Country houses for sale

Israeli buys £35m house in London

Leviev, who is Israel’s diamond billionaire and the world’s 210th wealthiest man, has decided to live permanently in London and has bought Palladio, a new house in Compton Avenue, Hampstead for around £35 million.

The house was designed by architect, William Bertram for Mansour Namaki of Iconic Properties and the interiors were designed by Bill Bonetti. Features include as a sweeping main staircase rising from the mirrored entrance hall and an indoor swimming pool which converts into a ballroom with dance floor and fibre optic lighting.

The stone staircase cost over £750,000, the hand carved stone fireplace in the drawing room – a replica of one in the Astor’s former stately home, Cliveden – cost £100,000 and the French door furniture cost £10,000 per door. In the master bedroom, there is a 60 inch plasma TV, which rises from a hiding place in a drawer unit and the family room, which is lined in maple wood, turns – at the touch of a button – into a high tech private cinema. Last, but not least, there is a leather lined six person lift so no-one needs to walk up the four floors.

There’s also a spa with hair salon and treatment room and gym, steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi. All lights, music, electronic doors, heating and security are operated remotely from anywhere in the house or abroad. ‘This house represents arguably the finest new-build house in Europe, if not the world today,’ says Trevor Abrahmsohn of Glentree International, who sold the property jointly with Beauchamp Estates.

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