Italian style mansion, designed and made in South Africa, with chandelier honing from London. This place is quite a masterpiece.
This mansion is the home of Douw and Carolyn Steyn. Douw has a net worth of £900 million, but with conversion rates, he is a billionaire in South Africa. He founded BGL Group in 1992 and is a very successful businessman. So much so, he now has his own palace. The architecture and décor hark back to Roman times. It is aptly named “Palazzo Steyn” or Steyn Palace and features aqueducts, typical of ancient Rome. The inside is adorned with hand-painted walls and gold leaf. Moreover, art adorns the walls, including work by Picasso.
The Palace is Eco-friendly having been built in a quarry. Other features include;
- Excess water is fed back to the river,
- The natural energy from the aqueducts and geothermal heat pump system powers the heating and cooling systems in the house,
- Sandstone from the quarry forms outside walls,
- Marble and hardwood locally sourced,
Carolyn Steyn is an actress and performer in her own right. However, she reminds you of the Queen on her state visits. She visits schools, and prisons and is a patron of the arts. Furthermore, she accumulated 67 handwoven blankets to create a piece for Mandela day, something she has been doing for many years. The blankets, stored at the time of filming in her husband’s garage are to be handed out to those less fortunate for the colder months in South Africa.
This place is amazing, and the centrepiece of the elaborate “Steyn City”. Already, the area surrounding the crown-jewel has a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. Also, the area will be home to 11,000 residences, a private hospital, 2 private schools, offices and wooded parkland.
Watch someone else find their fortune after digging up gold!
