Serena and Venus Williams have recently completed a two-story addition to replace a one-story wing on their massive Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., estate that they share. The 4,000-square-foot structure, which sits to the left of their circular drive by the gated entry, houses their training facility, says area real estate agent Jeff Lichtenstein, who commissioned an aerial photo of the home (pictured below)."The sisters applied for permits to do an addition to their home in March of 2010 and just completed it," he says. In fact, several construction projects were conducted on their property over the past year. (A Bing aerial shot before the remodel is also below).
Serena also remodeled her bathroom, which cost her about $180,000, according to county records, and probably has an elegant vanity with mirrors and drawers for her beauty products since Serena once wrote in her official Women's Tennis Association bio that her favorite place to visit was "the mirror in my house."
Considering her bathroom before the remodel was described by one Vogue writer as "an over-the-top affair of white marble, gold fixtures, a tub that could fit four," we really can only imagine all of the new upgrades for showcasing her cosmetics.
"I'm addicted to hair products," she told Vogue. And lotions and scrubs and perfumes. "I got so much stuff I could sell it on the street."
The 11,000-square-foot home, which the tennis champions finished building in 2000 afterpurchasing a home there in 1998 for $525,000, is on the BallenIsles Country Club grounds, a gated golf community of 1,562 homes. This is the same community, where Bernie Madoff's sisterSondra Wiener lived before selling her home in 2009, says Lichtenstein of Illustrated Properties.
Serena Williams hot now
The Williams sisters did not put an outdoor tennis court
Most residents have to be paying members of the country club to use its facilities, but apparently not the sisters. "They tried to charge me $85,000 to be a member. Uh-huh. Knowing I could bring in a lot of people if they give me a membership for free," Serena told Vogue. And the sisters have done tournaments there, which is about an hour's drive from the Miami Dolphins' stadium. The Williamses are part owners of the franchise.
"We're South Florida girls. When we get off the road ... we come home to Dolphins games," Venus told ESPN.
But they also go to relax in their V-shaped home, with two master wings, one for each sister. The home has a circular theme throughout, from a circular foyer, breakfast room, dining room, library and two-story glass enclosed sitting rooms off each master bedroom with its own double walk-in closets with built-ins.
"Suffice it to say you have not lived until you've been in Serena Williams's closet. The size of a studio apartment in New York, it is an explosion of color and fur, organized by Serena herself, who 'hates mess' and therefore spends her downtime rearranging racks and racks of her on- and off-court wardrobe and accessories," Vogue reported.
Her closet has sections that keeps her fur-coats separate from another coat section, and there is a handbag section, a sneaker section separate from her other shoes, and one for gowns too.
"It is a very specific house," Lichtenstein tells AOL Real Estate. "It is a giant house for the community." And he says it will be a tough sell should ever the sisters decide to live separate lives.
"There are not a lot of homes with double master suites like that. There are couples who want their own master suite, but these are mirrored wings." In order to sell the home, he says buyers will have to be relatives in a similar situation as the Williams' sisters, or, he jokes, "be a husband and wife who argue with each other a lot."
The palatial home, with 30-foot ceilings and white marble floors, is about 15 miles away from the home Venus and Serena once shared with their parents, who are now divorced. In 1991, the family moved to Palm Beach Gardens from their home state California so that Venus and Serena could train with Rick Macci, who had also trained Jennifer Capriati.
"I could not wait to move out," Serena told O magazine. "I was ready...to go to bed when I wanted, ready to watch what I wanted on television when I wanted to, ready to hang out with friends and not be asked, "Serena, where are you going?" So when Serena was 18 and Venus was 19, they moved out of their parents home and into one together.
Serena told O that she finally felt like an adult when her first electric bill arrived.
"[It was] $1,500! I couldn't believe it. Suddenly I understood why Daddy was always telling me to turn out the lights. Another time I came home from a tournament and -- click! No lights. Our power had been turned off because I hadn't paid the bill on time. I was constantly running out of groceries, toiletries, and little things I needed. That's when you realize what it means to be an adult: when you're on your own and you run out of toilet paper."
SERENA WILLIAMS BLOGS ABOUT HER HEARTACHE AFTER BREAKING UP WITH BOYFRIEND JACKIE LONG
Tennis star, Serena Williams, who is competing at the Australian Open, took time in her schedule to blog about her break-up with boyfriend ATL actor Jackie Long. There arerumors about the reason for the couple's split but nothing has been confirmed. It seems as though things didn't end very well and the break up was pretty nasty. In Serena Williams' blog post "Stand in these shoes (I'm sure u have before)" she talks about love, heartbreak, her career and focusing on not being "afraid to find new cheese".
I don't know where to start so I will start here:
Last fall around October a big change happened in my life. I decided to make sure that tennis was most important in my life next to GOD and my family, and while I was doing that I decided to rid myself of relationships that could stop me from reaching the main goal which is being the best. I did not want anything to stand in my way of doing what I do best which is playing tennis.
With that being said I went to Europe as my fans out there would know and played 4tournaments this fall. This is more than I have played in the fall in the past 5 years!!! Well I ended up reaching number 5 which was so cool before I fell again to number 7 (damit) and I had tons of fun doing it. But the turning point happened when I was on a plane coming back from Paris. I was thinking “did I make the right decision?” Was I right with riding myself of certain relationships?" I began to become scared and I was worried that I had made a mistake.
Then it happened I picked up this book called "Who moved my cheese" by Spencer Johnson. I was reading this one part that said "What would you do if u were not afraid?" And than it said "there is always cheese don't be afraid to find it." Basically it was talking about being complacent and being afraid of change. I than realized that I was afraid I was afraid of change. I was afraid to move on. I was afraid I was afraid to find new cheese! I thought there was only one cheese out there but after reading that book I realized that there is all types of "cheese" out there. Now I am not talking about real cheese but cheese is whatever you make it to be. Whether or not its money, or boyfriends, or friends. There is always more out there if what u have around you. Ok I hope I am not boring you guys, but after reading this book my whole spirit and my whole life changed. I became a different person. My personal life as well as my tennis life improved. And all I do now is laugh! I love to live and laugh! It is awesome!
I would love to recommend this book to everyone out there! Don't be afraid to find new "cheese"!!!
Xxx
Serena
UPDATE: THE DAILY MAIL REVEALS MORE ABOUT SERENA AND JACKIE LONG'S BREAK UP
Serena's 'Old Cheese' Ex-Jackie Long Sends a Message on Myspace.
