11. Ellison Estate – $200 Million
This next estate is pretty cool, in that it looks in a very different direction for its aesthetic inspiration. While we’ve seen quite a few American estates that looked to Europe for their architectural and spiritual guidance—and vice versa—this time we’ve got a California mansion taking its inspiration directly from Japan.
Larry Ellison, software giant and world’s 6th richest man, is known for his diversity of tastes and interests, and these show in his Atherton California estate. Embracing the principle of wabi-sabi, the Ellison Estate takes on a very Japanese mode. An 8,000 square foot home with 7 bedroom and 8 bathrooms, the glass, and timber construction recalls the classic elegance and simplicity of Japanese style. The floor plan is open, flowing, and uses interior screens to partition space in flexible ways, recalling the traditional practices of the land of the rising sun. The grounds are comprised of Japanese style gardens, with their zen-like paths and koi ponds. There are, of course, swimming pools, but even they are stone lined and look like natural features. And, in a unique entry on this list, the estate does include a Japanese style tea house for those wanting the full experience.