Inside a $12 Million Houston Mansion With a 2,800-Square-Foot Closet

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and this Houston mansion certainly makes a compelling case.

The home’s most extraordinary feature may not be the more than 20,900 square feet of living space or the many expansive entertaining areas, but rather the approximately 2,800-square-foot primary closet, which is equipped with built-in cabinetry, glass vitrines for jewelry and accessories, a hair salon, a lounge with a bar, and a dedicated bath. Its distinct design makes it feel less like a traditional walk-in and more like a luxury boutique, reflecting the ambitious level of customization behind the entire residence.

Custom glass vitrines showcase handbags and accessories in the primary suite’s vast dressing room.

Set within Royal Oaks Country Club, the four-level contemporary home overlooks a Fred Couples Signature golf course and was designed by architect Paul Olson with interiors by Steven G. and Marc-Michaels. Combining dramatic architectural gestures with advanced technology, the steel-framed home features six bedrooms and six baths (plus six more powder rooms), two elevators, and an 11-zone HVAC system. The home also has 72 custom walnut doors and a massive front door that was reportedly one of the largest single-family residential doors in the United States when it was installed.

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Highlights include a 3,000-gallon aquarium and a full barbershop.

The interior design favors spectacle without abandoning a sense of flow. The open-plan main level creates distinct entertaining zones while allowing spaces to transition naturally into one another. In the double-height living room, a monumental polished-stone fireplace anchors the space, while a freestanding cylindrical wine display transforms bottle storage into a sculptural element in the dining area. The sleek nearby kitchen has a long, sinuous island and a casual dining spot, and the secondary kitchen reinforces the house’s ability to support hospitality on a grand scale while remaining a comfortable place to live.

The residence also includes a 13-seat cinema outfitted with approximately $500,000 in California Audio Technology speakers, a two-lane commercial-grade Brunswick bowling alley, a 3,000-gallon aquarium, a dedicated barbershop, and a spa area with a sauna and fitness room. Outside, an infinity-edge pool, swim-up bar, covered terraces, and views of the lake and golf course extend the home’s emphasis on leisure and entertaining.

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The property spans about two-thirds of an acre inside the Royal Oaks Country Club.

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The mansion also carries a bit of pop-culture history: It was once owned by NBA All-Star Nick Van Exel and appeared on MTV’s “Cribs,” the early-2000s series known for showcasing celebrity homes. Van Exel sold the property to multi-level marketing moguls Holton and Earlene Buggs in 2012 for $2.9 million. The couple later spent more than $14 million renovating it, transforming the Mediterranean-style villa into the contemporary mansion it is today. In 2024, Houston attorney Sarah Y’nhi Huynh bought the property for $9 million through a sealed-bid auction but has since decided it exceeds what she and her family need.

The estate is listed for $11.99 million with Diane Kingshill and Jason Lee Villarreal of Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty.

Click here for more photos of the Houston home.

Authors

Mark David

Mark David got his start writing about real estate with the saucy cult-favorite blog The Real Estalker, on which he obsessively tracked the secretive world of celebrity property transactions. A much…

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