Property Insights: What Does Us$20 Million Buy Around the World?

In the global marketplace for luxury real estate, just what does US$20 million buy? That’s the multimillion-dollar question posed for this edition of Luxury Defined.

Obviously, this ducal sum can buy a palace. It’s just a matter of where, and, as with great works of art, provenance. Consider life in a 15th-century Venetian palazzo on the Grand Canal, or living in a 20th-century Beaux-Arts mansion that was the apex of Los Angeles money and power.

Those in search of serenity can escape to the rhythms and flows of a feng shui riverside palace in the green hills above Taipei. Or find refuge in an island paradise: Choose from a manor house on the Channel Island of Jersey, where the countryside meets the emerald sea, or a private beachfront compound on Virgin Gorda, BVI, where palm-lined strands of powder white sand and cerulean seas await.

Thus, we’ve reached the lofty neighborhood of US$20 million. Read on, and open a few doors: It’s a rather splendid neighborhood, isn’t it?

1. Aquamare on Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Aquamare offers the rare opportunity to own a private boutique beach resort in the British Virgin Islands.

The freehold property on the white sands of Mahoe Bay comprises three luxurious five-bedroom villas; a two-bedroom concierge house; spacious terraces; and lush, beachfront gardens with three infinity pools.

All three villas offer unobstructed views of the Sir Francis Drake Channel and, on the horizon, the main island of Tortola. The villas are identical in design: Each has a great room with a double-layered cathedral ceiling, an open-plan living room that flows out to the pool terrace, and five oversized bedrooms and bathrooms, all with ocean-facing spa tubs and outdoor showers.

The grounds are landscaped to provide privacy between each residence. Adding to the mystique is the location: Virgin Gorda, the third-largest island in the BVI archipelago, is internationally renowned for its secluded beaches, hidden coves, and the world-famous Baths, a boulder-strewn beach on the southern end of the island.

2. Palazzo Dario in Venice, Italy

Timeless, yet of its time, Palazzo Dario sits in jewel-like splendor on the most prestigious part of the Grand Canal, between the Ponte dell’Accademia bridge, the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, and the San Marco Basin.

For more than 500 years, this magnificent Gothic palace has been a landmark in Venice’s prestigious Dorsoduro sestiere. Built circa 1479, the palace was restored in 1487 by Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect Pietro Lombardo.

The palazzo is distinguished by its Grand Canal-front façade, which has been the subject of several notable art and literary works over the centuries.

The beautiful circular polychrome and Pietra d’Istria marble inlays, oculi, and wall veils appear in John Ruskin’s great treatise on Venetian architecture and art,The Stones of Venice: “It exemplifies the style of ‘Renaissance engrafted on Byzantine,’” he wrote.

The museum-quality interiors unfold over four levels. The ground level, accessed via the canal and the garden, rises to two piano-noble floors and a penthouse floor housing the private quarters.

3. The Dorothy Chandler Estate in Los Angeles, California

A classic exemplar of Beaux-Arts architecture, the magisterial Dorothy Chandler Estate is one the great landmarks in Los Angeles.

Designated a Historic-Cultural Monument, the circa-1913 mansion was designed by architects J. Martyn Haenke, William Dodd, and Julia Morgan (the architect of Hearst Castle).

It was home to the actor Lewis Stone, best known for his role as Judge Hardy, wise father of Mickey Rooney’s Andy in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film series.

Then Los Angeles Times publisher Norman Chandler and his philanthropist wife, Dorothy Buffum Chandler, acquired the home in 1953 and dubbed it “Los Tiempos.” The six-bedroom, eight full-bathroom residence accommodated so many U.S. presidents (Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon), their home was often referred to as the Western White House.

The lavishly detailed interiors underwent a major multiyear restoration, which included hand-made, carved custom cabinetry throughout, with 400-year-old French limestone floors in the chef’s kitchen and countless contemporary upgrades, all set perfectly on a beautifully landscaped 0.83-acre corner lot which includes, of course, a swimming pool.

4. The Palace One in Taipei City, Taiwan

A feng shui oasis overlooking Taipei’s Waishuangxi River, The Palace One is set in its hillside like a jewel, its façade of white jadeite crafted to imitate the facets of a diamond.

The Palace One site occupies a privileged, elevated position on its riverside lane, far from the city’s bustle. British architect Stephen Roe’s design embraces the principles of feng shui, uniting its five elements—earth, metal, water, wood, and fire—in a glorious, harmonious whole that encloses 15,472 square feet of living space.

Double-height ceilings expand the volume of the common-space lounge, which flows to a spacious, yet intimate dining space. Oversized windows frame the contemplative landscaping, converging the indoors with the outdoors.

5. Luxurious Family Estate in Jersey, Channel Islands

This elegant manor house on the island of Jersey abides on three bucolic acres above St Aubin’s Bay in the sought-after enclave of St Brelade.

The 10,000-square-foot main residence is a fine example of traditional Jersey architecture that has been tastefully renovated and extended for the 21st century.

The five-bedroom, six-bathroom home has a sunny, south-facing aspect with glorious sea views. The vast, contemporary kitchen adjoins a dining space with large doors that open to a terrace and the gardens beyond. The owner’s suite includes a mezzanine level, two dressing rooms, en suite bathroom, and an extensive terrace that overlooks the garden and bay.

The walled grounds include a newly installed swimming pool, a sauna, steam room, gym, and garaging. Wide terraces and gardens, both formal and natural, invite quiet contemplation, but the magnificent lawned amphitheater begs for a Bach string concerto or a rousing performance of The Tempest.