We first noticed this insanely huge and lavish custom-built castle in Southlake, TX, when it was our most popular listing of the week in late October. But we yearned to know more about this $4.9 million castle and what buyers will find when they pull their sword (or checkbook) from the stone. What we learned is that it's fit for a king.
1. The ceiling twinkles in the theater room
A regular old home theater is for mere mortals, not for royalty! This home's theater room comes with tiered seating and high-tech lighting, including on the floor to help guide you to your comfortable leather recliner. Also, the lights dim naturally before the movie starts.
Perhaps the best feature about the room is the ceiling, which displays different lighting effects. "There's a panel in there you can adjust -- one is twinkling stars," says listing agent Diane Gallichio.
2. 14 air-conditioning units cool the castle
It gets hot in the Lone Star State, so 14 air-conditioning units are required to keep this 19,763-square-foot castle cool.
3. 14-car garage doubles as a man cave
When the sellers bought this castle, they upgraded the meager four-car garage into a 2,500-square-foot showroom that can hold 14 or more cars, "depending on how you park them," Gallichio says. Additionally, the garage has a man cave with a bar, half-bathroom, television, and gaming area.
4. The multiplier effect
The castle has eight fireplaces, two full kitchens, six refrigerators, six dishwashers, eight bedrooms (each with its own full bathroom), four half-bathrooms, an elevator, five wet bars (including the wine room), and an outdoor fire pit.
5. Pool area is bonkers
The beach-entry saltwater pool has a waterfall feature, but the adjacent grotto is bananas! At the flip of a switch, flames come out, presumably to announce that the king (or queen) has arrived.
6. Master bathroom has chandeliers in its two showers
Royalty don't bathe like peasants. The master bathroom is a sprawling his-and-her affair with vanity mirrors and counters, toilets, and dressing area split evenly on each side. There are two jetted showers with chandeliers on their 15-foot ceiling. The two showers connect to a whirlpool-style tub.
"She goes to the right and he goes to the left, and they meet in the middle," Gallichio says.
7. There are 7 types of flooring
Counting indoor and outdoor surfaces, flooring varies among brick, marble, tile, adobe, wood, carpet, and slate.
8. One of the towers can be turned into an observatory
The tower with the parapets is intended to be an observatory. After they bought the castle for an undisclosed amount in 2011, the sellers added the three-story, circular area.
"It's all there, but you have to add the dome and a telescope," Gallichio says.
When it's done, a new owner can look to the stars and plan an intergalactic siege.