Walk into this stunning home in Alpine and it’s as if you have entered a museum. The front hall, airy and grand with a large skylight, is surrounded by light, stone and wood. The front entryway is comprised of a pair of massive “pocket” wood doors, which magically appear on either side to shutter and secure the home. A marble staircase beckons upward. At the top of the staircase situated on the left is a cavernous, 2-story room called the salon, which functions as a music room, entertaining room, and concert chamber. This formal space, awash in light and floor-to-ceiling windows, has a sunken seating area, whose focal point is a towering fireplace, modern and stately, silently affirming its status. Custom-built twin sofas, like pieces of a giant 3-D puzzle, are neatly tucked into their slots flanking the fireplace. The room is a studied success in monochromatic shimmering stone surfaces, milky white walls and crisp window treatments. The vaulted ceiling, perhaps 20 feet high, sparkles with tiny LED lighting that even in the daytime gives the illusion of a twinkling sky.

R E A L E S T A T E

Text by Amy Holl Ahearn Photography by Jeremy Cook

a contemporary in Alpine inspires aestheticism

Muse to the Arts:

1 9 8 0 s C O N T E M P O R A R Y

A L P I N E N J

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Prominent Properties/Sotheby’s International RealtyMerrill Langsam, agent201-394-0024mngl66@aol.comMLS#1202967www.prominentproperties.com

In the more intimately-sized dining room, a beautiful raspberry colored Murano glass chandelier blooms amid more LED’s, over a pristine Arts and Crafts dining set. A wall of windows gives you a glimpse of the sumptuous grounds outside. Shoji-screen styled doors – a repeated design element – lead into the kitchen: a contemporary room in black lacquer, gleaming with stainless steel professional grade appliances, stone floors, and a huge slab of granite on a working island. The kitchen can easily accommodate a caterer or home chef, and has ample storage cabinetry in the aforementioned lacquer from floor to ceiling, as is seen throughout the home.

A few stairs up from the kitchen, past another shoji-screen door, across the cherry herringbone flooring, is a smaller, less formal family room. The stunning focal point of this room is the granite slab floor, which has such movement, the furnishings almost float above it. Floor-to-ceiling windows and a wall of built-in bookcases make this bright and breezy room a great space to store treasured collections or books.

Clean, open and serene describe the master suite. The suite is endowed with an enormous sitting room with the warm cherry herringbone floors and see-through marble fireplace. Veiled on one whole wall of the sitting room are floor-to-ceiling closets – behind white lacquer – that recede into the room. The master bath is expansive, with separate shower and toileting rooms, and a huge soaking jetted tub centered in the room. The ubiquitous floor-to-ceiling windows and many mirrors lighten, brighten and amplify the space. The bedroom itself is large and bright, and surprisingly cozy, with fireplace and wrap-around balcony. A second bedroom suite boasts its own floor-to-ceiling marble bath and wall of closet built-ins.

The right wing also houses a sprawling home gym/spa. This space has a stepped ceiling with a massive skylight over a huge Jacuzzi tub and all of the various exercise equipment. An attached bath - clad tip to toe in onyx - and sauna ensure proper pampering after a weighty workout. A housekeeper/au pair quarters, complete with full bath and kitchenette, are neatly ensconced off the spa.

This home is an exposition of wood and stone, light and space and texture. The original owner, who also built the house was a man who crafted violins. It is not hard to imagine him creating works of art because he has applied the same aesthetic appeal to this home. The creative and clever application of wood and its juxtaposition to the diverse stone finishes is successfully realized throughout the home. One such example is a stunning burlwood wet bar in the private, cozier family room which is hidden in a corner and must be discovered. The previously mentioned cherry herringbone floors enhance the bedrooms, where softer footing is appreciated.

The public rooms, on the other hand, seem created for the purpose of being seen. This house was born to entertain, and that is borne out by the many concerts and events the present homeowners have held during their residency. The homeowners have enjoyed internationally-renowned classical artists in concert at their home, and the spacious salon room has easily accommodated audiences of over one hundred people. In addition to the numerous performances for piano and violin, the owners have also held art exhibits in the generously-sized hallways-cum-galleries. The hallways lend themselves to art and sculpture with facility. Wide, well-lit and swathed in Venetian plaster, the gallery-like milieu invites artwork.

The powder room on the ground floor, is a stunning portrayal in stone. Onyx to be precise, for it adorns both the floor and walls of this public room. Secreted off the powder room is a full-service laundry room. The estate is completed with an attached in-law suite, off of the 4-car garage. This space is fitted out with a full kitchen with custom Boffi cabinetry, Sub-Zero refrigerator and granite countertops, large master bathroom, and generously-sized bedroom.

This extensive estate, clean-lined and Zen, with considerable grounds encompassing sweeping vistas, is an entertainer’s delight. Light and space conspire with the perfect environment for aesthetic beauty in all its forms - music, art, sculpture – can be sought, and found in this exquisite dwelling.

For additional photos and information on this and other ASP1RE featured homes, go to www.aspirenj.com

“Light and space conspire with the perfect environment for aesthetic beauty in all its forms”

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