Whether you’re looking for some form of escapism through fantasising about your dream home, or if you’re looking for some new inspiration for your home, sometimes there is nothing better than looking through some of the world’s most luxurious and magnificent residences.
Moveable have compiled an exclusive list of the world’s most famous homes – so sit back, turn your brightness up, and enjoy looking at some of the world’s most over-the-top homes.
1. Biltmore Estate
Asheville North Carolina
The largest privately owned home in the United States was home to George and Edith Vanderbilt, from 1888 to 1914. Spread across almost 200,000 square feet, this property is the one of the most iconic examples of a Gilded Age mansion. Since then, the Vanderbilt family often return to Biltmore for holidays and summer vacations, with fourth and fifth generations of Vanderbilt’s descendants involved in a variety of the day-to-day operations. The estate has over 2400 employees and is a National Historic Landmark – open to visitors all year. With all that open space, you wouldn’t want to be the gardener!
2. Villa Majorelle
Nancy, Paris
Designed by Henri Sauvage and built in 1901, Villa Majorelle is one of the world’s most famous homes in its experiential nature – its partly Romanesque and partly gothic architecture making it one of the first Art Noveau style homes in France. With one of a kind wood-work, a grand staircase, and one of the most intricate details in stained glass, its style significantly influenced the birth of Modernism. Villa Majorelle was recently restored for a whopping €3.5 million, with the inscription of nature into culture as one of the primary elements of the iconic home.
3. Antilia
Mumbai, India
With over 400,000 square-feet of home, Antilia is one of the world’s most luxurious mansions – home to Indian business magnate, Mukesh Ambani. Worth over $2 billion, Antilia is thought to be the world’s second-most expensive property, after Buckingham Palace. It was designed by Chicago-based architects Perkins and Will, consists of 27 floors, which can survive an earthquake with a magnitude of 8! There’s even a dedicated room that spits out man-made snowflakes – in an attempt to beat the Indian heat. Imagine paying the electricity bills for a place like this!
4. House NA
Tokyo, Japan
Perhaps one of the least private homes in the world, House NA was designed by eccentric architect Sou Fujimoto in 2010 – and boy does it make a statement. This 914 square-feet home is three-storeys and every single wall is made completely out of glass and stands out due to its stark simplicity. With 21 individual floor plates at different multiple heights, the house brings “a unity of separation and coherence” through a collection of rooms, as well as a singular room. The various rooms and glass highlight the moments experienced in this house, where the clients have the desire to live as ‘nomads’ within their own home. With all that glass, let’s hope that the homeowners have insurance!
5. Elrod House
Palm Springs, California
In the 1971 movie Diamonds Are Forever, James Bond (Sean Connery) visits a home in Palm Springs – a home called Elrod House. Designed by the world-renowned architect John Lautner for interior designer Arthur Elrod and built in 1968, the luxurious property boasts of around 9000 square feet of living space, and five bedrooms. The dome structure is made entirely of concrete, with glass wrapped around the home. In addition, the property is built on a rocky hillside, meaning that it is the perfect standpoint to take in the breath-taking view. This home would be the perfect place to set up a green home!