Real Housewives Of New York alum Kelly Killoren Bensimon has taken DailyMail.com on an exclusive tour inside the palatial New York townhouse where legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday spent her final years.
The Renaissance Revival brownstone, with eight bedrooms and six bathrooms, is on the market for $12.25 million, and being sold by the reality TV star-turned-realtor.
It was the home of the Strange Fruit singer until her untimely death aged 44 in 1959 and it’s where she celebrated her final birthday.
Spanning more than 6,300 square feet, this 20-foot wide townhouse has six opulent levels with seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and two power rooms as well as a curated backyard garden.
Legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday’s New York brownstone is on the market for $12.25 million
It was the home of the Strange Fruit singer (pictured circa 1939) until her untimely death aged 44 in 1959 and it’s where she celebrated her final birthday
And the West 87th Street home comes with a feature that is a rarity in New York: six fireplaces.
Its current owners bought the property for $9.47 million in 2017, less than its original asking price of $12.95 million in 2015.
The family then hired acclaimed architect Amie Sachs to do a full renovation of the home, which now also boasts 10- to 12-foot ceilings and two kitchens.
The overhaul included a modernizing white paint job over the original oak paneled walls.
Kelly has been taking a special interest in selling the home, even insisting all potential buyers remove their shoes.
‘When I’m showing I always take my shoes off and so if I’m not in tights and I’m barefoot’, she said, adding: ‘I’ve had people constantly staring at my feet.’
The former reality TV star confessed: ‘I have a Wikifeet page – apparently I’ve really nice feet.’
Some other attributes of the five-story home are the vast skylight which lets in enough sunshine to envelop the entire hallway and reception areas.
The Renaissance Revival brownstone, with eight bedrooms and six bathrooms, is being sold by Kelly Killoren Bensimon (pictured in the home)
Spanning more than 6,300 square feet, this 20-foot wide townhouse has six opulent levels
And with it comes with a feature that is a rarity in New York: six fireplaces
Its current owners bought the property for $9.47 million in 2017, less than its original asking price of $12.95 million in 2015
Kelly has been taking a special interest in selling the home, even insisting all potential buyers remove their shoes
Outside a stunning terrace garden has Verdant tiles, a dining and lounge area, a heat lamp and a grill
Newly installed white oak floors boast underfloor heating, and feature mahogany and maple detailing throughout.
The plumbing and electrical systems in the building, which was built in 1910, have all been brought up to date with upgraded modern functionalities.
The home even features two washer-dryer rooms together with an intercom system.
And of course no five-story home would be complete without the requisite temperature-controlled wine room.
In the basement the home boasts its very own guest quarters with a private entrance and access to the garden.
The brownstone even has an impressive media room boasting wallpaper designed by rock star Lenny Kravitz, who set up Kravitz Design in 2003.
Kelly has paid this property special attention. She’s pictured at the property and next artwork featuring the Strange Fruit singer inside the West 87th Street home
It features seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and two powder rooms, worthy of its multimillion-dollar price tag
Billie released one of her most famous albums, Lady in Satin, in 1958 while she was living at the home, just one year before her death
The family hired acclaimed architect Amie Sachs to do a full renovation of the home, which has two kitchens
The home’s basement boasts its very own guest quarters with a private entrance and access to the garden
The plumbing and electrical systems in the building, which was built in 1910, have all been brought up to date with upgraded modern functionalities
One of the many bedrooms in the New York brownstone on West 87th Street
This quarter features a full open kitchen featuring stylish concrete countertops, a Fischer and Paykel refrigerator-freezer, a Miele dishwasher, and a Kitchen Aid stove and range hood.
Off the media room there is an intimate office area which overlooks the garden.
An en suite bathroom with dual sinks, a rain shower and herringbone tiling complete the self-contained unit.
Outside a stunning terrace garden has Verdant tiles, a dining and lounge area, a heat lamp and a grill.
One of the incredible six bathrooms featuring herringbone tiling
Not only will the new owners of this home be buying a spectacular property, but a piece of jazz history
Billie released one of her most famous albums, Lady in Satin, a year before her death while she was living at the home
The current owners have paid homage to Billie with hanging artwork of the star who died aged 44 in 1959
In the basement the home boasts its very own guest quarters with a private entrance and access to the garden
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The plumbing and electrical systems in the building, which was built in 1910, have all been brought up to date with upgraded modern functionalities
Newly installed white oak floors boast of underfloor heating and feature mahogany and maple detailing throughout
Billie (pictured second left) passed away on July 17, 1959, of pulmonary edema and heart failure caused by liver disease brought on by substance abuse
Not only will the new owners of this home be buying a spectacular property, but a piece of jazz history.
Billie released one of her most famous albums, Lady in Satin, a year before her death while she was living at the home.
The artist made a name for herself after performing the song of the century, Strange Fruit – a protest song against the lynchings of Black Americans, in 1939.
The song sold more than a million records, becoming one of Billie’s biggest-selling recordings.
Towards the end of Billie’s life, she was arrested for possession of narcotics while on her death bed at nearby Metropolitan Hospital Center in East Harlem.
Sadly Billie passed away on July 17, 1959, of pulmonary edema and heart failure caused by liver disease, which was brought about by her substance abuse.
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