- San Francisco’s mini-Versailles, Le Petit Trianon, is on the market for $30 million.
- The home has quite the history: It was damaged by an earthquake, abandoned by a tech exec, and used as a squatting haven, according to The Wall Street Journal.
- Its most recent owner spent millions on a renovation spanning three years and gave the 18th-century inspired interior a modern facelift.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
On the market: San Francisco’s mini-Versailles.
Just like the palace it’s modeled after, Presidio Heights’ Le Petit Trianon replica has quite the history. The home was built by a wool merchant in the early 1900s only to be damaged shortly thereafter by an earthquake, reported Katherine Clarke for The Wall Street Journal.
It was later purchased by Salesforce and CNET co-founder Halsey Minor, who abandoned it after going broke during the financial crisis – after which skateboarders broke in to ride the stairwells, and self-described artist and nomad Jeremiah Kaylor squatted in it, according to Clarke. Kaylor told Clarke he sold $300,000 worth of the house’s art.
Once Minor filed for bankruptcy in 2013, venture capitalist Ron Jankov bought it for $12 million in a trustee sale, Clarke said. After spending millions on a multi-year renovation, Jankov is now selling the nearly 18,000-square-foot house for $30 million because he gets lost inside, he told Clarke.
Here's a look inside what Clarke calls "one of San Francisco's most iconic - and notorious - homes."
Sitting on a 20,311-square-foot lot, San Francisco's mini-Versailles is a national historical landmark dating back to the 1900s.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
Modeled after Le Petit Trianon, the sandstone mansion underwent a multimillion-dollar facelift to its 18th-century grandeur. It took three years to complete.
Source: Wall Street Journal
The chateau-style residence features nearly 18,000 square feet of living space and 20 rooms.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
It includes two kitchens, two wet bars, a butler's pantry, and a breakfast room.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
There's a grand living room, which juxtaposes French architectural elements like Corinthian columns and beamed ceilings with 21st-century details, such as a contemporary light fixture.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
On the same floor is a sitting room, which features a domed ceiling, grand fireplace, and double tall French windows.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
There's also a library featuring a marble and wood fireplace and barrel-vaulted ceiling.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
On the second floor is a whimsical family room and library.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Its colorful setting boasts an original beamed ceiling and grand fireplace.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
Off to the side of the room is an intimate lounging area in a royal blue and gold alcove.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
There's also a ballroom on the lower level. Previously inspired by Versailles' Hall of Mirrors, it was transformed into a nightclub in the recent renovation.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
It includes a raised stage for entertainment ...
Source: Le Petit Trianon
... and a marble-clad bar with three under-the-counter wine fridges.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
There are also two home offices. This one uses bright colors to emphasize the renovation's contemporary aesthetic.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
The home has nine bedrooms, including a bright bedroom with grasscloth wallpaper and tropical-inspired details.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
And there are three powder rooms and six baths, many of which include adjoining sitting rooms.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
A circular entry with marble flooring features six Ionic columns, a domed ceiling, and four French doors leading to indoor gardens.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
There's also a three-story central atrium with a stained glass skylight and lush greenery spilling over the third level for an indoor garden feel.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
Off the central atrium is a back door leading to classical French gardens and a gardening room with white Carrara marble counters and flooring, whimsical wallpaper, and a decoratively gilded, antique mirrored backsplash.
Source: Le Petit Trianon
And encircling the atrium is a classic mansion staple: a grand central staircase.
Source: Le Petit Trianon