No prizes for guessing how this Houston, Texas, home got its nickname of Darth Vader House.
But while its attention-grabbing exterior does bear a canny resemblance to the helmet worn by the famed Star Wars villain, the house was actually designed to look like a stealth fighter aircraft, at the request of its current owner, plastic surgeon Jean Cukier.
The key details
Cukier received plenty of pushback from city authorities when he first proposed the design, because it was so far removed from the aesthetic of the surrounding neighbourhood in Houston's West University Place subdivision.
He was eventually given the go-ahead and the property was constructed in 1992. It has garnered attention ever since. Notoriously private, Cukier has always refused interviews and never released any images of the interior of the property, leaving many to speculate as to whether the dark, fortress-like aesthetic of the exterior extended to the rest of the house.
The house was recently put on the market by Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty for $4.3 million – with the listing offering a long-awaited glimpse inside.
What's the story?
The 7,000-square-foot home in Houston's West University Place sits on an 18,000-square-foot plot.
While the front of the house is defined by its fortress-like design, with a low-lying roof, angled stone and concrete walls and squat windows, the back features floor-to-ceiling glass windows that look out over the property’s sizeable lawn.
An open-plan ground-floor layout with soaring ceilings is dominated by a sunken living room, with steps descending down into the main seating area, which is scattered with low-lying sofas. This was a popular architectural feature in the mid-1900s, known aptly as a “conversation pit”.
Designed to resemble a canyon, stone floors and irregular tile formations are highlighted by blue strip lighting, giving the space an otherworldly feel. Separate eating areas, a kitchen, formal dining area, study and bedroom encircle this sunken space, with two imposing floating staircases leading up to the first floor of the house.
Done up in shades of grey and white, the interior is stark, streamlined and minimalist, with mid-century furniture, monochromatic artworks and oversized sculptures further highlighting Cukier's idiosyncratic tastes.
Upstairs are three additional bedrooms, including a main bedroom with two enormous walk-in closets and an en suite bathroom. Angular hallways and hidden crevices make this a space that invites investigation, while a four-car garage means you can have plenty of friends around to explore.
What the brokers say ...
"Known to many as the 'Darth Vader House', this contemporary masterpiece is one not to miss," says the listing on the Sotheby's Realty website. "A museum home setting on a prestigious West University street… there is nothing else like it in the area."
Because the house has garnered so much attention and curiosity, Sotheby’s is only welcoming serious buyers who can provide proof of funds to book viewings.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Who: France v Italy
When: Friday, 11pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
FORSPOKEN
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Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
MATCH INFO
Jersey 147 (20 overs)
UAE 112 (19.2 overs)
Jersey win by 35 runs
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE finals day
Friday, April 13
Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Oppenheimer
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
