A Peek Inside Mayor Bloomberg's "Baronial" Homes

Philanthropist, businessman and billionaire mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg has kept his personal life relatively quiet. But his two homes' lavish interiors and pricey art collections slipped into the spotlight momentarily when a decorator's website posted pictures that were picked up by the New York Times.

Until Monday, Bloomberg's decorator, Jamie Drake, included on his website a portfolio of images identified only as "Townhouse, NYC" and "Townhouse, London." The well-furnished spaces were recognized as the mayor's two private residences.

The photos showed a Bloomberg whose tastes run toward English Regency furniture, old master paintings, and French Savonnerie carpets. Sconces and chandeliers valued in the five to six figures were sprinkled throughout the rooms, according to dealers.

One dealer claims a pictured Georgian Chippendale couch could be worth $1 million while an 18th-century portrait, possibly by the likes of Joshua Reynolds or Thomas Gainsborough, might be worth $450,000.

The mayor's style is rich and eclectic with a smattering of American art. A portrait of Benjamin Franklin, possibly by Jean-Baptiste Greuze or a later copy, mixes with a Marilyn Monroe work by Andy Warhol and a double flag and series of numbers by Jasper Johns.

Possibly his collection will continue to evolve and grow as Bloomberg is said to be considering to buy a 22,000 square foot Southampton mansion for $20 million.