Burr Ridge
Villa Taj, located on a 4.5-acre private lot, consists of more than 45,000 square feet of living and entertaining areas, including 30,240 square feet of interior space.
On the main floor there is a formal living room, conservatory, library, cigar room, wine cellar, dining lounge, formal dining room, grand kitchen and family entertainment room — all of which surround a 2,400-square-foot central ballroom with a 38-foot-high ceiling and decorative finishes of bordering columns and gold-leaf ornamental wall detailing. More than 15,000 square feet of balcony space encircles the home.
Contained within the lower level of Villa Taj is a game room with full bar, a theatre and a room sized to convert into a two-lane bowling room. A heated, 20-car garage is also located on this level with a space for detailing an automotive collection. Additionally, service quarters are located on the lower level.
The home has four different staircases in the home, with a 32-foot-wide main entry. Within the 25-by-25-foot main entry vestibule there is a 30-foot-high ceiling crowned with a vaulted skylight. Ceilings of the general rooms within Villa Taj are 13 feet high.
There are five master bedroom suites, plus one imperial bedroom suite that is more than 2,500 square feet in size. All master suites feature substantial bathrooms, walk-in closets with carved natural wood detailing, a fireplace and handcrafted ornamental doors. Bathrooms are finished from floor to ceiling in gold Jerusalem stone and feature rainshowers, Jacuzzi tubs and the ability to convert to a private steam room.
All floors in Villa Taj are finished with select Brazilian wood, cherry wood, Italian marble or gold Jerusalem limestone. Antique or custom-designed doors provide entry to each of the bedrooms and living areas. The owner personally selected these doors during his travels around the globe, from locales including Morocco, Algeria and Mexico.
The home features nine fireplaces, each of a unique and singular design. Beneath the main dual staircase at the front entry of Villa Taj are two powder rooms. The rooms are completely finished with more than 4,200 square feet of pineapple onyx from Mexico, with Italian marble accents. The estate also features an elevator servicing all three levels.
For more information, call Kristine Farra of Prudential Preferred Properties at 312.953.9567 or e-mail her at Kristine@GoldCoastRealEstate.com.
VILLA TAJ
Location-Burr Ridge
Housing Type-Single-family
Number of Units-1
Delivery Date-Immediate
Price-$25,000,000
Co-op Commission-2% 1st 12M
Architect-Ridgeland Associates with influence from owner
Developer-Owner
Last year, I did some research on Villa Taj for a client.
The property was off the market at that time and on the auction block. The auction was not successful and now the auctioneer has listed the property on the MLS for a price of $13mm, which is just about half the amount it was listed for previously. Coop being offered is now 1%. My guess is someone who is serious could get the place for under $11mm.
You can check out my original post at: http://blog.lucidrealty.com/2009/10/22/villa-taj-burr-ridge-illinois/
Villa Taj is a strange house in a poor location. It is large and ornate to be sure, but the taste is not something that discerning buyers want. It is located at the corner of two four lane roads. It needs to be marketed internationally to attract a buyer that might find the style acceptable to their culture and family’s needs. The only other option is a major price reduction. Some trader or investor will grab it if the price is right. At $11M, the price far exceeds much nicer homes in Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, and OakBrook.
Villa Taj is indeed a unique home as are many homes in the uppermost price brackets. Upon researching homes in similar price points, both local ( very few ), national and international, one can see that they are subject to increased market times and taste specific. No one expects a home in this price range to sell in a traditional 6 months under any market conditions. While members in the ultra high net worth demographic are less dependent on financing and market conditions unfortunately, the lending crisis did catch up with the lender. Timing is everything and this will most certainly make a buyer an impressive home at an advantageous price point.