Manhattan Gilded Age Mansion up for sale: We have (almost) everything to make it our own!

The Duke mansion for sale - we snapped this picture on a 2019 visit to The Met

I have interior design ideas, plates for walls, a variety of tchotchkes  and lots of crystal serving pieces for my New York dream home - only the price tag holds me back from purchasing this incredible real estate from the Gilded Age.  It's currently listed at $80 million.

I was alerted of this grand home sale last week from Jenna, NY native and my son, Matt's, partner. She sent me the link to the latest TikTok post from Manhattan millennial real estate agent, Robert Khederian. In this mini reel, Khederian extolls the attributes of this Gilded Age estate, known as the "Duke mansion", and one of the few homes of this era that still exists in New York City.  It was developed as a "spec house" in 1899 and purchased by Benjamin Duke in 1901. It stayed within his family until 2006 when it was sold to Tamir Sapir for $40 million. Sapir then sold it to Carlos Slim, Mexican telecom mogul and current owner, four years later for $44 million.

Renaissance Revival parlor at The Met, lots of red velvet and high-end tchotchkes 

With 20,000 square feet spanning seven floors, the Duke mansion borders 27 feet along 5th Avenue, expanding to 100 feet of frontage on 82nd Street. But, it's not just its size that's appealing. This Gilded Age mansion is only steps from Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art with amazing rooftop views of both.

Until this week, we didn't know the details of the interiors, but we were quite familiar with its location. In fact, on our visit to the Big Apple in 2019, we snapped a picture of this Gilded Age residence simply because we loved it and recognized it as a treasure of a bygone era.

Rockefeller dressing room, NYC circa 1881, at The Met

It was that same visit where we had our first extended tour of the Duke mansion's nearby neighbor, The Met.  We headed right for "The American Wing" to view many of its Gilded Age collection, including the dressing room of a Rockefeller, a library table that belonged to a Vanderbilt and a sideboard made for an Astor. The latter was designed by Alexander Roux, an etagere type that was meant to display dining ware (such as assortment of crystal on, say, on a top middle shelf).

At  The Met:  sideboard created for an Astor, an etagere type designed to display dining ware

A beautiful Renaissance Revival parlor, from 1868, is also on display in "The American Wing" with lots of red velvet and assorted, very high end, knickknacks.  If I had the funds to purchase the Duke mansion, it's clear, I'd have plenty of inspiration for interior decor from this special area of The Met (along with my own plates, crystal and plentiful, but not so high end, bric-a-brac). 

Although the Duke mansion is a bit out of our price range, we enjoyed learning its history as well as seeing photos of the inside as shown on its current listing.

A library table built for William H. Vanderbilt at The American Wing at The Met

In addition, we found another reason to be a fan of Robert Khederian, aside from his connection to current and vintage NYC real estate. Turns out, he and his partner, were featured in a 2019 article from the New York Post which highlighted millennials who are embracing "granny chic". They cite the term "grandmillenials" - millennials who have embraced traditional furnishings that include wallpaper and tchotchkes, a shift from the stark minimalist decor of many mid-century interiors.

In our next blog, will revisit "granny chic" which BTS referenced in its "What's In/What's Out for 2023". Plate walls, anyone? Certainly, they'd be welcomed in the Duke mansion for the right price. 😉