Haute couture icon Gianni Versace was renowned for his use of vivid colors, bold prints, and a general reverence for luxurious classicism. In the 1980s, he expanded his empire to include housewares, furnishings, and textiles and eventually applied his talents to stage designs for operas, ballets, and other productions. Versace employed his skills from all these arenas in the curation of his own home, this grand six-level Baroque Italian palazzo one block from Central Park, which he purchased in 1995 and thoroughly redesigned—and which the current owners have meticulously maintained and restored.
New York, New York | The Field Team, Sotheby’s International Realty – East Side Manhattan Brokerage
The limestone building measures an impressive 35 feet in width and offers approximately 14,175 square feet of opulent spaces that create an ideal setting for living and entertaining in the most magnificent style. Versace’s influence is readily apparent in the intricate Italian marble floors, floors of Austrian parquetry and tile mosaics, stately stone columns, lavish baths, a sweeping circular staircase, hand-painted canvas walls inspired by Robert Adam’s famed Etruscan Dressing Room in Osterley Park, prevalent use of a geometric motif incorporating the Greek key, gold moldings, and metalwork designed by Brooklyn-based sculptor Gabrielle Shelton. In addition, the property affords some 3,025 square feet of outdoor living space in a private garden oasis with a terrace and a fountain. High above, a rooftop retreat with a cool, breezy gazebo gazes out over Fifth and Madison Avenues.
Highlights include a dramatic marble entry gallery, a regal reception area opening to a balcony overlooking the garden, staff quarters, a second reception area with a fountain, a grand formal dining room, a bespoke streamlined kitchen by Smallbone, a breakfast room, a library or office, and a great room with a painted ceiling reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel and restored 19th-century panels from a Florentine palazzo. Occupying the entirety of the fourth floor, the primary suite encompasses a dressing room and a majestic spa-like bath with a steamshower and a sunken whirlpool tub of polished marble. The home’s four light-filled guest bedrooms and two baths are secluded on the fifth level and are connected by a unique oval sitting room. The fifth and sixth floors have been redesigned with a subdued, more whimsical style. Here, four bedrooms, two baths, a game and billiards room, and a media room feature terrazzo floorings with marble inlays and Moroccan-inspired detailing. The sixth-floor spaces are accompanied by a second kitchen and a bath.
This virtual palazzo’s dedication to Old World classicism notwithstanding, it has been equipped with every modern amenity and convenience, including a security, climate control, and audio systems as well as a whole-house generator. The new owner may purchase the Versace-inspired furnishings at additional cost.
This home represents a chance to own a piece of real estate and fashion history and is a rare opportunity not to be missed.
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