duke of Windsor as well as two high-priced properties in Snowmass Village, CO. First he dumped millions on a 5,600 square foot ski-in, ski-out house and a few months later dropped and staggering $36,375,000 for Wildcat Ridge, a 200-acre ranch with a 14,300 square foot, 11 bedroom residence that he bought lock, stock and fully furnished including a leather and mink chair that we're pretty sure the peeps at PETA would no likey.

Based on previous reports, Your Mama has learned the big living billionaire flies around the world on a custom fitted Boeing 767 wide-body jet and bobs along in international waters on one of his four boats. There is the 163-foot Sussurro, the Ecstasea, which stretches 282 feet, and the Pelorus, a mind-bending 377 feet long. However, it's his recently completed but yet to be delivered Blohm & Voss built boat, the Eclipse, that really takes the yachting cake and makes Your Mama pee in our pants a little from financial flabbergast. Mister Abramovich's new boat, a ship really, is rumored to measure a staggering 557 feet long and feature bullet proof glass, a personal submarine, a swimming pool, a sci-fi sounding anti-photo laser shield, a crew of 70, and not one but two helipads. That's certainly excessive by any standard, but let's be honest butter beans, if you're a wildly rich Russian oligarch with a boat almost twice as long as a damn football field, it behooves you to have someplace to land your helicopter and someplace to land the helicopter of a visiting bidness baron.

Mister Abramovich's profligate ways don't stop with his hundreds of millions spent real estate, boats and planes. He's also a prolific contemporary art collector who famously spent well over $100,000,000 in two days on two pieces of art in May of 2008 when his capacious wealth was at its very apex. One day he forked over $33,641,000 for Lucian Freud's Benefits Supervisor Sleeping and $86,281,000 for Francis Bacon's mythological minded Triptych, 1976.

Your Mama gets breathless and goes weak in the knees when we think of the hundreds of millions of dollars Mister Abramovich spends on his insanely luxuriously lifestyle and we require a nerve pill and a dark padded room when we ponder the yearly costs for the upkeep, staffing and taxes of all his many toys and homes. While he's certainly free to spend his billions any way he sees fit, Your Mama can't help but think of all the people who have so little at holiday times and genuinely hope Mister Abramovich uses a wee sliver of his titanic cash reserves to spread a little bit of his private cornucopia around to those far less privileged than he and his soon to be baby momma. We also hope he invites us for a short cruise on the Eclipse, but we'd surely suffocate holding our breath for that invitation.

Branca + The Skirted Roundtable = Love!

 

Branca’s first book – gorgeous!

 

Nobody works a piece of Fortuny better than Italian born Alessandra Branca.   When I started my Top Ten Designers list, I couldn’t wait to put Branca first.   Her signature style – her reds, her blacks, her deep yellows, her stripes, her trims – it is all so appealing, sophisticated yet welcoming.  She is a premier interior designer with boundless energy and a steely determination to get her interiors just right down to the last detail – and trust me, all those details take an enormous amount of hard disciplined effort.   No surface, not one inch, is left untouched in her rooms – yet they’re not fussy looking nor overdone, rather it’s all just beautiful eye candy.   Her new book is gorgeous too.  Oversized, heavy, and loaded with achingly beautiful photographs by Thibault Jeanson – it is THE book to get this holiday season.   One picture – a scanned image of an early job  done in her 20s is so perfect, so wonderful – that it makes me want to give it all up.  Knowing I’ll never be what she already was way back when, is enough to make me want to retire. 

 

 

The absolutely adorable Alessandra Branca – a personal favorite!

 

When we booked Branca on The Skirted Roundtable, I thought I had died and gone to heaven and trust me  - she didn’t disappoint.  Despite living in America for her entire adult life, she still retains a charming Italian accent and her infectious voice is filled with emotion, displaying a true joie de vie.   Despite all her success, she gives the impression that nothing is more important than just being a mother and a wife.  To listen to Branca’s interview, go HERE.  If you have the book, you might want to grab it as we discuss a few of the rooms with her.   But mainly, Branca talks about her aesthetic, her mother, her loves, her life, her work ethic, her goals.   Enjoy!

 

 

The October House Beautiful featured a new Alessandra Branca interior.

This townhouse in Chicago, where Branca also lives, is owned by a young couple.  Branca said she took her time finishing the interior – the mirror above was a hunt that lasted three years.  Notice the chest – it’s French with Japanned drawers that were a later addition.  The art glass was purchased by the owner and placed here, after the initial installation – something that Branca loves to see her clients do. 

 

Photography by Thibault Jeanson

 

The Living Room

 

The gorgeous drapes are trimmed in a blue velvet – Branca often uses Italian Stringing, a method of holding back curtains without any obvious visual means.  Skirted tables are another signature look of hers.   A faintly patterned wallcovering can be seen between the windows.  Branca says she rarely does a plain wall and prefers upholstered walls in the noisy city for their calming effect on a room.   The floor is covered with a natural textured rug.  

 

 

The Dining Room.

The dining room is so cozy – a patterned Bennison fabric covers the banquette and grasscloth is used on the walls to further warm the room.  The light fixture is a surprise - a mid-century design.

 

 

The Family  Room.

Here, Branca quilted the sofa’s fabric – something she does to lengthen the life of a fabric especially when it will get much use.   The bookcase is gorgeous and is filled with objects found at Branca, her shop in Chicago.  Again a textured paper is used in this room.  Branca’s favorite, a stripe is used for the window covering.  French doors are utilized throughout the townhouse to let more light circulate throughout.   The colors in the townhouse are a departure for Branca whose signature is black, red, and warm yellow.  Here she used a muted blue/gray with cognac. 

 

 The Lounge.

This room was arranged for entertaining.  Here Branca’s signature colors make an appearance – the deep yellows with touches of red and black.  The trim is lacquered black for drama.   The walls are upholstered in a Raoul Textiles paisley, another pattern Branca adores.   The floor is covered in a patterned textured rug.   This room looks like it might be found in a Moroccan or Turkish hotel.  Just beautiful.

 

 

The Master Bedroom.

The quietly elegant master bedroom is a vision in silvers and grays, a true departure for Branca.   She used a muted gray and white Fortuny at the windows and on the walls in the alcove.  The chair is one of a pair by Jansen.  The floors were ebonized for more sheen.  

 

 

The Guest Room.

 

The guest bedroom walls are a lacquered soft green.  A glorious English Regency sofa was placed in front of windows that are covered with Conrad woven shades.  The three piece coffee table is from Branca.  She brings her signature touch of black into the room with the lacquered doors and windows. 

 

 

The Guest Bedroom Suite.

Branca designed the fabulous headboard with its large brass nailheads, inspired by a visit to Morocco.   Again, a simple skirted table is used with a striped fabric.   Branca told us she likes to use only natural fabrics – linens, cottons, wools.   

 

To order Branca’s book – go HERE.  All, Branca stated, ALL proceeds are going to charities she has handpicked that benefit children.   After listening to her talk about her family it’s easy to understand her love of children and wanting to improve their life.   To listen to The  Skirted Roundtable conversation with Alessandra, go HERE.

(Due to Thanksgiving, I am running behind here – the new show with Judith Miller is already up – too – but if you haven’t listened to Alessandra’s, do so first, THEN listen to the new show with antiques expert Judith Miller.  I promise to get caught up!!!)

Samuel L. Jackson Picks Up New York City Pied a Terre

BUYER: Samuel L. Jackson (allegedly)
LOCATION: Crosby Street, New York City, NY
PRICE: $4,350,000 (asking)
SIZE: 2,578+- square feet, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: 2578 +/- sq ft grand loft in this highly exclusive prewar condominium building represents chic Soho at its best and offers state of the art living. Elevator opens directly into this superbly proportioned living and entertaining space. An exceptionally appointed eat-in kitchen with sleek services. Soaring 13 +/- ceilings, enormous 8 ft windows throughout, abundant wall space for your art collection, impressive columns and beautiful cherry wood floors throughout. A magnificent 15 +/- foot wide gas fireplace is a remarkable feature, contemporary yet classic. Full size laundry room. The enormous master suite with huge walk-in closet and en suite Waterworks bath with deep soaking tub and huge shower is an oasis. A second bedroom and bath complete the picture.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Your Mama is in a New York City state of mind today so let's discuss the SoHo condominium that all the Manhattan real estate gossips are whispering was recently purchased by Oscar nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson (Snakes on a Plane, Star Wars, The Incredibles, Kill Bill, Do the Right Think, Mo' Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Pulp Fiction).

Now listen chickens, although Your Mama hears through the real estate gossip grapevine that the costly condo is being purchased by Mister Jackson for his adult daughter Zoe, keep in mind that property records for the 2,578 square foot condo at the Crosby Street building dubbed The Bayard do not yet reflect a property transfer so all this chatter about Mister Jackson being the new owner ain't nuthin' but rumor and gossip at this point. Just rumor and gossip, alright?

Anyhoo, it was in the New York Post (via CityFile) that Your Mama first read about the Kangol cap wearing thespian allegedly scooping up a 2 bedroom and 2 pooper condo in SoHo that was last listed with an asking price of $4,350,000. The Post reported that Mister Jackson snagged the condo at somewhere in the neighborhood of $4,100,000. A few flicks of the well worn beads of Your Mama's bejeweled abacus reveals that comes out to a dramatic $1,687 per square foot. The light and bright loft-condo carries monthly maintenance and taxes that, according to listing information, total $3,554. The high asking price and steep monthlies are a result of the itty-bitty five unit pre-war building having a few dee-luxe amenities–such as a doorman–that few buildings of this size have.

Listing information indicates the condo features a 13-ish foot ceiling, three 8-foot tall windows in the living room and another in the master bedroom, three exposed columns, a 33-foot long living/dining room and one of those new-fangled (gas) fireplaces that features a 15-foot wide firebox and a not so big television recessed into the wall above it. A key-lock elevator opens directly into the apartment which currently has chestnut colored wood floors and gallery white walls.

The generously sized gore-may kitchen, tucked into the north west corner of the condo, includes gleaming white, flat-fronted cabinetry with towel bar pulls, concrete colored counter tops, the kind of stainless steel appliances that combined cost as much as a small Mercedes and a heavyset work island that includes a breakfast counter where several sassy stools upholstered in ice blue with wacky cushion-tube-things for back rests facilitate conversing and imbibing with the cook.

A small–quite small, really–second bedroom has sliding panels that open the room to the living/dining room and the master bedroom, entered through double doors, has walk-in closet the size of many Manhattan bedrooms and an unusually configured and unfortunately windowless pooper which is currently being positively punished with a beige tumbled stone tile floor and an unholy combination of blood red, mirrored walls and a pair of far too country-style medicine chests above twin pedestal sinks.

The itty-bitty five-unit building is a bit of a celebrity magnet. It just so happens that the condo allegedly being bought by Mister Jackson occupies the same floor as that of Gawker founder and new media mogul Nick Denton. Miramax mogul Harvey Weinstein owned the full floor loft directly upstairs which he sold in December of 2007 for $8,000,000. The penthouse has also seen it's fair share of famous residents. Once owned by tennis ace Boris Becker and leased by porcelain skinned actress Nicole Kidman Cruise Urban after she busted up with rock star Lenny Kravitz and had to move out of his Crosby Street white elephant, the 9,865 square foot penthouse is now owned and occupied by sinewy talk show queen Kelly Ripa and her rather hunky huzband Mark Consuelos who spent a spine tingling $9,500,000 on the place in June of 2005. This was six months before they sold their fifth floor loft in the same building for $7,250,000 to former Goldman Sachs honcho Michael Rubinoff who flipped the beehawtcha 10 months later at a stomach churning $550,000 loss. For what it's worth, the buyer subsequently sold the 5,262 square foot fifth floor unit 18 months later to another filthy rich financier at a $2,000,000 profit. So goes the ever-spinning wheels of New York City real estate.

As far as Your Mama knows, Mister Jackson and his long time ladee-wife Latanya live in an 11,738 square foot mansion in the gated and guarded Beverly Park community in the Hills above Beverly that records show they bought from loud-mouthed comedienne Roseanne Barr in June of 2000 for $7,500,000.