NEW YORK – Ivana Trump’s estate has put her opulent Manhattan townhouse on the market for $26.5 million.
Donald Trump’s first wife and mother of Ivanka, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, Ivana Trump was a model, a socialite, a competitive skier, an interior designer, a fashion-and-perfume mogul and a behind-the-scenes force on many of Trump’s most important deals of the 1980s. Her marriage and subsequent divorce to the future 45th president were the subject of extensive media coverage, including interviews with Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters. After the divorce, Ivana started her own fashion lines, wrote several books, made a cameo in the blockbuster comedy First Wives Club, competed on Celebrity Big Brother and hosted her own reality show, Ivana Young Man, in which she helped wealthy older women find young partners. Her final marriage, in 2008, was to an Italian model 23 years her junior. Ivana died last July at the age of 73 and is survived by her mother, her three children, and 10 grandchildren.
Purchased for $2.5 million soon after her divorce from the Donald (a nickname that Ivana gave him), the six-story, 8,725-square-foot home reflects Ivana’s big personality, her whimsical style and her passion for interior design with gold leaf, crystal chandeliers, pink marble and animal-print wall coverings.
Ornate double doors open onto a stately formal gallery with blood-red carpets, gilded paneling and an immense Italian crystal chandelier. A sweeping, curved marble staircase leads to the second floor entertainment level, where soaring ceilings, gilded fireplaces, and a sumptuous Versailles-inspired dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the private interior courtyard hosted famous actors, luminaries from all industries and even royalty.
An old fashioned birdcage-style elevator leads to the upper floors. The third level is devoted to the spectacular primary suite that boasts a painted mural, a leopard-print library, a private terrace with stunning French doors and an opulent executive office clad in leopard print and fitted with a gold-and-black marble fireplace. The en-suite bathroom features pink onyx marble with gold hardware and includes an enormous soaking tub, double sinks and a mirrored vanity. Five additional bedrooms, each with its own chic style, occupy the next two floors, while a media room, second office and basement Swedish sauna round out the home’s lavish offerings.
The limestone townhouse was built in 1879 and features a columned facade, mansard roof and one-of-a-kind gold-and-black grilled doors. Located on a coveted block of New York’s Upper East Side between 5th and Madison Avenues, it is directly across from the former mansion of Ivana’s friend Donatella Versace and walking distance from Central Park, the shops of Madison Avenue, world-class dining and Manhattan’s famous museums. Known for its gorgeous brownstones and upscale high-rises, the Upper East Side is one of Manhattan’s poshest neighborhoods. Other celebrities who call the area home include Mariah Carey, Ricky Martin, Samuel L. Jackson, Mia Farrow and Drew Barrymore.
The listing is held by J. Roger Erickson of Douglas Elliman. Photos courtesy of Evan Joseph Photography.
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