By Kate Youde
For a grand Thanksgiving
The redwood ceiling of the 25ft x 40ft formal dining room in this New Jersey mansion features hand-carved designs depicting meat, vegetables, fruit and fish. The room is one of 58 in the sprawling 50,000 sq ft house, built in 1907 and recently restored. After feasting, guests may wish to nap in one of the 21 bedrooms, watch a movie in the home cinema or take a postprandial stroll in the 12-acre grounds. The imposing property is on the market for $33m.
For a room with a view
The dining area of this striking property near the central Chilean coastal city of Los Vilos enjoys ocean views of the Pacific on three sides through floor-to-ceiling glass. Designed by the Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Ryue Nishizawa, a Japanese architect, the three-bedroom house sits beneath a 50m-long roof made of undulating concrete. Listed for sale at 1,740m pesos ($2.2m), it is part of the country’s Ochoalcubo project promoting innovative architecture.
For a cosy gathering
Tuck into lunch in front of a roaring fire at The Hewletts, a Grade II-listed Georgian country house set within 45 acres near Cheltenham, UK. The dining room (main picture, top) features the high ceiling and sash windows typical of the period. For less formal meals, the light kitchen has a breakfast area. There is plenty of room for guests: there are six bedrooms plus a two-bedroom self-contained flat in the main house, and a separate one-bedroom coach house apartment. The property is priced at £7.5m.
For rooms for all tastes
Situated south-east of Marrakesh, the 11-bedroom Villa Rosy has dining options to suit every occasion. As well as having not one but two dining rooms inside — one adjacent to the kitchen and one off the central courtyard near the main living room — the €3.5m property also has a pretty outdoor dining area on a covered terrace overlooking the 2.3-hectare garden.
For a merry Christmas
Thirsty diners at this three-bedroom Maltese house do not have far to go to open another bottle as the wine cellar is adjacent to the stone-walled dining room. A large, sunny kitchen offers the cook plenty of space to prepare a special meal and has glass doors opening on to the swimming pool and terrace for alfresco entertaining. The asking price is €1.8m.
Photography: Savills; Christie's International Real Estate; Chile Sotheby's International Realty; Malta Sotheby's International Realty
