REMIX: On big houses in Sarasota, I have two words for you: Casey Key. There's a house on there my friends and I have nicknamed "The Castle." It's about halfway down the island, on two lots. Biggest house I have ever seen. Its gotta be 500 ft. long. Not to mention the houses on the south end of Siesta, or Brid Key... There is so much money around here, its insane
"The Matrix House" was built by the wife of the owner of martix hair supply empire. When he died, he told her to build the biggest house in Palm Beach. It's complete now, although I'd been watching it's construction for a solid 4 years. I think it's 50K +/- square feet.
INTERESTING YOU MENTIONED CASEY KEY... Check out the Coldwell Banker open house tour of homes this Wednesday on Casey. My fiance is hosting one of those homes - $5-million+. Interestingly, the realtor who put this together had her own house up for sale out there...for $8.9 million. Nuts. RMX
Cute Baby! As to houses, most of these big ones are just an overgrown collection of boxes that represent a total lack of originality and creativity. You can only use so much space and the rest is just ego showing off bank accounts. The most beautiful houses are not that big but have a unique design that is beautiful to look at. Plus Ira Rennert has won the absurd size game. Do a search for his long island white elephant. http://www.kevcom.com/kevsnews/?m=20050228.1.19
Thanks for the "cute baby". I agree with you in principle, but it seems like we calibrate big based on where we're sitting at the moment. my house isn't that big (a little over 6,000 ft^2, after the addition is complete). most of the big houses here don't have extra unused rooms but instead the rooms are large. most are 4-5 bedrooms. all have a home office. all have a gameroom that most use for a pool table... in our house the most unused room is the formal living room..., and thats pretty standard even in relatively modest newer design houses. after 8,000 they get home theatre's which to me is a bit much, but that's a personal thing. I grew up in the NE in a late 1800's house with a huge unfinished basement. we destroyed the basement with model airplanes, train sets, etc. Since I'm in FL, no basement. I think it would be nice to have a "toy room" for the kids, that could left messy, but would be pretty separate from the rest of the house.... my point is, no matter how much space you have, seems like you can always find a use for 1 more room....
Why do people drive GT1/ CLK GTR's? Because they can. I don't necessarilly agree with building a 50k square foot house... it's so wasteful. But they had a big enough lot, and went all out.
Wow, that was a humbling experience. Thank you for making me feel incredibly insignificant. Unbelievable.
Ah, but there is seemingly an inverse relationship between taste and waste when it comes to residential architecture.
I agree, I think taste also has a distict relationship with money. Bad taste will always be bad taste. Money can't polish s***
I just saw Firewall (with Harrisson Ford). stunning house in that movie. any idea how we can get hold of a pic of that house?
We've owned big houses on big pieces of ground. But, by gum, I am happy with the 1000 s.f. we've got now. I just wish my wife was....
Thanks for the link. There is still a lot of good architecture done in Latin America. But it has been downhill in the USA after the 1950s for the most part.
If you go to this website, click on homes in California, the first house you will see is in Westlake. It's a 24,000 sq ft mansion currently for sale for $30,000,000.00. It belongs to a man named Ari. I used to go up to his house every weekend and wash and detail his cars, until he moved about 6 months ago. He didn't have any ferraris, but man was it fun!
I used to live 2 minutes from there that is how I know how amazing the house is as well (my site btw). My mom's company used to have a client there, not sure if it is Ari or anything as she did not tell me.
I thought that was the Probst house.. he famously promised a few million for the Thousand Oaks Arts Plaza during construction then never actually paid. They finally renamed it 5~ years after the fact. Will Smith has a place next door.. I mean, at the bottom of that hill.
