In the global marketplace for luxury real estate, just what does US$20 million buy? That’s the multimillion-dollar question posed for this edition of Luxury Defined.
Obviously, this ducal sum can buy a palace. It’s just a matter of where. Consider life in a contemporary lakefront palace close to Old Amsterdam, or a palatial polo estate on the shores of Lake Michigan, just north of Chicago.
It can also buy a patch of paradise. Those in search of serenity find refuge on an island: Choose from a tropical compound in the French West Indies or a beachfront villa in the British Virgin Islands, where palm-lined strands of powder white sand and cerulean seas await.
Thus, we’ve reached the lofty neighborhood of US$20 million. Read on, and open a few doors: It’s a rather splendid neighborhood, isn’t it?
1. Baambrugse Zuwe in Vinkeveen, Utrecht, Netherlands
This palatial, newly built mansion has an idyllic rural setting on Vinkeveense Plassen, a picturesque lake within 10 minutes’ drive of Amsterdam.
The landscaped grounds include 328 feet of sandy shoreline with a beach house and a boathouse.
The 11,840-square-foot residence is a convergence of 18th-century architecture and cutting-edge contemporary design. 
The white limestone façade is illuminated by a colorful LED installation. Walls of glass frame the views of the Vinkeveense Plassen and the formal gardens at the rear. Numerous balconies and terraces also bring the outdoors inward. 
Eight bedrooms include the owners’ suite, with its natural stone bath, dual walk-in closets, and private terrace. 
 The resort-inspired amenities include a nightclub (with cocktail bar and Champagne room), wine cellar, aquarium, and two swimming pools, one indoors and one outdoors, each with a Jacuzzi.
2. Villa Stellae in Saint Barthélemy, French West Indies
Villa Stellae is an idyllic coastal retreat on the French Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy. 
The three dwellings are surrounded by lush, tropical gardens framing a vista of Lorient Bay, with the islands of Anguilla and St. Martin in the distance.
The main house offers four en suite bedrooms: Three are suites with dressing rooms and terraces. The fourth is on the upper floor alongside the fitness room.
The central living room adjoins a formal dining room and a professional-grade chef’s kitchen. Glass doors lead out to the gardens and a staircase to a mosaic-tiled heated infinity pool with a sun deck, gazebo, and alfresco dining space.
Within the grounds are two guest bungalows (each with an en suite bedroom and terrace), and ample private parking.
A few steps away, a stone staircase leads to a petanque court. But the charms don’t end there; further delights include a natural swimming pool and a massage area with an outdoor shower under the shade of a flowering tree. 
4. Crab Tree Farm in Lake Bluff, Illinois
This lakeshore legacy property is a 30-acre polo estate on Lake Michigan in the idyllic town of Lake Bluff, Illinois, just 35 miles north of Chicago.
With 700 feet of private beachfront, a tennis court, swimming pool terrace, pastures and polo fields, and a 13-stall, detached equestrian barn, Crab Tree Farm offers ultimate recreation and relaxation.
The gated entrance opens to a tree-lined gravel drive with four-rail fencing that passes through beautiful formal gardens to arrive at the double-height main entrance. The grand marble foyer’s central stairway rises to the second-floor balustrade and private quarters. 
The six spacious bedrooms include the newly renovated primary suite with its sitting room and opulent bathroom’s steam shower and free-standing bathtub. These are complemented by six deluxe full-size bathrooms and two half baths.
A custom island chef’s kitchen with commercial-grade appliances and a sunny eat-in breakfast space serves the formal dining room and family spaces. Downstairs is dedicated to the game room, billiards lounge, and cinema. 
The property is a world apart, yet close to the prestigious Shore Acres Country Club and the Village of Lake Bluff.
5. Aquamare on Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Aquamare offers the rare opportunity to own a private boutique beach resort in the British Virgin Islands.
The freehold property on the white sands of Mahoe Bay comprises three luxurious five-bedroom villas; a two-bedroom concierge house; spacious terraces; and lush, beachfront gardens with three infinity pools.
All three villas offer unobstructed views of the Sir Francis Drake Channel and, on the horizon, the main island of Tortola. The villas are identical in design: Each has a great room with double layered cathedral ceiling, an open-plan living room that flows out to the pool terrace, and five oversized bedrooms and bathrooms, all with ocean-facing spa tubs and outdoor showers.
The grounds are landscaped to provide privacy between each residence. Adding to the mystique is the location: Virgin Gorda, the third-largest island in the BVI archipelago, is internationally renowned for its secluded beaches, hidden coves, and the world-famous Baths, a boulder-strewn beach on the southern end of the island.
