Photo: Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty
If you want to stand out from the crowd, you have to dare to be different. It has and will always be the rule, and as this piece of real estate shows, it also applies to houses.
We’ve talked about compounds or properties whose design found inspiration in the unlikeliest places, whether it was the Lunar lander, yachts, or space movies. Here is a house that is the architectural representation of Darth Vader, a.k.a. the biggest and baddest villain in the Star Wars universe.
Dubbed The Darth Vader House, it was completed in 1992, and now, for the first time ever, it’s been listed for sale. In turn, this offers the first proper, official look at the construction, both on the outside and in the interior. Really, if Darth Vader were a house, he would probably be this one: the building not only resembles his famous helmet, but it’s also able to replicate some of his menacing air in the interior—but without coming across as a hostile space.
When you hear about a home designed after a fictional movie character, the most natural reaction is to assume the final result is either tacky or stupid. Either way, poor taste must be involved, you’re probably thinking. This could be the exception.
Photo: Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty
The Darth Vader House sits in the prestigious West University neighborhood in Houston, Texas. Because of its strange, angled appearance and the contrast it brings to the area, it’s somewhat of a local legend. Its association with Star Wars has broadened its appeal and brought about international media attention.
It is the brainchild of Dr. Jean Cukier, a surgeon. He is a big Darth Vader fan and, since he could clearly afford to channel this love of his in his dream home, he did. He designed both the exterior and interior, Nadia Carron, one of the listing agents, tells the Houston Chronicle, and then worked with an architect for the first sketches.
“What you see is his baby and his design inside and outside of the house. He made his dream come true,” Carron says. That dream can now move on to someone else because the good doctor is selling it: it’s too big for him now that his children are grown-ups.
The first thing you notice as you approach the house is the almost exact resemblance to Darth Vader’s helmet. Carron says the resemblance is made more obvious at night when the lighted rooms on the front structure look like glaring eyes. The interior is fit for a villain as well, though technically, this is listed as a family home.
Photo: Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty
You get 7,040 square feet (654 square meters) of living space (the lot it sits on is much bigger, at 18,000 square feet/1,672 square meters), divided between four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a study and library, a playroom, vast closet space, and plenty of lounge areas. The interior has a certain space ship-feel to it, with the second floor circular to the house and two large staircases leading up to it from near a sunken living room.
Everything is either black or white or a variety of grays, bathed in bright neon under-lights. This is either the home to secretly plan how to take over the world or the perfect party space.
Furnishes are jagged, the walls are angled, and even the flooring is odd-shaped and unusual, with patches of black ending abruptly. In contrast, you get fuzzy carpets here and there, bed coverings that are begging to be removed for a good night’s sleep, and oversize blankets draped casually on sofas.
The property doesn’t include a guest house, as it’s customary with this type of property, but it does come with a separate 4-car garage. Just so you know, there’s a perfectly good place to park your spaceships and whatever other ride you use in your evil, world-conquering ways.
Photo: Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty
The Darth Vader House is listed for $4.3 million, which should be pocket change to any respectable villain. It’s best to hurry, though: Carron says that rapper 50 Cent is a potential buyer, having already booked a private showing.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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