Usually I'm not a fan of recent homes in developments but this one in the Tanglewood area of Houston is rather charming, perhaps because of the current owner's use of modern art. The Tanglewood community is perhaps best known for being home to George H. W. Bush and has seen a boom in which many of the original homes in the neighborhoods have been replaced by newer modern homes like this one. This one was built in 2001 and has four bedrooms. It won me over with the elegant exterior, slate floors in some rooms, a brick wine room, plenty of built in shelfs and a lot that includes a tranquil pool area. It is listed at $4.8 million. Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.
Today's home in the Shadyside area of Houston, Texas is the type of place I would love to be invited to for a cocktail party. Not only is it a beautiful classic home, a vintage Harrie Lindeberg and John Staub design built in the early 1920s (and on the National Register of Historic Places), but the current owners have created an inviting abode full of a variety of art to ogle and shelves of books to browse through. This eight-bedroom home is on 1.7 beautifully landscaped acres with formal gardens and a greenhouse. The home includes a dramatic entrance hall with a floating staircase,large living room, library, garden/media room, dining room, gourmet kitchen w/morning room and wine cellar. A new pool and pool house were constructed in 2002. There is also a carriage house with staff quarters. This home is listed at $11.3 million. The AOL home value tool estimates it at just $2,307,393.
Their choice to mimic Beverly Hills, California is River Oaks, Texas. Beverly Hills has a median price of $3.1 million but in River Oaks the median price is $1.6 million. River Oaks is part of Central West Houston. Residents love it because it has easy access to the freeways but is a charming neighborhood with manicured lawns and large homes. The area is home to many expensive properties but not as pricey as the homes we saw in Beverly Hills, CA. Consider today's example, a beautiful four-bedroom home on a wooded acre on Buffalo Bayou. The home has a kitchen with Viking, Thermador and Sub-Zero appliances. The master bedroom is on the first floor. The walnut-paneled library/den includes a large granite-topped wet bar area. The formal dining room has built-ins with lighted glass shelves. The property includes a pool, fountain, landscaped grounds, a separate entertaining deck and a large motor court in the front. It's not as lavish as the $23.5 million Beverly Hills estate we covered but at $6.9 million, it's a quite a bit cheaper.
The latest high-rise in the Houston area is in the Upper Kirby/River Oaks area of Houston. The 30-story tower is crafted in glass, stainless steel and stone and sits on a narrow lot that is less than an acre in size. 2727 Kirby will have 96 units which will be one-, two- and three-bedroom condos ranging in size from 1,250 square feet to 6,100 square feet. Units are divided into residences and "estates" which have an elevator that drops them off into their unit. The residences have fireplaces and a private terrace equipped with an outdoor kitchen.
The building, designed by "Ziegler Cooper Architects, includes a six-level garage topped by the Aqua Level which includes fitness, pool and spa facilities. The west side of the Aqua Level will be home to the Sunset Lounge, a formal entertaining area for dinner parties of up to 50 that has a catering kitchen and a wine storage room. The Aqua Lounge faces east and is a more casual venue with billiard tables and a bar. The infinity pool is surrounded by private cabanas and palm tree and there is also an outdoor fireplace and hot tub. The south side of the Aqua level will include a library, media room, and a putting green. The building will offer private gardens for residents with a green thumb. The lobby will include a large contemporary glass sculpture. Units are priced from $500,000 to $7 million.
Lovers of fine jewelry may want to make a pilgrimage to Houston between Nov. 16, 2007 to Feb. 17, 2008 to catch the exhibit of Verdura jewels at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Verdura jewels dating from the 1930s with original design sketches will be on public display in Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler in The Lester and Sue Smith Gem Vault. Duke Fulco di Verdura (1898–1978) a Sicilian Duke, began his career with the one and only Coco Chanel. She hired him as a textile designer and he went on to become the head designer for her private and boutique jewelry collection. His designs were worn by iconic women of taste including Joan Crawford; Princess Diana; Doris Duke; Katharine Hepburn; Nan Kempner and Greta Garbo. Still not convinced you should go yet? Take a browse through the gallery of the Verdura pieces that will be on display below.
Gallery: Verdura Exhibit At The Houston Museum of Natural Science
We've mentioned the Turnberry tower in Las Vegas before, now Houston is getting its own Turnberry complex. The 34-story Turnberry Tower, Residences at the Galleria, will have 184 units with twelve different floor plans. The condos range in size from 1,800 square feet to two huge four-bedroom condos which will be 15,000 square feet. The building will have eight elevators, concierge service, doormen, valet parking, fitness center and a swimming pool. Price start from $1 million to up to $8.5 million for the largest units. The tower is expected to be finished in December 2009 and so far there is a waiting list of 45 people.
Another pairing of good wines and good causes, the Tour de Champagne has been a Washington D.C. annual event for eight years. Now the event has expanded to seven more cities: Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, New York and Miami. The Tour de Champagne is an evening of 70 champagnes from over 20 producers paired with fine foods from local chefs. The event also features a silent auction to benefit a local non-profit organization. General-admission tour tickets are $100 and VIP tickets, which are $135, include admission to a hospitality suite, a gift bag and food treats, as well as a tasting of cognacs. The event at the Hotel Derek in Houston is being held tonight.
The listing uses the one word that describes this home best: unbelievable. After all, I try to bring you a lavish home every day but sometimes I find one that is truly extraordinary. This is currently the most expensive home in the Houston area and is full of Texas-sized luxury. The home is located in Piney Point Village, one of the most expensive areas in all of Texas. The eight-bedroom home has ornately scrolled columns, marble floors, gilded decorations and so much more. The wine room and bar is big enough to be a small restaurant, the home theater has a screen flanked by Oscar-like statues and the dining room is suitable for entertaining heads of state. It is listed at $19.9 million. After the jump, chandeliers for bed and bath.
I am on a big gem kick lately which means that I may have to head to Houston if I want to check out the next big stone on my list, a 1,869-carat natural emerald crystal, the largest ever recovered in North America. That is just one of the amazing stones on display in the Lester and Sue Smith Gem Vault, a new permanent exhibit hall at the Houston Museum of Natural Science which recently opened. The permanent exhibition features cut and polished stones and is the natural complement to the museum's Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals. In addition to just featuring large stones, the Gem Vault also showcases the dramatic designs that can be created using larger stones. The necklace shown here is one of the exhibits and the stones used are Morganite, a peachy-pink beryl named after J.P. Morgan.
Italian-style luxury in Houston? That's the aim of the new Granduca hotel, an Italianate boutique hotel that recently opened in the Texas metropolis. The Granduca has 130 luxury residences, one, two and three bedroom apartments with kitchens and separate living room and dining room areas. Granduca also has a lounge known as Club Malatesta. The hotel also has a concierge who can order gourmet dinner in or procure a table at any restaurant in Houston. The hotel is placed opposite Uptown Park, a small shopping center also created by the owner of of the Granduca. The shopping center meant to mimic a European village with its quaint collection of cafes and shops giving you an Italian enclave in the middle of Texas. Prices start at $260 per night.
We see plenty of planned towns but Memorial City in
west Houston is fast becoming a mini city near a city. MSNBC reports
that MetroNational, the company which is creating a new $700 million development complex around the Memorial City Mall
will be adding luxury midrise condos to the mix. MetroNational will be building 120 luxury units which will be ready by
late 2007. The Memorial City project also includes a luxury hotel, townhomes, retail space, a movie theater and
restaurants. Famed baseball pitcher Roger Clemens will be opening Roger Clemens' Rocket Sports Grill in the mall. The
entire project will take around seven years to complete.
