Celine Dion
Quebec, Canada
Where better for a diva to take a breather than on her own private island? Spanning 8ha, Île Gagnon is where Canadian chanteuse Céline Dion built her Normandy chateau-style stone mansion in 2001. With the majestic winding staircase at its core, the six-bedroom property spans 24,000sqft over four storeys, featuring a formal living room and a grand 18-seater dining room. The kitchen was custom-built by La Cornue, and there is an informal dining room, sunrooms, an office, a panelled library and a family room complete with fireplaces. The basement houses a games room and a vaulted stone wine cellar with an integrated tasting room. Also on the premises is a pool with a pool house boasting its own kitchen and built-in grill. Priced just shy of US$29.1M.
Sotheby’s International Realty, Tel: +1 514 937 3718

www.sothebysrealty.com

 

Edith Piaf,
Provence, France
The former home of French singer and cultural icon Édith Piaf, this rustic stone villa sits on a hilltop near Châteauneuf-Grasse. The Côte-d’Azur hinterland location offers total tranquillity, and it’s just a half-hour’s drive from the lively French Riviera cities of Cannes and Nice. The main building houses four en suite bedrooms, one of which is the master suite with a private terrace linked to a large study. The property includes a generously sized guesthouse with four bedrooms and four bathrooms, as well as a pool, a pool house with a summer kitchen, a tennis court, landscaped gardens, a caretaker’s house and garages. Priced just below US$8.5M.
Knight Frank, Tel: +44 20 7629 8171

www.knightfrank.com

 

Mel Gibson
Costa Rica
On the market is 200ha of privately owned jungle retreat in Playa Barrigona. The former cattle ranch was transformed into a family retreat by Mel Gibson, comprising three villas overlooking the Pacific. Casa Guanacaste is the largest with seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, while the other villas each have two bedrooms. All three feature a living room with vaulted ceilings, kitchen, multiple verandas with jungle and ocean vistas, a pool and air conditioning. The actor and Oscar-winning Braveheart director may have suffered a string of public embarrassments in recent years, but his architectural tastes cannot be faulted. Priced just under US$30M.
Christie’s International Real Estate, Tel: +1 505 216 1414

www.christiesrealestate.com

 

Dennis Quaid
Montana, US
Previously home to Hollywood names Warren Oates, Sam Peckinpah and Dennis Quaid, the ranch is set on a 169ha plot in Paradise Valley. Besides horseback riding on the ranch and in the surrounding forests, avid anglers will delight in the excellent trout fishing along Six Mile Creek. The owner’s residence comprises three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen fitted with commercial-grade appliances, a mudroom for fishing and sporting gear, and expansive living areas spread across 5,315sqft overlooking Six Mile Creek and the Absaroka Range. The plot also boasts four guesthouses, a ranch manager’s home, and horse facilities. Priced at US$14M.
Sotheby’s International Realty, Tel: +1 406 586 4408

www.sothebysrealty.com

 

Boris Becker
Mallorca, Spain
Bask in the Mediterranean sun at the former digs of tennis champion Boris Becker, set near Artá – a quaint medieval village that lies northeast of Mallorca. The Son Coll country estate has nine bedrooms and eight bathrooms in all, set on a plot that spreads across nearly 25ha. Besides the main residence, there are two separate guesthouses, a caretaker’s cottage, pool house, garages for seven cars, and stables with an accompanying riding arena. Sporting enthusiasts will be able to keep in shape in the 25m pool, fitness room, basketball facilities and, of course, on the tennis court. Priced just below US$15.4M.
Engel & Völkers Hong Kong, Tel: +852 3997 3200

www.hongkongev.com

 

Michael Jordan
Illinois, US
Sitting behind large iron gates emblazoned with the number 23 is basketball legend Michael Jordan’s contemporary mansion in Highland Park. The 32,683sqft property comprises nine bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a kitchen, multiple living rooms, an office and a library. Attached to the main residence is a three-bedroom guesthouse, and the three separate climate-controlled garages can hold 15 cars in total. The 2.8ha plot has plenty of room for recreational facilities, including a tennis court, a pool, a putting green and, most importantly, a full-size regulation indoor basketball court with specially cushioned hardwood flooring, competition-quality lighting and a booming sound system. Priced at US$29M.
Baird & Warner, Tel: +1 312 981 2308

www.bairdwarner.com

 

This story is adapted from Singapore Tatler's September 2012 issue. All information is supplied by the agents listed, and Edipresse and Asia Tatler take no responsibility for its accuracy or current validity.