Some ideas come and go quickly without ever being given much time or thought. Others linger a while, waiting to be brought to the forefront of your mind.
A while ago, I had an idea that wouldn’t leave me alone: What if Westchester Magazine partnered with one of the area’s best builders who was building a spec house at a premier Westchester address? What if Westchester Magazine’s advertisers-turned-DreamHome sponsors helped equip and stage the home with the latest amenities, appliances, furnishings, and fixtures? What if one of the area’s most talented design groups helped coordinate all of the sponsors? And what if we opened the house to public tours and gave ticket proceeds to a leading local nonprofit organization?
Over the course of the past 15 months, “what if” became what is today Westchester Magazine’s DreamHome 2009. Murphy Brothers Contracting of Mamaroneck built the spectacular 7,500-square-foot Arts and Crafts-style house that crowns a hilly two acres of wooded land at 93 Round Hill Road in Armonk. (A much smaller raised-ranch style house sat on the property previously.) And, as with creating anything, especially of this scale, the process wasn’t always smooth (those of you who have had homes built or renovated surely know what I’m talking about). I may have spent more time in Armonk these last few months than I have in Elmsford, where my office is located, or Ossining, where I live. But we’re all thrilled with the end result. This is a real “dream” home.
Some of the county’s finest shops, its more experienced businessmen and women, and its most talented service providers and artisans helped make the house a dream come true. And thanks to the efforts of Murphy Brothers Contracting and to our sponsors, Westchester Magazine’s DreamHome 2009 has been certified according to the guidelines established by the National Association of Home Builders. The home has numerous energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly features, some of which are listed in our “Green Index” (see page 58).
Altogether, 58 sponsors participated in a myriad of ways to help make our dream a reality, among them Marvin Design Gallery by Authentic Window Design and Waterworks. It may sound like a cliché, but truth is we couldn’t have done this without them. We thank them all. We’re also deeply grateful to Stacey and Julie Hochstin of the Hochstin Design Group, who worked with our talent pool to ensure that the 16 rooms and the six bathrooms of our DreamHome 2009 had a cohesive—and beautiful—look.
Now, we open our DreamHome to you. For four weeks, beginning May 1, a slew of public tours and special workshops and talks presented by our sponsors will be held at the house (you can find out more about the tours and events by turning to page 8 or by visiting dreamhome.westchestermagazine.com). The proceeds from our ticket sales will benefit the Open Door Family Medical Centers, our partnering nonprofit organization, whose mission is to provide quality healthcare and services at affordable prices to the economically disadvantaged.
Hope to see you at our DreamHome. Take my word for it, you won’t regret your decision to visit.
Ralph A. Martinelli
Publisher
