It was the late 1990s and all Mariah Carey wanted for Christmas was Barbara Streisand’s penthouse duplex on Central Park West. Despite offering up $8m in cash, the powers that be (AKA the Ardsley apartment co-op board) rejected the offer on the grounds that her flamboyant celebrity image would disrupt the building’s family-friendly feel.
Not one to put up with those who don’t respect her A-list status, Carey abandoned her dreams of living on the Upper West Side and looked downtown for her next home – eventually setting her sights on Tribeca’s 17-storey Franklin Tower. Unsatisfied with the duplex penthouse on the 17th and 18th floors alone, she rounded-out the purchase with the full-floor unit directly below – all for a cool $9m.
Transforming the former 1900s-built Bank building into an Art Deco haven inspired by the golden age of Hollywood, she brought in the ‘Prince of Chintz’, late designer Mario Buatta, to maker her vision a reality. ‘I wanted to create a background for Mariah’s own glamour,’ he told Architectural Digest. ‘She exudes glamour – and sex appeal, too. She has incredible charisma.’…