David Bowie | House Tour | $20 Million Mustique Island Villa & More

As you might expect from a music legend like he was, David Bowie owned a handful of stunning homes over his lifetime. The late singer had shared a 4 million dollar Manhattan penthouse with his wife Iman, as well as a gorgeous Caribbean vacation retreat. And that's just a taste. So, today we're gonna take a look. In these videos we don't reveal any addresses and even though I've done a house tour of my own place, please do not show up at any private residences because it's not safe for anyone. David Bowie was an English musician, singer, songwriter, actor, and all around legend who at the time of his death in 2016 was estimated to be worth around 230 million dollars. Turns out that was far too low of an estimate because only a few months ago in January 2022, Bowie's surviving relatives would sell his publishing catalogue to Warner Chapel for an astounding 250 million dollars all its own. With record sales that surpassed 100 million units sold, he's one of the most influential rock artists of all time. And over the years he's been known by an endless series of nicknames. Ziggy Stardust, The Thin White Duke, Major Tom, The Chameleon of Rock, and of course The Starman. But I think there's one title that people forgot to give David while he was still around. Real estate tycoon. I say this because Bowie owned a host of properties over the span of his life and at the time of his death, many of them were passed along to his surviving family members. There was the 4 million dollar New York City penthouse he shared with his wife Iman. There's also the vacation home that Bowie grew attached to in his final years, located just outside of New York City in the Catskills, as well as another retreat, a villa on a Caribbean island. Hey guys, it's Kara the Vampire Slayer back with another exclusive house tour here on TMS Entertainment and today we're seeing where David Bowie once called home. Don't forget to like, subscribe and hit me up on Instagram to chat. Now let's get into this video. Back in 1999, Bowie was in the midst of appearing in his very first video game where he and his wife provided voiceover work for some extremely early 3D renderings of video game characters. That same year, he'd also release his 22nd studio album, Voices, and follow that up by laying down a fortune for the purchase of two New York City penthouses that he then converted into one 5,300 square foot loft. The building was originally built in 1886 to serve as the Holly and Hoops Chocolate Factory, and would eventually get converted into a condominium the same year that Bowie moved in. Located in the Soho, Nolita district of Manhattan on Lafayette Street, Bowie's reported 4 million dollar purchase bought him ownership of the residence he would live in until the day he died some 17 years later. Bowie's penthouse boasts four bedrooms, four bathrooms, while a direct elevator provides access to the home's entrance gallery. This in turn leads into an even bigger great room with three exposures, and a western facing terrace that provides some breathtaking views. Now in terms of Bowie's decor, his apartment offers laid back sophistication through some vibrantly patterned soft furnishings, a few colourful accessories, and 11 foot tall ceilings. Outside of the primary living space, there's also a library that channels a more traditional aesthetic through its many book filled shelves while also boasting a contemporary print on the patterned rug over the wooden floors. Located just outside of that library is the home's most impressive terrace, which includes enough space for a gigantic outdoor dining table, and even some leftover room for sun loungers. Then there's that kitchen, an expansive area that's equally as stylish as it is practical, featuring a metallic breakfast bar alongside a backsplash that provides a contrast against the more 70's style chocolate hued wood details. Even Bowie's bathrooms are impressive, boasting metallic features like a freestanding silver tub alongside dark marble countertops that stand out against the neutral tones of those tiled floors. As for Bowie's master bedroom, well, it features over 1000 square feet of space, and as well as a fireplace, dressing room, and oversized en suite. As mentioned already, this home would come to be David's final rest place. When he passed away inside its halls on January 16th, 2016, it didn't take long for his fans to show up to honour his remarkable life and career. After his death, ownership of the home would transfer over to his wife Iman who continued to live here for a number of years, before finally selling the home in 2021 for a reported 16.8 million dollars. Or you know, roughly 4 times what Bowie originally paid for it. This next home was one of David's most prized possessions, and he actually kept ownership of it a secret until the time of his death. Located on an enclave along the Hudson river about 100 miles north of Manhattan, the very last home Bowie would ever buy was a 62 acre estate in Ulster county, way up high in the Casco mountains. About 5 years before his death, Bowie would pay just under 2 million dollars for a 3 bedroom house built into this mountainside. He would later renovate the space by adding a further 2 bedrooms and bathrooms, while also adding a vast number of windows so as to provide panoramas of those mountainous views. And while Bowie had bought all of his previous properties under his real name of David Robert Jones for some reason, he decided to keep this Casco's purchase shrouded in secrecy by purchasing it through an LLC. In fact, to this day most locals in the area don't even know how to find the place. Long regarded as a safe haven for creative types, the area's scenic beauty began attracting artists as far back as the early 1900s. Which is when the nearby town of Woodstock housed the country's very first artist's colony. Over the years, like-minded people would continue to flock here. One resident explained the draw of a place in the following way. People come here for a quiet, simple life to get away from some of the craziness of the city. David lived a relatively quiet existence up here, but that's exactly why New York City residents like this area. Because the home was kept largely a secret, details in terms of the interior have been kept to a minimum. What we do know is that David spent as much time here as possible in the years leading up to his passing. And in the end, he left the home to his daughter Alexandria. It would take Iman 5 years before she returned to the property full time, but she finally did so during the worldwide pandemic after selling her penthouse. Speaking about the healing process that came along with this decision, Iman told Vogue, After moving back into the property, Iman would also redecorate the interior of the home and fill it with mementos of David. For instance, not only did she keep gifts that he once got her in a place of honour, including a Hermes handbag from their very first holiday in Paris, but she also regularly reflects on a painting of David hanging in her living room. It was Vogue's first ever self-portrait he painted in 1980. Elsewhere in the home is Iman's first anniversary gift for David, the 1956 sculpture by artist Lynn Chadwick titled Teddy Boy and Teddy Girl, which is now displayed prominently on one of her tables. Then there's a landscape that's dotted with white birches, David's favourite type of tree. Aside from his beloved Catskills home, Bowie also had a getaway in a hotter place. David Bowie's Caribbean villa was 4 years and 14 cargo containers in the making. Bowie bought the property in 1986, but the home wouldn't be ready to be lived in until the tail end of 1989. When it was all finished, Bowie's new home was an Indonesian-style pavilion that encompassed a massive amount of acreage on Mystique Island. Bowie had discovered the island of Mystique while spending time vacationing with Mick Jagger in the Caribbean. One day their plans fell through, so David decided to simply walk up and down the island, scouting the place. That's when he discovered an expansive stretch of empty space that he thought might be perfect for a little vacation spot. Considering this parcel of land was right next to the estate of architect Arne Hasselvest's own home, Bowie hired the man himself to build his idea from scratch. In fact, by that point Arne had already built over half of the homes on the island at the request of English royalty. Working from Arne's plans, New York designer Robert Litwiller would oversee the construction of every detail of Bowie's villa, including tracking the shipping containers from Indonesia, Italy, England, New York and Atlanta. All of which were bringing David's decor and collectibles. When it was all said and done, Bowie would spend 5 or 6 weeks out of every year at his Caribbean paradise. He was especially fond of spending Christmas here. During those times, he would often invite a series of his very famous friends over to party, throwing one big get-together a year on New Year's Eve. But by the time Iman came into David's life in the early 90's, she wasn't much a fan of the place. Eventually she encouraged David to list the property and he did so, placing it on the market in 1995 for $5 million. The villa would sell quickly and since then, it's occasionally been available for rent at the ridiculous sum of around $70,000 a week. Alright guys, that's gonna bring our David Bowie house tour to a close. What did you think of the former homes of this music legend? Do you have a favorite? Let us know in the comments down below and if there's someone else you want to see profiled on here, leave your ideas as well. Thanks for watching, follow me on Instagram to chat, and I'll catch you all on the next house tour. Bye!