lake

Casino King Bill Harrah's Former Ranch in Reno for Sale at $75 Million

Filed under: Estates

Rancharrah, an incredible 150 acre equestrian estate located in Reno, Nevada that belonged to casino king Bill Harrah has been listed for sale at $75 million via Distinctive Homes Sotheby's International Realty. Harrah's eldest son, John Harrah, purchased Rancharrah from the family trust in 1991 and under John's direction it has become one of the most exquisite equine facilities in the nation. The main house, originally built in 1934, was torn down and a new house was built based on the original floor plan. The new six bedroom residence features a dramatic central stairway and the use of exceptional materials and finishes throughout. The luxe amenities include numerous fireplaces, barn, carriage house, exercise room, art studio, gardens, horse facilities that include a huge indoor arena, pastures, stables, staff quarters plus a private lake and mountain views. There is 36,000-sq.-ft. of living space in all.

Gallery: Rancharrah

Tags: Bill Harrah, casinos, equestrian, equestrian estate, estate, lake, Nevada, ranch, Reno

Country Houses, Rural Dwellings & Wooded Retreats

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books

Twenty rural retreats spanning the breadth of North America and over a century of architectural and social history are featured in author and photographer Bret Morgan's stylish new book Rustic. Examples include the Ames Gate Lodge, H. H. Richardson's "sublime pile of boulders" in Massachusetts; Camp Topridge, Marjorie Merriweather Post's rustic luxe compund in the Adirondacks; the Arts and Crafts masterpiece Charles Millard Pratt House in southern California; Fortune Rock, George Howe's striking modernist home on the coast of Maine; Robert A. M. Stern's nostalgic Spruce Lodge, hidden high in the Colorado Rockies; and Ledge House, Peter Bohlin's vision of rustic modernism in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland. All exemplify an "artfully informal aesthetic that celebrates the beauty of the natural world."

Tags: Adirondacks, architecture, cabin, country house, CountryHouse, lake, lodge, Marjorie Merriweather Post, MarjorieMerriweatherPost, Massachusetts, photography, rural, rustic

Bill Gates Buys Buffalo Bill's Ranch for $9 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the world's richest man, has reportedly purchased Irma Lake Lodge in Wyoming, a 492-acre ranch that once belonged to Western legend "Buffalo Bill" Cody, for $8.9 million. The deal was done via Gates' investment manager, the Cody Enterprise reports. The Shoshone Forest borders the beautiful property (above) on two sides and the terrain varies from open knolls to thick conifer forests, aspen groves and rocky outcroppings. Dotted across the ranch are four lakes and three picturesque ponds.

Named by Buffalo Bill after his youngest daughter, Irma Lake is the largest body of water with approximately 12 acres. The estate includes a 15,000-square-foot contemporary log cabin-style main residence (below) with with expansive open spaces and patios, a five-bedroom guesthouse, stables, Buffalo Bill's original cabin, a caretaker's house, and a dairy cabin. In addition to amazing views, there are several species of fish to be found on the property as well as "some of the finest big game hunting the west has to offer."

Gallery: Irma Lake

Tags: Bill Gates, BillGates, fishing, hunting, lake, ranch, Wyoming

Private Austrian Lake For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

A rare piece of real estate is up for sale. The Mondsee or Moon Lake is one of the last privately-owned lakes in Austria and enjoys a secluded location in the mountains of the Salzkammergut region near Salzburg,. The small lake is a little less than a mile wide and close to seven miles long. The owner Nicolette Waechter is ready to sell the property which has belonged to her family since the 18th century. She receives rental income from those who rent out each piece of land, bankside or pier. She grew tired of the amount of work required to manage the land and called the Austrian Federal Forestry Service, which owns many lakes in the country. They made an offer to manage the lake for her for free for two years and before making an offer to buy. She has refused that offer but has many others to consider. Rumors put the potential price of the lake at about 16 million euros.

[Thanks, Lana]

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Tags: austria, lake, mondsee, rare real estate, RareRealEstate, real estate, RealEstate

The Mini Inflatable Catamaran: The Ultimate in Boating Convenience

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Yachts & Sailing

When it comes to boating true luxury means of course an enormous yacht staffed with enough people to take of everything without bothering you for anything other than 'would you like another drink?' But sometimes it can be a real treat to do something on whim without all those other people around -- just you, the boat, and the water. And maybe a friend. Enter the Mini Inflatable Catamaran -- it fits in a bag and can easily be tossed in the backseat of your car!

This inflatable/unfoldable boat is one you can easily transport and handle yourself. It only weighs 40kg, sets up in about 30 minutes, supports up to 240kg, and can be used on lakes, rivers, or even the sea (although it's tiny so I'd be extra cautious on the open ocean!). $4500.

Via BornRich

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Tags: boat, boating, catamaran, inflatable, lake, lakes, mini, ocean, portable, river, rivers, travel, water

More Klimt Paintings For Auction

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

After her Klimt painting sold for a record price earlier this year, ninety year old Maria Altmann has decided to sell her remaining four paintings by the same artist. All five were returned to her after having been confiscated from her family by Nazis in 1938. The four paintings have a combined value of somewhere from $100-$150 million, according to Christie's auctioneers, and include ~~"The Kiss,"~~ "Adele Bloch-Bauer II" - a portrait of Altmann's aunt and, it is speculated, the artist's long-time lover - "Houses in Unterachon Lake Atter" (pictured), "Apple Tree I" and "Birch Forest." All five of the paintings are currently on display at the Neue Gallerie in New York and will remain there until at least September 18th.

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Tags: altmann, art, artist, klimt, lake, neue gallery, record painting

Oprah's Home Improvements

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Oprah's $50 million mansion just outside Santa Barbara in Montecito, California, has been nicknamed Oprah's Hearst Castle, due to its size and luxury. The property covers some 42 acres and the house itself is 23,000 square feet. It has 6 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and, as you might imagine, just about everything else. Some of the improvements Oprah has made since purchasing the house in 2001 include the installation of a massive home theater, building a man-made lake with rare fish and having Montecito sandstone bricks hand-laid in the quarter-mile long driveway. She has also put in a closet the size of an ordinary master bedroom, not for her, but for Stedman to keep what must be a large suit collection.