Unsurprisingly, Mariah Carey’s penchant for glitter and glam extends to the many homes that she’s lived in over the years. The singer didn’t always enjoy such a lavish lifestyle, however. Born in Huntington, New York, the pop superstar grew up living with her mother and two older siblings in a small apartment after her parents got divorced. Her love for singing stemmed from a desire to escape this troubled childhood. Over the years, her passion bloomed into a career, which led to an entire lifestyle and persona that has cemented Carey as a musical and pop culture legend.
“She exudes glamor—and sex appeal too,” interior designer Mario Buatta told Architectural Digest during a 2001 tour of her NYC triplex. “She has incredible charisma. Mariah loves luxury.” Here, we’ve rounded up some of Carey’s most sumptuous properties, including one with a violin-shaped pool.
1993
Several years after the Long Island native moved to New York City in pursuit of a music career, she already had a record deal, a husband, and a house—all in quick succession. She met Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola in 1988, released her self-titled debut album in 1990, and married Mottola in 1993. The pair paid $2 million for 51 acres in Westchester County, where they designed and built a sprawling 22,000-square-foot mansion.
Situated approximately 40 miles north of the city, the redbrick Georgian home boasted nine bedrooms, seven fireplaces, a recording studio, a ballroom, a pistol range, and both indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Noise from the construction of a 2.5-million-gallon artificial pond caused some kerfuffle with the neighbors, but ultimately completed the estate’s over-the-top aesthetic. When the couple separated in 1997, they put the property up on the market and eventually sold it to executive Nelson Peltz for $20.5 million. At the time it was the most expensive sale in Westchester County. Tragedy struck just one year later, however, when a fire completely destroyed the property.