The “Château de Versailles” in the United States will be finished in 2015 after 11 YEARS of construction
The owners of America’s largest family home, the gold-encrusted “Château de Versailles”, announced that it will finally be completed in 2015, after 11 years of construction.
Self-made billionaire David Siegel, told CNBC this he is happy to move in the property located in Windermere, Fla., however, if someone offered him enough money — $100 million to be exact — he might consider selling.
However, his former beauty queen wife Jackie, 47, seemed upset about letting go of her dream mansion and chimed in, joking: ‘Or I could live there and you could sell your other half, n ‘is this not?”
Scroll down for video
Finding glory: Jackie and David Siegel starred in Lauren Greenfield’s award-winning 2012 documentary The Queen of Versailles – and have been in the spotlight ever since
The couple, who have eight children, along with their entourage of nannies and housekeepers starred in the 2012 award-winning documentary by Lauren Greenfield, The Queen of Versailles.
He recounted them as they built their 90,000-square-foot, 30-bedroom home modeled after the 17th-century Palace of Versailles in France. The project has been in the works since 2004.
Work stopped on the 90,000 square foot construction in 2009 after Creditors sued Mr Siegel’s timeshare company, Westgate Resorts, but started again this year after business rebounded.
Now the end date is only two years away.
Queen of Versailles: When completed, Mrs. Siegel’s dream home (seen earlier this year) will include a theater inspired by the Paris Opera, a bowling alley, a roller skating rink and a garage for 30 cars
Long-term project: The Siegels began building their mansion on a ten-acre lot more than a decade ago
Unable to contain her excitement, Mrs. Siegel, said recently New York magazine: “We are going to inlay the floors with lots of onyx, amethyst and semi-precious stones.”
She recently explained that due to the delay, they had to make several minor adjustments to the floor plans – especially now that the kids are older.
For example, instead of sandboxes and playrooms, they plan to create “man caves” and yoga studios.
The mansion is the largest single-family home in America, with a bespoke stained glass oculus, a 10,000 square foot spa and a commercial kitchen with a Benihana-style grill.
Slowly but surely: Ms Siegel recently resumed construction of the sprawling home after creditors sued her husband’s business, Westgate Resorts, and work at Versailles was halted.
Grand Entrance: The Siegel’s 13-bedroom mansion in Windermere near Orlando, Florida, is modeled after the 17th-century Palace of Versailles in France
Artist’s impression: when completed, the lobby will feature two staircases and a massive central chandelier, suspended under a 30-foot stained-glass dome
It is nine times larger than other homes in the area and has a $20 million mortgage, 100 times the size of the average mortgage in Central Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Explaining their master suite, Mrs. Siegel, who won the Miss Florida beauty title in the 90s, said, “We’re going to have a round platform with a round bed, and there will be buttons so you can watch TV.”
The main bathroom will include a jacuzzi, his and hers showers and a third one in the center – in case they “want to shower together”. Pointing to the space between the showers for him and for her, she said, “Because it’s too far to walk.”
The ten staff quarters located inside the mansion each include a jacuzzi and a kitchen.
Palace: Ms Siegel is the star of The Queen of Versailles, a film about Ms Siegel and her billionaire husband, David Siegel, as they build their 90,000 square foot mansion modeled after the Palace of Versailles in France
Controversy: Mr Siegel sued filmmaker Ms Greenfield even before the documentary premiered, claiming her portrayal of his company’s downfall was inaccurate and harmful to his business
Haunting style: The busty blonde was called ‘tacky’ and ‘stupid’ after appearing in the documentary The Queen of Versailles
Ms Siegel, who was called ‘tacky’ and ‘dumb’ after the documentary The Queen of Versailles. which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last year, explained: “People said, ‘Why do they need ten kitchens? It’s ridiculous! But that’s because they’re in the staff quarters.‘
The doors to the mansion are made from one of the last batches of Brazilian mahogany in the world. The former beauty queen casually remarked, “They had to stop exporting it because they were chopping down the rainforest, or whatever.”
In addition to 30 bedrooms, the home will have 23 bathrooms overlooking Lake Butler, about 20 miles from Orlando.
Meanwhile, she said the mansion’s mezzanine would be used for “an orchestra for the people downstairs.” Or speeches. As if the president was coming.
Luxury feel: It was previously estimated that it would take two years to add the finishing touches to the property
Breakfast bar: one of the 11 smallest kitchens in the mansion with contemporary equipment
Mrs Siegel said that once her dream house is complete, she would like to launch her own reality show. But Mr Siegel, 77, said he had no interest in returning to the camera.
He only intends to complete work on the mansion which has been under construction for more than a decade, after the financial crisis and recession delayed progress. – ‘but now we are doing better than ever,” he said of his business.
Mr. Siegel actually sued the filmmaker, Ms Greenfield, before The Queen of Versailles even created, claiming his representation of his companyThe fall of was inaccurate and detrimental to his business.
Hands full: Ms Siegel is a mother of eight and has an army of nannies to help her
“I don’t know how it happened,” he said, “all of a sudden the focus wasn’t on the house anymore.” It became the family, then it became the company.
He added: “The only thing that’s true about [the documentary] is that my wife is a big shopaholic. Jackie, they could have called her an ax murderer, and she would have been glad they spelled her name correctly.
The Siegels currently live in a 26,000 square feet home in the exclusive gated community of Isleworth, best known as the scene of Tiger Woods’ car crash in 2009 just before his divorce.
While their yet to be completed house is grand, the original Versailles, outside Paris and completed by the Sun King, Louis XIV, in 1710, is much, much larger.
The 219,000 square foot monument has 2,300 rooms and 67 staircases. Its construction also caused financial problems, almost bankrupting France.
