Buying a Lifestyle
Purchasing a home can mean more than acquiring property that you love. In many instances, it means buying into a lifestyle.
Life in an Architectural Modern Marvel
$7.9 million
Annual property taxes: $58,964
Address: 13 Frog Rock Rd, Armonk
Listing agents: Joanna Rizoulis at (914) 234-9261, or Amy Smith Sroka at (914) 523-0678, Renwick Sotheby’s International Realty
What it affords: Unique design, four bedrooms with ensuite baths, gourmet cook’s kitchen with breakfast nook, tiger-wood floors, cathedral ceilings, floor-to-ceiling Hurd windows, open floor plan, and amazing views from every room.
Living on the side of a large rock outcropping may not be everyone’s dream, but owner Helen Nezaj had an exceptional vision. When she saw the nearly four acres of untouched land anchored by a boulder, she saw the perfect spot for her dream home. But, making the bold move to build a dream home on a boulder calls for an architect who can make it happen. Luckily, White Plains-based John Sullivan was up for the task and the inherent challenges. Together, they created not just a beautiful home, but a one-of-a-kind stunning showcase. After years of building, the unique home is a study in the unexpected, starting with its unusual positioning on an unusual site that turns traditional home design on its head. It means entering on the top of its four levels and working your way down, while encountering other pleasant surprises along the way. “It’s like living in a tree house,” Sullivan says. “Since we used a reverse floor plan, we tried to open up the top floor and draw you in and down to the living level one flight below. All of the window-lined rooms capture a view of the natural site. We were able to create a unique house that met the design challenges, but at the same time feels like a home.” It’s a work of art that works.
Life on a Prestigious Golf Course
$1.95 million
Annual property taxes: $40,634
Address: 14 Shadow Tree Ln, Briarcliff Manor
Listing agent: Diane Mezzatesta, (914) 749-9387, Century 21 Haviland Realty
What it affords: three bedrooms, three marble ensuite spa bathrooms and powder room, whole-house audio system, Bilotta gourmet kitchen, 720-bottle wine cellar, surround-sound home theater, view overlooking the 17th hole.
It’s not often that a home on a Westchester golf course (in this case, the elite Trump National Golf Club, Westchester, in Briarcliff Manor) comes on the market, but this spectacular 5,200-square-foot luxury townhome (one of 16 prestigious private villas on the second of 11 signature golf destinations bearing the Trump name) is now available and comes with no shortage of perks. Among the built-in benefits: entrée to exclusive clubhouse events, the pro-quality tennis courts, distinctive swimming pool and poolhouse, and the chance to rub shoulders with high-profile golf club members like former President Bill Clinton, former New York Yankees manager Joe Torre, actor/director Clint Eastwood, sportscaster Bob Costas, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as well as owner and namesake Donald Trump. Pair the perks with the low maintenance (services like window washing, changing light bulbs in the impossible-to-reach cathedral ceilings, snow removal among other annoying-but-necessary tasks, plus around-the-clock security are included in ownership) and, from the perspective of owner Linda McLaughlin, “it’s like being on vacation every day.” McLaughlin completed the chic sanctuary with an interior design by Joseph Stabile (founder of J.R. Cattington Interiors), whose elegant touch is evident throughout. Spectacular views of the sprawling pristine 7,291 yard par 72 golf course with rolling hills and a 101-foot dramatic man-made waterfall round out the life of luxury.
Bedford Village Historic House Tour
Interested in historic homes? Join the Bedford Historical Society in a private walking tour of five of Bedford’s oldest houses in and around the Village Green on Wednesday, May 25, from 10 am to 2 pm. It’s sponsored by Lloyd Bedford Cox, Inc., and Renwick Sotheby’s International Realty. Admission is $60 for Historical Society members, $75 for non-members. Box lunches also are available by pre-order.
History comes to life at the following homes:
• Benjamin Isaacs House, c. 1784
• Benjamin Hays Tavern, c. 1785
• Methodist-Episcopal Manse, c. 1790
• James McDonald/Nehemiah S. Bates Homestead, c. 1794
• J. W. Husted House, c. 1838
For more information and tickets, call (914) 234-9751 or go to www.bedfordhistoricalsociety.org/events.
Garden Education Center of Greenwich Annual Grandiflora Garden Tour
“Grandiflora: Boundless Beauty,” the theme of this year’s Garden Education Center of Greenwich garden tour and a main fundraiser, features a self-guided tour of six private world-class Greenwich properties. Held on Thursday, June 9, from 10 am to 4 pm (rain or shine) in partnership with Greenwich-based Serendipity magazine, guests will be treated to a silent auction and the opportunity to lunch at a private Greenwich home. For more information and tickets call (203) 869-9242 or go to www.gecgreenwich.org.
Annual Lasdon Park Memorial Day Antiques Fair/Tour of the Main House
Pick up an antique piece of furniture or vintage accessory or accent piece at the 26th Annual Lasdon Memorial Day Antiques Fair at 2610 Amawalk (Route 35) in Katonah on Monday, May 30, from 10 am to 5 pm. The fair, sponsored by David Lerner Associates, includes restored vintage garden and patio furniture, toys, pottery, enamelware, antique hardware and fixtures, French and British tools, barware, and other architectural items from nearly 85 participating dealers. Also featured: a plant sale by Friends of Lasdon, specialty food vendors, barbecue, and music by Gary Dillon. Admission is $7 (children under age 13 are free) and benefits The Glass House Fund at Lasdon for the proposed public conservatory. For more information, call (914) 273-4667.
Learn about the history of Lasdon Park, Arboretum & Veterans Center while touring the 1933 Colonial Revival-style pavilion main house on Sunday, May 29, at 2 pm. It’s sponsored by the Westchester County Parks Department and admission is free. For more information, call (914) 864-7263.
Russell A. Davidson, AIA, Elected 2012-2013 AIA Vice President
Russell A. Davidson, AIA, from the AIA Westchester Hudson Valley Chapter, was elected 2012-2013 vice president of the American Institute of Architects. President and managing partner of the Mount Kisco-based architectural and engineering firm Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson Architects PC and member of the AIA National Board of Directors, Davidson has been remodeling or building his own homes most of his life and, in his new role, is committed to “promoting the positive value of design and the contribution of architects.”
