The massive, nearly 20,000-square-foot mansion where Trump and ex-wife Ivana lavishly spent their glory years, rests spectacularly atop a secluded peninsula on the Long Island Sound and recently hit the market for $54 million. Not bad for a town whose average home sale is $2 million.

Situated on a private peninsula near the tip of Indian Harbor Point, this nearly 20,000-square-foot estate hit the market for $54 million.

The eight bedroom, 11.5 bathroom mansion rests on roughly six acres of secluded land.

The Colonial property's exterior maintains its original charm, including this portico.

Ivana extensively renovated the Colonial mansion while she was simultaneously restoring the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. The two had a common theme—opulence nearly as aspirational as the those of Gold Coast super estates across the Sound.

Although the current owner tried to tame the Trumps’ bling ambition with more recent remodeling (Tiffany glass windows, three-story rotunda with commanding views, etc.), the heavy-handed Trump card still garishly plays over the estate like a poker bluff daring to be challenged.

Grand double staircase in the foyer

Some rooms present a garish Marie Antoinette-ish vibe.

Busy décor in many rooms have Ivana Trump's interior design fingerprints.

Elaborate dining room

"Ivana did a lot of renovations," listing agent Tamar Lurie of Coldwell Banker told the Connecticut Post. “Décor-wise, it was all gold leaf—all of this was gold leaves all over the place. It was kind of dramatic.”

Would we expect anything less of the Trumps? Of course this was before he acquired “The Donald” moniker, pre-The Apprentice, and way before he diversified his ego with presidential exploratory committees.

Trump, a billionaire master of location, is the most famous real estate magnate. He knows the “art of a deal,” but the art of décor? Not so much. He can always blame that mistake on his ex who received the Indian Harbor home as part of their divorce settlement (before eventually selling the mansion herself). If it were anyone else, Trump might have barked, “You’re fired!” before the wallpaper dried—that is, if he knew such grandeur in the modern era (even the 1980s) is unbecoming.

Great room that resembles a ski lodge setting

A wood great room featuring one of countless chandeliers throughout the mansion.

Dining area which looks out onto the pool and Long Island Sound

Bathroom with Tiffany glass window

Location, pedigree and the estate’s roughly six acres play in the seller’s favor much more than the decorative ambitions of Donald and Ivana. The eight-bedroom, 11-and-a-half-bath property now boasts an additional 4,000-square-foot guest quarters with luxury suites, three staff apartments, a tennis court, putting green, indoor and outdoor pools, and a sauna.

Built in 1939, the estate at 21 Vista Drive (near the tip of Indian Harbor Point) retains much of its original exterior charm—a large white portico, Greyhound dog welcome statues, waterfront dock, privacy trees and manicured lawns.

Home theater with violet seats

Adjacent to the pool is a new addition to the estate—a 4,000-square-foot guest quarters with luxury suites.

Pool with expansive views of Long Island Sound.

Lush landscaping maintains privacy on the property.

The interior design style is virtually indefinable—part Great Gatsby, part ski lodge, part Marie Antoinette, part pastel 1950s diner. Your guess is as good as ours. Interiors showcase a grand double staircase foyer, archways, fireplaces, an occasional hint of retro wallpaper, a home theater with movie posters and purple seats (purple?), and enough fancy chandeliers to swing from room to room. Getting our drift now?

Donald Trump on the set of The Apprentice.

Fortunately for $54 million, you get to make this mansion your own—hopefully via a capable interior designer (and not merely a spouse). It will take a while to un-Trump this estate. To his credit, Donald Trump has moved on. In 2016, he may even vie for the only house he can’t buy—the White House. If he attains it, get the gold leaf ready for the Oval Office.

The post 54 Million Reasons Donald Trump’s Former Greenwich Estate May Linger on the Market appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Comedian Joan Rivers' $29.5 million asking price for her Upper East Side penthouse has been no laughing matter.
--Photo Credit: RuthFremson/NYTimes

Rivers, often called a “queen of mean,” was famous for ripping nearly everyone, including herself via self-deprecating zingers only she and Rodney Dangerfield mastered. She mocked red carpet celebrities about fashion faux pas. She shredded men, women and stereotypes. She unloaded on controversial issues of her time (gender, race, sex, fashion, etcetera). No one was safe when Rivers tossed out her two cents—and it was hilarious.

The only thing Rivers couldn’t unload on the people was her Upper East Side Manhattan apartment at 1 E. 62nd Street. Listed for $25 million in 2009 and $29.5 million in 2012, Rivers’ triplex penthouse was on and off the market for years (she finally took the listing down last year after failing to find any takers). Why didn't it sell? Likely because Rivers wouldn’t budge on the price and her apartment décor was better suited for Marie Antoinette than modern millionaires post-2010.

Visitors to Rivers' home are initially greeted by a grand ballroom with gilded columns.

As one real estate executive stated in a 2009 New York Times article, the décor was “unlikely to work in her advantage.” Another real estate expert recommended Rivers hire a decorator to “bland” it up because looking past the apartment’s interiors requires a lot of “imagination,” a quality most buyer’s lack.

While Rivers acerbic wit was surprisingly current for an octogenarian, her extravagant apartment is more old-fashioned, an impressive product but of a bygone era—just like a good movie musical. The nostalgic appeal may be there, but is anyone still buying it? In the Times article, Rivers described her home as “Louis XIV meets Fred and Ginger.”

Rivers' nostalgically described her home as "Louis XIV meets Fred and Ginger” (referring to Astaire and Rogers).

Rivers’ 5,200 square-foot palatial apartment features four bedrooms, five bathrooms, wood-burning fireplaces and two reception rooms. The apartment is dominated by Renaissance themes and a giant ballroom with 23-foot ceilings and gilded columns. The opulent home features terraces, marble statues, cast-iron accents, fancy chandeliers, large mirrors, ornamental ceilings and moldings, tapestry rugs, heavy or lacy draperies, pastel walls, a private elevator, a library and an office where Rivers kept thousands of typed notecard jokes stored in large filing cabinet, alphabetized by topic. A computer just wouldn’t look right in this home.

Rivers' bathroom resembled a Hollywood movie dressing room.

Rivers was born Joan Molinsky in Brooklyn. In her apartment complex, she was called Mrs. Rosenberg (referring to her former married name). According to The New York Times, Rivers served for 25 years as her condo board’s president, a title the comic took seriously. She was active and even proud of her recommended improvements for the building’s lobby.

As condo board president, the comedian upgraded the building's gorgeous lobby.

Now, Rivers has gone to a new home—and if there’s a heaven, she will decorate it anyway she pleases. Then, she will certainly have the last laugh.

Photos and details courtesy of Curbed and The New York Times

The post No Joke: A Tribute to Joan Rivers and a Peek Inside Her $30 Million Old-Fashioned New York Penthouse appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.