Chris Hemsworth’s wife Elsa Pataky has hit back at claims that their recently renovated $20 million Byron Bay mega mansion looks like a shopping centre.
Speaking to KIIS FM’s The Kyle & Jackie O Show on Thursday morning, the 43-year-old star said: ‘Seriously, it’s not that big.’
The Spanish actress went on to claim that people believe the 4.2 hectare property is much bigger than it is due to the perspective of aerial photographs.
Modest home: Chris Hemsworth’s wife Elsa Pataky has hit back at claims their $20 million Byron Bay mansion looks like a shopping centre. Pictured: Chris and Elsa in July 2019
‘The problem is all of the photos from all of those drones is from the top, and the outside area [looks bigger than] the inside,’ she explained.
She also revealed that the couple ‘just put a big roof’ on the sprawling property, simply to install hundreds of solar panels.
During the interview, host Kyle Sandilands mocked the size, saying: ‘When do all the shops go in there? How many stores are you putting in there?’
Taking Kyle’s remark in good humour, Elsa joked in response: ‘We just have one bedroom and the kids sleep with us.’
‘Seriously, it’s not that big,’ Elsa said while speaking to KIIS FM’s The Kyle & Jackie O Show on Thursday morning in Sydney. Pictured: Their near-complete mansion on November 11
Renovation: Elsa claimed that people believe the 4.2 hectare property is bigger than it is due to the perspective of aerial photographs. Pictured: A satellite shot of the mansion in January 2019, during their lengthy renovation
When quizzed about the interior of the house, Elsa admitted the superstar family have installed a state of the art gym.
‘I have to say, we have a big gym because that’s where Chris and I spend a lot of time. He was like, “I want a great gym!”,” she said of her husband.
‘It’s crowded with a lot of machines, and I said, “Are you sure you need all of this?”‘.
She added that the couple spend at least an hour a day working out.
‘We just have one bedroom and the kids sleep with us,’ joked Elsa during the interview, when host Kyle Sandilands asked ‘how many shops are you putting in there?’
An extraordinary aerial photo, taken in November, shows how the 4.2 hectare property has been completely transformed since Chris and Elsa purchased it five years ago.
Their impressive 50-metre rooftop infinity pool alone is estimated to have cost the couple at least $400,000.
An elevated walkway connecting two buildings has also been erected, with the driveways being one of the final elements to have been completed recently.
According to floor plans seen by the Gold Coast Bulletin, the home has ten bathrooms.
Wow: Earlier this year, Chris shared a glimpse inside the home, revealing that one of the giant rooms has been decorated with a mural by Indigenous painter Otis Hope Carey (right)
Art: The indoor Aboriginal mural is estimated to be worth a staggering $100,000
A butler’s pantry, a space traditionally used for preparing food for a large number of guests, provides a touch of old-fashioned glamour to the estate.
Two bars are also included in the floor plans, which suggests the Hemsworths intend to use their home for parties.
The property doubles as a holiday retreat, as it has been fitted out with a steam room, sauna and massage room, as well as a gymnasium.
Chris first bought the home for $7million in 2014. At the time, it was a Balinese-style villa nestled among the bushland.
Satellite photos: Slide right to see what Chris’ property looked like in 2014, and slide left to see what it looked like in January 2019
Two years later in November 2016, a development application for the knockdown-rebuild was lodged with Byron Shire Council.
It was then approved in March 2017, with construction scheduled to finish in November of this year.
Byron Bay locals have long complained about the renovation, with several comparing the new house to a ‘shopping centre’ or ‘parking lot’.
Transformed! Chris first bought the home for $7million in 2014. At the time, it was a Balinese-style villa nestled among the bushland (pictured)