It's Showtime For Lauren and Andrés Santo Domingo
Anna Wintour lives in a lovely townhouse in the Village. But it doesn't come anywhere close to the new home that one her underlings, Vogue contributing editor Lauren Santo Domingo, is moving into with her husband Andrés Santo Domingo. And while the blonde Voguette and the Latin American heir didn't end up snagging the big discount that had been reported in the press, the house they're moving into is quite a sight.
Back in July, the Post reported that the Santo Domingos were behind the purchase of Michael Hirtenstein's townhouse at 23 Gramercy Park South. "The asking price was $20 million," the paper reported, but "it's going for much less." It turns out the couple didn't get that much of a bargain: They paid $18.5 million for it. (The purchase was made via a company called Bond 23 LLC, which is registered to the same address as a money management firm controlled by the Santo Domingo family.) But Andrés and Lauren are certainly getting something special for all that money.
A five-story, 27-foot-wide classic Greek revival mansion featuring 20 rooms, a landscaped garden, and a key to Gramercy Park, Hirtenstein first put the townhouse up for sale in 2008 for $20 million. (He paid $15 million for it in 2006.) Hirtenstein later sought to drum up a little publicity for the property by handing it over to Showtime—the cable network—and Metropolitan Home magazine so it could be turned it into "showcase" for the network's programming slate and a handful of interior designers redesigned the house so that each room reflected one of its TV series. The living room you see above was inspired by The Tudors. The dining room, which features faux blood spatter on the walls, sports a Dexter theme, naturally. The living room that's decorated with a giant marijuana bush (or what looks like one)? That's Lauren and Andrés' new Californication-themed living room. One of their living rooms, at least.
Following the extensive renovation, Hirtenstein tried raising the price to $25 million. He didn't find any takers, though, and later dropped it back down to $20 million. But it still took another six months before he managed to find a buyer.
Now that the Santo Domingos have closed on the purchase, the Showtime decorations probably won't be around for much longer. We're guessing an extensive renovation will be keeping the couple busy for the foreseeable future. But you can take a tour of their new acquisition—in all of its Showtime glory—below.