Wikipedia

Versailles (house)

Not to be confused with Chateau of Versailles.

Versailles is a 90,000-square-foot (8,400 m2) house[1] belonging to Westgate Resorts founder David Siegel and his wife Jackie. It is under construction at 6121 Kirkstone Lane, Windermere, Florida, in the gated community of Lake Butler Sound in Orange County, Florida, United States. Named and modeled after the Palace of Versailles in France, the completed project would be one of the largest single-family homes in the United States.[2][3] It is designed as the primary residence of the Siegels and their children.[4]

Status of construction in February 2016

History

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Construction began in 2004. Work stalled in 2009 with 60% completed as Siegel's company encountered financial difficulties. The house was subsequently listed for sale at $65 million.[4] With Westgate Resorts' improved finances as of 2013, Siegel came to own the property outright and construction resumed,[5] with completion initially scheduled for 2016.[6][7] In September 2022, the house was hit by Hurricane Ian, which Jackie Siegel said caused over $10 million of damage, including flooding, caved in ceilings, and roof damage.[8] As of July 2024 the house remains uncompleted.[9] Expected to appraise at over $100 million, the project was estimated in 2011 to be the fourth most expensive house in the United States.[10]

Design

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Versailles house in 2014

Built on a constructed hill on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of lakefront property,[4][11] the residence is expected include nine kitchens,[2] 14 bedrooms,[12] three indoor pools, two outdoor pools, a video arcade,[4] a ballroom with a capacity of 500 to 1,000 people,[3] a two-story movie theater with a balcony inspired by the Palais Garnier, a 20,000-bottle wine cellar,[4] an exotic-fish aquarium,[4] two tennis courts,[4] a two-lane commercial grade bowling alley, a baseball diamond,[4] a formal outdoor garden,[4] and an elevator in the master bedroom closet.[2] As the Siegels' children aged, modifications to the original plans included turning playrooms into a yoga studio and a teenager's cave with a second movie theater.[13]

Doors and windows are constructed using some of the last remaining legal Brazilian mahogany at a cost of $4 million,[2][4] cut before the Brazilian government banned trade in big-leaf mahogany in 2001.[14] Exterior walls are precast concrete with Pavonazzo marble veneer.[4]

Documentary

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The home and its owners were the subject of the 2012 documentary film The Queen of Versailles, as well as an episode of CNBC's Secret Lives of the Super Rich.

A follow-on Discovery+ TV series, The Queen of Versailles Reigns Again (2022), followed the house and Siegel family a decade later.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "'Queen of Versailles' Couple Says They'll Finish 90,000-Square-Foot Florida Super-Mansion". ABC News. June 3, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Versailles in Florida: Construction Resumes on Biggest House in US". ABC News. October 1, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Boom years are back: Construction resumes on America's largest house, 'Versailles'". Death and Taxes Magazine. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Berfield, Susan (March 15, 2012). "Versailles, the Would-Be Biggest House in America". Businessweek. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  5. ^ "6121 Kirkstone Ln (Parcel 19-23-28-7391-00-220)". Orange County Property Appraiser. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  6. ^ Christopher Parr (September 25, 2013). "CNBC's Robert Frank Interview on 'Secret Lives of the Super Rich'". Pursuitist.com. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  7. ^ Clarke, Sarah (November 13, 2013). "Jackie Siegel, 'Queen of Versailles,' to host charity garage sale". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  8. ^ "'Queen of Versailles' Jackie Siegel's FL Mansion Destroyed By Hurricane Ian". TMZ. September 30, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  9. ^ Bianchi, Rolando (July 3, 2024). "The Queen of Versailles Set Sights on Broadway". Southwet Orlando Bulletin. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
  10. ^ Riefflen, Lauren (May 3, 2011). "Top 10 Most Expensive Homes for Sale in the U.S." Zillow. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  11. ^ Hickman, Matt (January 24, 2012). "Versailles: 90,000-square-feet of wretched excess and shattered dreams". Mother Nature Network. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  12. ^ Massey, Robert. "The Property Man: Tragedy strikes family building the biggest home in America".
  13. ^ "Jackie Siegel, 'Queen of Versailles,' really down to earth | Toronto Star". Thestar.com. December 13, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2016.
  14. ^ Chimeli, Ariaster B., Boyd, Roy G. (February 2010). "Prohibition and the Supply of Brazilian Mahogany". Land Economics. 86 (1): 194. doi:10.3368/le.86.1.191. JSTOR 27759725. S2CID 154800700.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "The Queen of Versailles Reigns Again". IMDB.com. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
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28°28′23″N 81°33′5″W / 28.47306°N 81.55139°W / 28.47306; -81.55139

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