River Oaks estate features many living, entertaining areas

Perhaps one of the most extraordinary properties in the Houston area, this River Oaks estate on more than 3 acres overlooks Buffalo Bayou and has become a part of Houston’s real estate history.

Listing agent Walter Bering of Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty said the gated estate, which features a main house with more than 23,000 square feet, three floors and a full basement, and incredible outdoor spaces, easily accommodates the living and entertaining requirements of its residents.

Initially built in the mid1980s for a royal family, the property was purchased by the current owners in 2007, whose renovations include the addition of amenities such as a resort-style pool and spa, a fully equipped entertaining cabana, a separate summer kitchen with a pizza oven and bar, a gazebo with a commercial hibachi grill, children’s play areas, and extensive protected and open-air outdoor gathering/ dining terraces and decks.

The main house is memorable throughout, from the triple-height, marble-and-glass reception hall to the elegant formal living and dining rooms that offer enough space for as many as 200 guests. A polished grass elevator with an inlaid floor is accessible from the reception hall.

The first floor’s east gallery features a business office wing that includes an executive office, a conference room with a wet bar, an executive dining room and attached kitchen. The west gallery hall leads to a Versailles-inspired formal reception parlor with two sets of French doors opening to the formal dining room with an ornamental ceiling and marble floor.

The home has a fully equipped granite kitchen with a stainless-steel island; a commercial grade walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer; two dishwashers; Viking, Asko and Dacor appliances; food-preparation space; a butler’s storage closet; and a chef’s office. There is also a refrigerated wine vault for storage for 1,000 bottles with a wine cellar management software system.

The informal dining room has a kitchen with Sub-Zero and Miele appliances.

The multi-room private master suite is secluded on the second floor and has a shared master sitting room between two independent luxury master suites, each with a bedroom opening onto a large covered private balcony, dressing room, marble master bath and walk-in master closet. The master suite also includes a mirrored exercise room and shampoo salon that opens to a walk-in shower with a Hansgrohe programmable shower system, steam room and sauna. The two luxury baths include a marble bath with Sherle Wagner Rose Quartz gold-plated fixtures, a custom closet configured with organizational components, lighted wardrobe and upholstered bench seat; and another marble bath with Sherle Wagner spa tub, walk-in closet with custom-configured wardrobes, built-in chests of drawers and necktie valets.

Four secondary bedrooms are also on the second floor along with a granite snack kitchen with GE Sub-Zero and Miele appliances; and a large play room with three sets of glass French doors opening onto a 60-foot by 19-foot open-air balcony with lighting, hose bibs, electrical outlets and emitters for the mosquito control system. All off the second-floor bedrooms have dressing rooms, private baths, walk-in closets and covered balconies.

The third floor offers luxury guest suites with private bath, custom-fitted closets and private balconies. The bedrooms surround a living room with a terrace along with a snack kitchen and large glass-walled game room with three sets of French doors opening onto a 39-foot by 40-foot terrace balcony.

Outside, the professionally landscaped grounds surround multiple inviting outdoor living and entertaining areas. Additional buildings include a pool house with an indoor and outdoor fireplace, kitchen and bath; a six-car garage; and a mechanical building.

The property’s north and south controlled-access entrances lead to front and rear motor courts with parking for up to 50 cars.

With nine bedrooms, 11 full baths and four halfbaths, this home at 1000 Kirby Drive is priced at $20,000,000.

For more information, visit www.MarthaTurner.com.