House of the Week: Armonk Retreat
$20,000/month
14 Spruce Hill Road, Armonk
If you’re in the market for a short-term commitment, you’re in luck—fabulous, high-end property leases in Westchester are on the rise. This 13-acre lakefront contemporary retreat, with its own stone and shiplap windmill, can be yours for a year at $20,000 per month. The house alone is 6,000 square feet of private bliss. Add to that, picturesque sprawling grounds with specimen trees, overlooking spring-fed Blue Dog Lake. “There are so many wonderful aspects to this property,” says listing agent Dana Bieff. “At the top of the list are the extraordinary and beautiful setting and the lovely views of the grounds, lake, and windmill from every room.” Thanks to an extraordinary attention to detail, one-of-a-kind features can be found throughout. That includes a state-of-the-art Bulthaup stone and stainless steel kitchen with a breakfast bar, Thermador and Gaggenau appliances, and full-size Sub-Zero wine refrigerator; a rosewood dining room; a luxurious master bedroom suite with a hand painted ceiling, two walk-in closets, and master bath with an unusual gold leaf barrel ceiling, bath tub carved from a single piece of marble, and a shower built for two; a whole house sound system; and a coated copper roof. Though located in Windmill Farms, the property doesn’t include the amenities offered to Windmill Farms residents, such as the use of a separate lake and beach club where neighbors can meet and socialize. But, with its own exclusive access to Blue Dog Lake, including a cabana, kayaking, canoeing, and two docks, there’s no need—it’s a private world of its own. For more information, contact Houlihan Lawrence listing agent Dana Bieff at (914) 912-6004 or visit www.houlihanlawrence.com.
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We welcome information about fascinating homes on the market or real estate/home-related news and events—send to Karen Odom at kodom@westchestermagazine.com.
Westover Landscape Design Receives “Best of Houzz” Award
Kudos to Westover Landscape Design—the Tarrytown- and Bedford Hills-based landscape design build firm received the 2013 “Best of Houzz” honors for exceptional customer service from Houzz, the popular online platform for residential remodeling and design. The selection was made in an annual survey by the Houzz connected community’s 11 million monthly users who had also voted for the firm as the 2012 “Best of Remodeling, Design.” This year’s “Best of Houzz” award recognized excellence in two categories—customer satisfaction and design—based on homeowner members who rated their experience with a range of home remodeling professionals from architects and interior designers to contractors. As an online interactive, collaborative home remodeling tool, Houzz provides inspiration, information, advice, and support for homeowners and home improvement professionals through its website and mobile applications, including access to more than 1.5 million remodeling and design professionals who can help turn ideas into reality. To explore the visual features of Houzz, visit www.houzz.com. To learn more about Westover Landscape Design and its founder and principal designer, Robert Welsch, go to www.westoverld.com.
Save the date: LEICHT Seminar Shares Kitchen Remodeling Tips
How often do you get a chance to get kitchen remodeling expert insight—for free? LEICHT, the top luxury kitchen brand in Germany and Switzerland, is offering its new seminar, “How Much Will My Kitchen Cost?” in the newly launched LEICHT Westchester showroom (200 E Main St, Mount Kisco) beginning March 2. During the free 90-minute seminar (from 10:30 am to noon) on the first Saturday of each month, LEICHT in-house experts will address the question “Would you like to remodel your kitchen but don’t know what it will cost or where to begin?” and share secrets of the industry about pricing and sourcing appliances, cabinetry, and countertops, as well as calculating linear feet of cabinetry, square footage of flooring, countertops, and back splashes. At the end of the seminar, attendees can expect to create a real and workable budget for their kitchen remodeling projects. For more information or to reserve your spot, call Marie at (914) 218-3433 or complete the online web form at www.leichtwestchester.com.
DIY 101
Brenda Kelly Kramer, interior designer and mom of six (!) boys, has a knack for finding and repurposing cool old things. Here’s her latest find:
“I recently bought this really cute 1950s table at a tag sale for just $5. Then I bought Benjamin Moore ‘In the Twilight’ paint that they sell in little pots for just $6. It was just the right amount of paint for this project. I am not the greatest painter in the world, but you don’t have to be. All this tired old table needed was a pop of color to come back to life.
“How do you decide to paint a piece of furniture? I always go for the cheap table at the tag sale or a discarded dresser on the side of the road that I can envision a show-stopper in a great color. Only paint furniture that is in bad condition to begin with—you don’t want to destroy a beautiful finish just to change colors. One time, when I just starting collecting, I started to remove the red paint from an old table I had gotten at Chatsworth in Mamaroneck (a great place for bargains, by the way). Luckily, a friend of my parents, who was a professional refinisher, happened to be over and saw that the old red paint I was about to remove was made out of ground bricks—a technique used ages ago. I’m so glad he stopped me—I would have ruined the value of the table. I learned my lesson!”
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Have questions for Brenda about your own DIY projects? Contact her at brenda@brendakellykramer.com. Photos welcome!
