aspire metro | 2010 february

inside exquisite new jersey estates:montclair at EaGlE rocK, saddlE rivEr, BErnardsvillE,llEwElyn ParK in wEst oranGE

also: marKEt maKErs, dEsiGn sEnsE, Pay it forward, GuEst list, chEf’s KitchEn, morris musEum

F E B 2 0 1 0

Phenomenal Design and Unrivaled Performance.

Miele has both, you don’t have to choose.

Route 46 West, Fairfield Route 20 North, Paterson

1-866-88RENOSRenosAppliance.com

© 2009 Reno’s Appliance

MieWht10x13.qxp 10/13/2009 11:17 AM Page 1

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8 CONTRIBUTORS

NEW JERSEY EStatES An insider’s look at some of New Jersey’s most magnificent for-sale properties

32 COVER STORY MONTCLAIR AT EAGLE ROCK

36 CHAPIN DRIVE, BERNARDSVILLE

40 LLEWELYN PARK, WEST ORANGE

44 FRENCH MANOR, SADDLE RIVER

FEatuRES

12 DESIGN PARAMETERS designing an agreement

22 THE EVOLUTION OF KITCHEN DESIGN liberating trends

24 INNOVATIVE INTEGRATION product placement

28 FEET TO THE FIBER wild & wooly floors

54 A STITCH IN MODERN TIME exhibiting art-quilts

DEpaRtmENtS

16 GUEST LIST

26 ExPERT EASE

50 MARKET MAKERS

52 PAY IT FORWARD

66 SOCIAL SEEN

insidethis issue

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6 A S P 1 R E M AG A Z I N E F E B R U A R Y 2 010

complimentary consultation | 973.882.3800

californiaclosets.com/fairfield | 4 Gardner Road, Fairfield

©2009 California Closet Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Each franchise independently owned and operated. Lic. #13VHO1142500

NJ Fairfield 8.5x11 Aspire Mag.indd 1 12/22/09 12:03 PM6 A S P 1 R E M AG A Z I N E F E B R U A R Y 2 010


contributors

Karen M. Harris is an Associated Press-award winning journalist, honored for her page design and magazine work. She has written for magazines as diverse as Runner’s World, Orange Magazine (Orange County, NY) and ASP1RE and has edited the Gilded Fork Entertaining at Home.

After producing television commercials for Young & Rubicam and a stint as Revlon’s Creative Director, Henry Kuryla was a founding Principle of Renning, Kuryla, Lieberman, Flynn Inc. (RKLF), which introduced Clairol Herbal Essence to the world. He then started Arc Films Inc., where he produced, wrote and directed commercials and documentaries. He has also written real-estate advertorials for the New York Times.

Eileen Curtis is the author of the novel Sisters and Strangers, published by HarperCollins. Her agent is shopping around her new one, Summer Sisters. Her short stories and articles have appeared in a wide variety of publications, including First for Women, New Jersey Monthly, Orange Magazine, and the Times Herald-Record. A former resident of Montclair, NJ, Curtis is an adjunct professor of English at Sullivan County Community College in New York.

Terry Egan has been a journalist for more than 30 years. He has written for the Bergen Record, the Dallas Morning News and the New York Post. He was part of the senior management team that created ESPN Magazine and Orange Magazine (Orange County, NY). He was Orange Magazine’s first editor-in-chief. He was also managing editor of VOX Hamptons Magazine in Long Island’s East End.

Anne Marie Soto is both a freelance writer and a public relations/marketing consultant. Her clients in the design field include the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers.

Alice Garbarini Hurley is a freelance writer whose work appears regularly in Good Housekeeping magazine, where she was on staff for 10 years as Senior Lifestyle Writer. She has also written for In Style, Country Living, The New York Times, Vogue Knitting, iVillage.com and Greenwich and Westport magazines in Connecticut. She lives in Montclair, NJ, with her family.

Jennifer Iannolo is the CEO of the Culinary Media Network® a Web-based multimedia company featuring food, wine and travel. The company’s site (www.culinarymedianetwork.com) features the world’s first food podcast channel. Her blog and podcast Food Philosophy (www.foodphilosophy.com) celebrates the tantalizing place where food and sensuality meet. Jennifer is co-author of The Gilded Fork: Entertaining at Home with business partner Chef Mark Tafoya, as well as Food and Sensuality: A Perfect Pairing for the anthology Food & Philosophy: Eat, Think and Be Merry.

CORRECTIONOur apologies for not sourcing the bedroom in the Nov/Dec 2009 edition, page 63 Froh Heim Mansion Far Hills, NJ. Credit goes to: Kenneth/Davis, Inc. 183 Mountain Avenue Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 973-248-0870 www.kennethdavis.net

FEBRUARY 2010 VOL. 2 NO. 1

Steven Mandel publisher

Maura Templeton Executive Development

Meryl McCusker associate publisher

Karen M. Harris Editorial Director

Amy Sneider Creative Director

Laura Soles art Director

Vibor Media Services production

Chris Kaefer marketing Director

David Templeton Strategic advisor

aspirenj.com

ASP1RE magazine is published six times a year by: CMY&K Publishing Group, LLC 246 Main Street, Cornwall, NY 12518 Phone: (877) 577-2695Fax: (845) 534-0220

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1 2 A S P 1 R E M AG A Z I N E F E B R U A R Y 2 010 F E B R U A R Y 2 010 A S P 1 R E M AG A Z I N E 1 3

Working with an interior designer to transform your house into a home that suits your needs, tastes and lifestyle is an exciting, creative process. But your relationship with your interior designer is also a business relationship. And, like any good business relationship, the financial arrangements are key to successful results.

The process begins by finding an interior designer whose work and experience is compatible with your needs. In New Jersey, one of the easiest and best places to begin looking is on the Web at www.njasid.org/findadesigner. You can search for a designer by name, town or county or by viewing Portfolio Pages, arranged by specialty, that contain information about the designer, as well as photographs of his or her work. Personal recommendations from neighbors, friends and colleagues can also be a valuable place to begin your quest.

Once you have narrowed your search to several possibilities, you will want to interview the designers. An important part of that interview is a discussion of how the designer charges for services. Designers, like other professionals, are different from one another in their combinations of talents, skills, knowledge, experience, personalities, specialties and reputations. Consequently, what they charge for and how they arrange the fee structure can also vary.

D E S I G N S E N S E

D E S I G N PA R A M E T E R S

By Anne Marie Soto


D E S I G N S E N S E

THe Fee STrucTureThere is no such thing as a “typical” fee for an interior designer. Many factors influence what and how a designer may charge for his or her services. These factors include the reputation and experience of the designer, the scope of the project, the time frame for completion, and more. Most residential interior designers use one of the following methods, or a combination of these methods, to set their fees.

• Fixed fee (or flat fee): The designer specifies a fixed sum to cover costs, exclusive of reimbursement for expenses. One total fee applies to the complete range of services, from conceptual development through layouts, specifications and final installation. This fee is usually paid in installments, beginning with the signing of the contract. Often, the fee is for design services only. If this is the case, additional services, such as shopping with the client, may be billed on an hourly basis, reflecting the designer’s time.

• Hourly fee: Compensation is based on actual time spent by the designer on a project or specific service.

• Cost plus: The designer purchases materials, furnishings and services (e.g., carpentry, drapery workrooms, picture framing, furniture, etc.) at cost and sells to the client at the designer’s cost plus a specified percentage agreed upon with the client. This percentage compensates the designer for time and effort.

• Square-foot or percentage of construction costs: Interior designers may base their fees on the number of square feet or total building costs of the project. This method generally applies to new construction or extensive renovations.

Depending on your project, the interior designer may combine fee structures for different types of services. For example, if the designer is heavily involved in the blueprint and construction phase, he/she may charge a per-square-foot fee or an hourly fee for that part of the project. Then, when you are ready to decorate and furnish the interiors, cost plus may be the most comfortable method for both of you.

At one time, cost plus was the most widely used fee structure for residential designers. However, it is now becoming more common for designers to charge an hourly rate for design services and cost plus for products and services the designer is asked to purchase. This can be a good option for the client who loves the shopping phase of a project. Before a project begins, the designer and the client should have a frank discussion about the financial expectations so that they can negotiate the methods to suit a client’s particular needs.

In addition to these fee structures, the designer may require a retainer before beginning a project. A retainer is an amount of money paid by the client to the designer and applied to the balance due at the termination of the project. The retainer is customarily paid upon signing the contractual agreement in advance of design services.

DiScuSS Your BuDgeTThe designer’s fee is only one part of the budget … and only you can decide what a reasonable budget for your project is. If you have concerns, discuss them with the designer. And don’t be shy about asking the designer to help you optimize your budget. Working together, you may find alternative, less expensive ways to achieve your goals or develop a plan for doing the work in stages. Understand, too, that antiques, custom-made furniture, and modifications that involve altering or moving load-bearing walls or beams can have a significant impact on the cost of a project. And things like requesting changes in mid-project or making excessive demands on the designer’s time can escalate your costs. The more research and planning you do before you start, the more you will be able to keep costs down during the project.

requeST a coST eSTimaTeBefore you sign any agreements or make any payments, ask the designers you are most inclined to work with to provide a cost estimate in writing. This is not a contract and is not binding on you or the designer.

The cost estimate should specify the scope of work and the type of fee structure the designer uses. If the designer charges extra for other services — such as reviewing plans or attending meetings with an architect or contractor — these should be listed as well, both by type and rate. Be aware that the designer is not responsible for the costs of other professional services, such as painting, carpet and tile installation,

If you have any concerns, get bids or estimates from more than one designer. This way, you can compare fees, costs and other expenses. It will take a bit more time but, in the end, you will probably be more comfortable about the scope of your budget.

Finalize THe agreemenTOnce you have selected a designer, ask him or her to provide you with a letter of agreement or contract for the project. Do not make any oral agreements, pay the designer any money, or authorize any work to be done on the project, including giving the designer permission to begin looking for furnishings or researching styles or patterns, until you have an agreement endorsed by both parties.

communicaTe anD mainTain recorDSCommunication is a key ingredient in the successful outcome of your project. Discussions about the fee structure and the cost estimate will give you important insights into how well you and a particular designer communicate. Once your project is under way, good communication will make it easier for the designer to successfully meet your needs and expectations. Never hesitate to ask questions about any aspect of the project. Keep notes of your discussions with the designer and confirm any and all instructions, decisions or changes before they are made. If you agree to make changes to the contract, always make sure to put them in writing and have them signed and dated by both parties. Maintain a folder with copies of all plans and contracts, receipts, invoices and other documents.

Much of the information in this article was excerpted from the brochure “Designing Your Space,” which includes additional information about hiring and working with an interior designer. This brochure is produced by the American Society of Interior Designers and can be downloaded by visiting www.asid.org.

1 4 A S P 1 R E M AG A Z I N E F E B R U A R Y 2 010

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G U E S T L I S T

the artistic historian

There will be no inaction sapping the vigors of the minds in Riverdale. Patti Watson is seeing to that. Patricia Watson, PhD., is the founder of the Riverdale Art Center. The RAC, she calls it. The place was opened in November and that was supposed to be Strike One against it. Who opens an art center in the heights - depths? - of a recession?

“We picked the worst time to try,” she says. But, adds, “It was meant to be.”

She might be right.

First, consider Patti Watson: super smart, funny, engaging and so optimistic that when you talk with her you want to run out and buy a lottery ticket, you feel so hopeful.

She is, as she describes herself, “an historian by training, an artist by nature.” As a child and teen, she loved art and dreamed of a life of creation. When she reached college age, well, her dad didn’t exactly want his daughter to go to art school. “Starving artist” is a romantic notion until it’s your daughter doing all the starving.

Instead, she received a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and then earned her M.A. and Ph.D at Johns Hopkins University, concentrating in the history of medicine and medical anthropology. That led to years of remarkably fulfilling work in the fields of HIV/AIDS eradication, which even led to work in Africa, where she worked and traveled extensively. She is now a principal at the Business Historical Group consulting firm. But about 10 years ago, she

was re-bitten by the art bug. Her new passion: ceramics.

About three years ago, she was one of the founding members of an arts cooperative called Icehouse Pottery. But once she attended sculpture classes at William Paterson University in Wayne, she felt a new energy driving her work through the synergy generated by working with a variety of different types of artists. She described that as a “community of artists” working in all kinds of media: metalwork, painting, photography, drawing, computerized 3-D sculpting. So many disciplines and, when the artists all got together, the energy was palpable.

Inevitably, creating an art center made sense. She recruited four board members to help drive the growth of the new arts endeavor. On a map, they drew a circle around Riverdale and realized if they could build it, this community of artists in Passaic, Bergen and Morris counties would come.

That’s what they set out to do.

Job One was to form a non-profit organization. They did.

To give the future arts center a strong university affiliation, she recruited two additional board members from the art department faculty at William Paterson University to join the RAC’s board of directors. They developed a mission statement: “The Riverdale Art Center is dedicated to enriching the lives of individuals, families and the community through art.”

“Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity, and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigors of the mind.” - Leonardo da Vinci

continued on page 18


G U E S T L I S T

SouRCE:

RIVERDALE ART CENTER

2 Newark-Pompton Turnpike, Riverdale, NJ

Gallery hours: 12-6 Thursday, 10-5 Friday and Saturday

(973) 513-9250 www.riverdaleartcenter.org

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The RAC’s Board of Trustees, left to right: Patti Watson, Alan Lazarus, Joan Hain, Elaine Lorenz, Eileen Poplis and Jerry Valenta. Sign designed by Prof. Tom Uhlein of William Paterson University and donated by Frohling Sign Company of Nanuet, NY.

Simple enough, but Patti wanted more: “To cultivate,” she says, “a supportive environment for art to flourish and the human spirit to soar.” Consider this word: GEOS.

Each letter stands for something RAC wanted to address.

The G is for gallery space for established and emerging local artists to display their work. Prior, there had been no such place.

The E is for educational classes and services.

The O is for outreach programs, like art therapy for people with special needs.

The S is for studio space, made affordable, for local artists.

The G and the S are self-explanatory and we’ll get back to them in a bit. But the E and the O are the good stuff, the stuff that makes a community a community.

Remember, her training is in the history of medicine. She has seen healing in all its traditional and many non-traditional forms. Art and healing are important to her.

“Hands-on art therapy builds a strong sense of well-being,” she says. It’s essential for a healthy people, a healthy community.

Art is the key to self-expression. Release that creative energy and amazing things can happen to the soul, the spirit, the light, whatever it is you want to call that thing inside you that needs to connect with the world.

The RAC will offer art classes for seniors as well as people with special needs. Its gallery and studio space might be the inspiration for that one confused teen needing that one spark to understand the passion burning inside.

But there is a problem. “We’re in a dire financial emergency,” Patti says of art communities in this country. Do not underestimate, then, the importance of one little arts center in one little town in New Jersey.

So, about that space . . .

There is a quaint old place called Slater’s Mill in Riverdale and Patti thought it would be perfect for gallery space. But it was unavailable so the search continued. A random conversation with an employee at Bograd’s Fine Furniture in Riverdale led to a meeting with storeowners Joe and Marcia Bograd. She told them about her idea and they loved it. Three weeks later, the Bograds invited her over and,

while sitting in a gorgeous Queen Anne chair, she was offered a house behind the furniture store. Not just a house, but the 1881 Victorian at 2 Newark-Pompton Turnpike. “I was floored,” she says. “I was humbled.”

Later, she found an old brick factory at 5 Mathews Ave. which was great for studio space. Co-owner Joe Azzolino was happy to help.

She will not tell you that she and some of the other RAC board members cannibalized their 401(k)s to loan the RAC money to prepare the gallery and studio. But they did. She would rather tell you about the buzz in the community. She would rather tell you there is “a lot of art in this community” and now it has a place to go. There was the cocktail party fundraiser at the 1881 Victorian on the night of an ice storm when 50 people came out anyway. There was the opening of the gallery - the exhibit Founders and Friends - in November when 250 people jammed in to see the work of local artists. It runs through Jan. 23, 2010.

She will tell you about Carl Richards, the nice man who lives and paints in Cape Cod now but who actually grew up in his ancestral home - the 1881 Victorian in Riverdale. He was working at the family business, Richards Funeral Home across the street, when about 10 years ago he had a stroke.

And an awakening.

He left the funeral business to pursue his passion. Which he advises everyone to do now.

Coincidentally, five minutes before the RAC opening in November, Carl Richards called Patti and told her about their connection. The next exhibit, opening Feb. 4 (through March 28) will include two things: the launch of RAC’s art therapy program and a prominent feature of Carl Richards work.

Against all odds maybe it’s as the passionate, hard-working, intelligent Ms. Watson says - the RAC was meant to be.

Or maybe it’s more about what the Renaissance man who painted the “Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper” and drew “Vitruvian Man” said.To paraphrase: “Don’t mess with the vigors of the mind.” – By Terry Egan

Chefs Jean-Louis Gerin and Yves Crouzet with Patti Watson and someof her ceramic raku sculptures at The RAC’s opening night.

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continued from page 16

K I T C H E N S T Y L E

By Jennifer Iannolo

Though the kitchen’s role as hub-of-home will likely never change, the definition of “hub” and what that means to the modern homeowner has certainly evolved. With emotional comfort,

open space and sustainability leading the charge in contemporary design, this room, which was once relegated to meal preparation, has taken on a much broader, lifestyle-driven role.

Avid cooks have long known that casual dinner gatherings result in a crowded kitchen, where guests wander in to be part of the action. Designers and architects have taken note of this, and expanded on the idea to make the kitchen an open space that serves a range of lifestyle needs.

More than ever, homebuyers are seeking this open style of design, one with a free-flowing aesthetic incorporating multi-functional areas where the family can interact both during meal times and throughout the day. Many kitchens now have adjoining family rooms and seating areas, or activity centers for small children with built-in doodle boards and chalkboards.

And let us not forget the cooking and entertaining. “Clients want a kitchen that lends itself well to casual entertaining,” says Karen Eastman Bigos of Towne Realty Group in Short Hills, N.J. “Ideally, they want it to be located at the back of the house, with easy access to an indoor/outdoor space such as a patio, deck or barbecue area.” This is not to say that having a festive occasion catered is on its way out. “Clients are still requesting second dishwashers, multiple ovens and eight-burner stoves,” says Bigos.

In designing what he calls the “unfitted kitchen,” Greenwich, Conn., and London-based designer Johnny Grey follows a “liberation philosophy,” leaving room for people to place their own freestanding pieces of furniture within the space. His clients typically want to go beyond imitation to create a personalized environment for themselves, one that may be, at present, a defensive retreat from the world outside.

Grey has been working with neuroscientists to better understand our hard-wired needs for views of nature, eye contact with others and sunlight. “One day we will use neuroscience in the tool chest of design,” he says. “We need to reconnect with our instincts.”

The Evo lut ion of K i tchen Des ign


The Evo lut ion of K i tchen Des ignK I T C H E N S T Y L E

“Installing a new kitchen is the best way to reduce one’s carbon footprint, and though people may be growing weary of hearing it, sustainability is now a necessity.”Johnny Grey

This scientific bent (what you might consider “scientific feng shui”) incorporates the emotional connections one makes with a room to achieve the ultimate in personalization and comfort. In interviewing his clients, Grey often asks for memories of cooking or the kitchen, and typically childhood memories and storybooks come into play. “Emotional and aesthetic needs are often fulfilled when we are sitting around the hearth,” he says.

John Kelsey and Sally Wilson of Wilson Kelsey Design in Salem, Mass., conduct similar exercises with their clients by walking them through the making of a meal. This not only establishes their kitchen work style, but also the role the space plays in the broader scope of their lifestyle.

Clients often ask to “hide the technology” so the room has less of a kitchen feel, and is more a multi-purpose space. As the kitchen is no longer hidden inside four walls, homeowners now prefer to install appliances and gadgets that have more symmetry with the overall room aesthetic.

In response to this lifestyle evolution, Viking Range has unveiled a new Designer Series that incorporates flush installation for minimal distraction, where appliances blend more seamlessly into the kitchen setting. Details like noise reduction and tight seals to contain cooking odors have been taken into consideration.

And though stainless-steel appliances are still popular, color is becoming more prevalent in kitchens to add warmth, whether in the appliances themselves or via splashes of color throughout the room. Grey often asks his clients which pieces of artwork will be hung on the walls, and pulls his color palette from those canvases.

Perhaps the biggest emerging trend, however, and one that will have a significant impact on the future of kitchen design, home ownership and renovation as a whole, is “green” design and the use of sustainable materials.

“Green is the new stainless steel,” says Grey. “Installing a new kitchen is the best way to reduce one’s carbon footprint, and though people may be growing weary of hearing it, sustainability is now a necessity.”

This is a costly maneuver, however, which typically requires gutting the kitchen to add insulation to the walls and floors, as well as double-glazed windows and LED lighting, before installing energy-saving appliances. Grey also sees a move toward more natural wood finishes such as linseed and tung oils. And as half the cost of kitchen design and renovation goes toward installation, Grey recommends that his clients focus on using local artisans, which not only reduces costs, but sustains local enterprise.

Wilson Kelsey Design’s clients often come to meetings armed with details about energy-saving appliances and sustainable materials, including recycled wood floors from older homes or barns. John Kelsey is careful to make sure, however, that clients understand how all of the details come together in a meaningful way. “There are layers of meaning to ‘green.’ A product may be green on the assembly line, but not recyclable. Bamboo flooring might be low-cost and long-lasting, but if it comes on a boat from China, the savings of energy and resources are lost.”

Whatever the specific trend, it is comforting to know that the kitchen still holds its pride of place as the one room in the house where people are happy to gather and share. And as homes are now being eyed with a look toward longer-term ownership, that central hub of kitchen and hearth has become a critical piece in the purchasing and renovation decision. The room itself might be larger or more energy-efficient, with sumptuous finishes and professional-grade appliances, but its soul remains the same.

Image courtesy of Viking



INNOVATIVE INTEGRATION

T R E N D S K I T C H E N

By Jennifer Iannolo

Built-In Coffee Systems

Coffee lovers rejoice, because it doesn’t get more decadent and tidy than this. Miele’s built-in coffee system is hooked right into the plumbing system. It features temperature controls, dual dispensing spouts, grinder settings from fine to coarse, a frothing system, integrated milk tank and large storage for coffee grounds. The only thing that could make this better would be an on-call barista.Miele 24-inch Built-in Whole Coffee Bean System Model CVA4066SS www.renosappliance.com or (866) 88RENOS

pot Filler

Pot fillers are a must-have for any busy kitchen, because not even chefs enjoy lugging a heavy pot of water to the stove to make stock, pasta or seafood. Brizo has a line of sleek, fold-away faucets that can be attached directly to your water line and set to the appropriate temperature.Brizo Pot Filler 62820LF-SS www.brizo.com or (877) 345-BRIZO

As kitchens become more integrated into the home’s general living space, emerging design trends offer a streamlined look where appliances are built in or hidden completely, but still provide state-of-the-art functionality. Each innovation provides a swoon-worthy aesthetic complete with sleek styling and gleaming finishes. Here are some of the top trends designers say their clients are coveting.


Induction Cooktops

With an eye toward energy efficiency, induction cooktops generate electromagnetic fields to heat up pots and pans rather than the cooktop itself. Induction cooking is up to twice as efficient as natural gas or traditional electric heating elements. Wolf 30-inch Induction Cooktop, Model CT30IU.www.renosappliance.com or (866) 88RENOS

microwave Drawers

Though microwaves tend to be essential, they can also be an eyesore. The new under-counter microwaves, however, can be built seamlessly into your cabinet design and electronically slide out like a drawer. Jenn-Air 24-inch Under Counter Microwave Oven with Drawer Design, Model JMD2124WS.www.renosappliance.com or (866) 88RENOS

Double Wall ovens

For the entertaining aficionado, double wall ovens allow for multiple cooking temperatures (or an oven to keep things warm while the rest finishes). Viking’s new Designer Series features a flush-mount option for a seamless appearance. Model DDOE305 www.vikingrange.com or (888) VIKING1www.renosappliance.com or (866) 88RENOS

Dishwasher Drawers

These can be installed with a faux front to look like any other drawer in

your kitchen, or matched to your other appliances. Dual drawers are helpful

for catered in-home events and for keeping delicate

glassware separate from heavy-duty pots and pans.

Kenmore Elite, 24-inch Single Drawer Dishwasher

with Spin Action,Model 13343.

www.kenmore.comor (888) 536-6673

T R E N D S K I T C H E N


E X P E R T E A S E

We asked three experts: “What are the top landscape trends?”

Chris Cipriano, owner of Cipriano Landscape Design in Ramsey, N.J., says that rain gardens are hot.

A landscaped shallow depression in the yard, these gardens capture and filter storm water runoff, says Cipriano. A rain garden utilizes different soil types, plants and gravel to remove pollutants and return naturally filtered water back into the ground. Plants with deep infiltrating root systems are specifically used in a rain garden design because they must tolerate harsh environments — drought to flooding conditions. The organic mulch layer protects the soil from eroding and provides an environment for microorganisms that degrade pollutants.

He says that rain gardens dovetail nicely with the greening of gardening.

He suggests choosing low-maintenance perennials such as rudbeckia, nepita, miscanthus and ferns, which require less water once established and are considered “green.” He also tries to eliminate pesticides. “One way is by using garden-friendly insects. Ladybugs and praying mantis eat aphids and are a greener alternative to pesticides.”

Early planning is essential if you want to be using the amenity come Memorial Day, Cipriano says. It takes time to plan out the project, obtain permits and then complete construction. “I would figure 30 to 60 days for planning and securing permits and then 3 to 12 weeks of construction time for a masonry outdoor kitchen or a swimming pool,” he suggests.

SouRCES:

CIPRIANO LANDSCAPE DESIGN (201) 785-0800 www.plantnj.comCORDING LANDSCAPE DESIGN (973) 263.5003 www.cordinglandscape.comHUDSON VALLEY LANDSCAPING & NURSERY (845) 294-0995 www.hudsonvalleylandscaping.com

Ron Cording, owner of Cording Landscape Design in Towaco, N.J., says “People are more and more aware of planning ahead.” A battery of professionals is often needed, from landscapers and architects to engineers, electricians and zoning officials. “Coordinating contractors is an undertaking,” he says. “The planning stages have to take place because by the time you go through the design, and then the tweaking to bring everything together in a comprehensive manner, that takes time.”

“Have the plan ready in the winter so that you’re ready to go when the weather breaks,” he says. Cording suggests even starting in the fall. “It’s critical for timely execution.” For instance, if you plan a huge yard landscaping or a pool install, do the research immediately in case you discover you need a variance. Trips to the zoning board take time.

In fact, pools are one of Cording’s top trends. “They’re still popular, especially with the staycation set and parents who want to keep an eye on their kids. Pools will continue to be a good value,” he says.

Mark Press, owner of Hudson Valley Landscaping & Nursery in New Hampton, N.Y., says “Whether you’re planning for landscaping or entertaining, setting goals and a budget are important. If you want to add outside living space, you need to ask yourself what’s most important. What do you want to use the space for? Do you want to do a lot of outdoor entertaining and cooking? Do you need a lot of floor space? What about plantings? Set a budget and be realistic.”

“Any successful space will always start with a good plan,” Press says. “Winter is a great time to do this. It will get you in the spring mode and give you time to review the plan and make changes long before spring.” He’s seeing outdoor kitchens as the hot trend. These started as built-in barbecues but quickly grew to encompass refrigeration, side burners and cabinetry, he says. Outdoor living in general is an offshoot of this. Families are building outdoor rooms complete with living areas, fireplaces and entertainment zones.

Taking the outdoor “room” one step further, Press is seeing more and more of his clients “going green.” “Environmentally friendly gardening is big,” says Press. “Gardening with organics in general is up 7% from last year.” He’s also seeing more and more clients asking how to grow their own vegetables.

Press also suggests you take time now to prepare your garden. “Starting to prepare your garden in January is smart and will pay off over the summer at harvest,” he says, suggesting you look online or in catalogs to pick the plants you want to try this year.

Now is also the time to evaluate the space you have for your garden so you can better plan it for spring.

– By Karen M. Harris

Cording Landscape DesignIm

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Feet to the Fiber

W O O L C A R P E T

Fabulous focus with Ragged Point from Wool Classics by Brintons. (Image courtesy of Brintons)


W O O L C A R P E T

Childhood homes. First homes. Holiday homes. Nothing takes a bigger place in our hearts than home. It is the soothing security blanket we all hold close, and the invisible pull that draws us back wherever we go.

So why choose wool for your home? Wool carpet takes the hard edges out of a house and replaces them with softness. Coldness disappears and in its place is warmth. Dinner can be a picnic on the carpet in front of a fire, going barefoot means no cold toes. In the making of a home, the importance of tactile furnishings should never be underestimated. So when you buy carpet, don’t just look … feel, because only then will you appreciate the wonder of wool. Wool is a natural, sustainable fiber, which is annually renewable. It is shorn from sheep as part of its essential animal grooming and goes on to provide the perfect fiber for carpet. British wool is highly regarded. It is a particularly resilient fiber excellent at resisting footfall due to its bulk and “bounce back” and yet also offers a soft-to-touch carpet.

As a fiber that is grown and not man-made, wool is both beautiful and environmentally friendly. British wool has now been accredited the international standard for environmental evaluation (ISO 14040) and has proven itself to be a favorable choice for those wanting a quality fiber that is measurably proven in terms of environmental impact.

Buyers have become ever more precise about the products they select to furnish their homes, and more people are enquiring as to the difference that wool can make to both internal and external environments.

It is generally accepted that wool, with its complex structure, can breathe. This allows the fiber to absorb and release humidity in the home, providing a buffer against too much and too little moisture in the atmosphere. The beauty of this is that the wool acclimates as your home changes through the day and the seasons.

Noise, the plague of the hard-floored home, is muted by the insulating capacity of wool, which helps prevent the transfer of room-to room-sound. Equally, wool carpet will insulate against heat loss improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon impact.

In our homes, these wonderful attributes provide reassurance, but we also want beauty and inspiration from investment purchases. Quality woven carpets made of British wool come in stunning classic and modern designs that can be matched with plain ranges and accompanied by coordinating borders and runners. For those with a bigger budget, there is the bespoke route, which gives free rein to creativity and allows the home to be truly individual.

Subtle effects with clever yarn innovation create stunning effects in both woven and

tufted wool carpets, which lend real luxury and designer style to the home. Skilled blending of undyed yarns now offers natural and earthy ranges with minimal chemical content and sophisticated designs for the home where eco is important.

Traditional patterns with a modern twist continue to captivate, and bold, plain colors are winning interest with patterned insets creating focus.

The mix and match effect of polished wood with area rugs and runners has a timeless appeal. Wood and wool make a charismatic pair showcasing the adaptability and pure style of natural products in the home.

People who spend many years in one home pay tribute to the longevity of wool on the floor. It stands up to so much hard work and still continues to look beautiful year after year.

Fabulous Floors Magazine © 2009. Courtesy of Sonna Calandrino, Publisher.

By Bridgette Kelly

Roll out the red carpet with flatweave runner by SolvaWoolen Mill. (Image courtesy of British Wool)

M O N T C L A I R N E W J E R S E Y

Night

day



It’s about more than just the view. Sure, Manhattan’s West Side feels so close you can practically taste one of those sesame seed H&H bagels.

And, yes, you might be tempted to step outside, stick out your thumb, and hail a yellow cab.

Why, New York City looms so large, you might feel like you could touch the top of the Empire State Building.

But this 8,000-square-foot Montclair home, perched atop forever-wild Eagle Rock Reservation, is about more than just the most spectacular view of the greatest city in the world.

This is a home sculpted to the way we live now.

Its 19 rooms are open, airy and filled with light — so much so that owner Joel Lefkowitz, his wife, Mindy, and their two college-age children rarely switch on the lights. You can catch the sun as it rises over the city from practically every room of the house, including the second-story bedroom suites.

Yet, the elegant home, built in 1991, still manages to feel grounded. The living and dining room ceilings may soar to 24 feet and feature double-height windows — left bare to maximize year-round,

unobstructed skyline views — but you won’t get lost in the clouds.

What keeps the space down to earth is what interior designer Jessy Krol — involved in nearly every aspect of the design — calls the home’s “classical symmetry” and “beautiful bones.”

This is no cookie-cutter McMansion plopped in a treeless field. This is a one-of-a-kind, tucked-away home created for real people, with real personalities and a real point of view — like Joel and Mindy, whose taste, says Krol, runs like a Cartier watch: classic, clean and sharp.

“Mindy didn’t want the house to look like everyone else’s place,” adds Krol, founder and president of Jessy Krol Interiors, based in Point Pleasant. “She didn’t want it to look like a decorator was here.”

The expansive rooms are scaled for humans, not the Himalayas. Grounding the space are the ebony-stained custom oak floors. The wood was supplied to the original builder by Joel, the former owner of Hoboken Floors. He sold the business in 2005 and is developing a new company, All State Flooring.

“Back when the house was built in 1991, I had no clue that I would one day live here,” he says with a chuckle.

By Eileen Curtis



The home he now loves — “It’s cheerful and bright,” he says — is a virtual teenager amid Montclair’s historic Grand Dames, those aging Tudor and Georgian beauties built in the early 20th century. And yet, with its brick, stone and stucco exterior, complete with two turrets, the younger kid on the block fits in quite well.

But walk inside and you just know this is a home for 21st century living.

The Lloyd Road home offers plenty of modern space to entertain — or to simply luxuriate, hibernate and muse — in rooms that flow and highlight the panoramic city view.

On the main level, family dinners and parties with friends can take on a golden glow, courtesy of cozy fireplaces capped with old English mantles. You can even step through the French doors to the event-sized front patio, which gracefully curves between the turrets.

The five spacious bedrooms — every one is a suite — offer sanctuary, with sitting/dressing rooms, walk-in closets and full baths.

The master suite boasts three walk-ins, along with his and her bathrooms with rosewood sinks, steam showers and radiant heat warming the limestone floors.

From the master’s oversized French doors, which also open to the patio, you can watch the dawn gild the sky — the skyline slowly

emerges, first pale blue and then a deeper hue.

Then you can pad to the modern gourmet kitchen, where Zen-like glass tiles from Anne Sacks sparkle like the city. You can drink your coffee at the breakfast bar, or curl up with the paper in the attached breakfast or family rooms.

On the first and second levels, a long gallery — the spine of the house — offers a light-filled passageway that links every room in turn, so you never have to walk through one room to get to another. The gallery design maximizes that reach-out-and-touch-the-skyline view to the east.

And to the west, there’s yet another take-your-breath-away vista.

You can see it when you slip through the French doors from the mahogany library to the English courtyard. There, you can sip a perfect cuppa while you take in the parkland views of the reservation, which borders the property.

Okay, so we said the house was about more than just those views.

But, oh, what views they are.

By day, the city is tops.

But when the deep blue of evening gives way to darkness, glittering Manhattan —that perennial prima donna — takes second billing to nature itself and the countless pinpricks of stars.




SouRCES:

Interior Design: JESSY KROL INTERIORS, INC. (202) 302-3541 www.jessykrolinteriors.com

General Contractor: DABALS CONTRACTING (973) 633-1922

Electrician: ELECTRIC DESIGN (908) 218-0554 Stereo and Video: EDG (732) 650-9800 www.edgonline.com

HVAC: KCG (973)-335-3884 www.kcgair.com Security: SEM SECURITY SYSYEMS (845) 986-0336


For more information on this featured home go to: www.aspirenj.com


C H A P I N D R I V E B E R N A R D S V I L L E N J

By Henry Kuryla

CURVE APPEALNestled in the northernmost part of Somerset County, just 40 miles from Manhattan, Bernardsville is known for its historic homes, sprawling equestrian estates and opulent mansions that dot its rural landscape.

Part of the original Mountain Colony formed in the late 1860s by well-to-do New Yorkers who built grand homes on Bernardsville Mountain, these homes were the elite’s summer estates. The arrival of the railroad transformed the small, picturesque village into a world-class resort destination for prominent bankers, diplomats, merchants and industry leaders. That the residents of Bernardsville Mountain became known for their extravagant lifestyles — private racetracks, arriving at the railroad station in elaborate horse-drawn carriages, polo matches and opulent costume balls — just added to the Mountain Colony’s allure.

To build their grand country estates and lavish mansions, the well-heeled hired the best architects of the day, imported European craftsmen and used the finest materials available. Firms included the esteemed partnership of Delano & Aldrich, whose clients included the Astors, Vanderbilts and Whitneys. Delano & Aldrich also were responsible for Kykuit, the legendary Rockefeller family estate in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.



Delano & Aldrich built history. And a piece of that history is now available. Set on 20 park-like acres with exquisite gardens and total privacy, the firm designed this elegant, 15-room, slate and stucco European-style manor house. This distinctive residence circa 1911 on Chapin Road is characterized on the main floor by a center-through entrance hall, formal living and dining rooms, family room, media room, chef’s-style kitchen with adjoining breakfast room, butler’s pantry, marble floors, nine fireplaces, high-beamed ceilings and decorative gilt moldings.

On the second floor is the sumptuous master suite with fireplace, sitting room, abundant closet space and two luxurious bathrooms. Four additional bedrooms, all with baths, and a cozy den complete the second-floor living quarters. On the third floor are another bedroom and bath.

History lives easily with updated amenities downstairs, including an exercise room, dry sauna, recreation room and a wine cellar.

Outside, the estate features manicured lawns, woodlands, a tennis court, two holes of golf with a fairway and a resort-style pool with extensive bluestone terracing and bathing pavilion. There is also a three-bedroom guest cottage, a carriage house with a second-floor apartment, horse stalls and a greenhouse on the property.

Part of the original Stevens Estate, Caroline Bayard Stevens Alexander Wittpenn lived in this estate, which eventually became occupied by her grandson, Archibald Alexander III. His distinguished career included serving as treasurer of the state of New Jersey and undersecretary of the Army under President Truman.

This spectacular country estate is reminiscent of another time when America’s royalty — the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts and Astors — entertained their weekend guests from the city in great style. The estate remains as elegant and luxurious today as it was then. The same is true of Bernardsville, which has lost none of its charming, turn-of-the-century, village appeal.


F E B R U A R Y 2 010 A S P 1 R E M AG A Z I N E 3 7

L L E W E LY N P A R K W E S T O R A N G E N J

Llewellyn Park, famous for its privacy, security and lush rural setting, is one of the most exclusive and sought-after addresses in America. With winding roads, majestic trees and a 24-hour manned gatehouse, this idyllic enclave of historic homes and imposing country estates is just 14 miles from Midtown.

Created on 425 wooded acres in 1857 by wealthy New Yorkers, Llewellyn Park was the country’s first planned and gated community. Its design was considered revolutionary because everything was centered on a pastoral haven: a vast 50-acre parkland with forests, horse trails, walking paths and a series of ponds and streams, all landscaped in the romantic 19th century style of Central Park.

The way the Park’s founders chose to lay out its streets was also considered radical. For 200 years, communities were customarily laid out with straight streets on an interlocking grid. Llewellyn Park is notable for roads that wind and curve, following the land’s topography. The founders lined the streets with gas lamps, adding character and a soft, warm glow.

By Henry Kuryla

The

idyllic Enclave

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places



This prestigious enclave, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features homes of historic and architectural significance designed by prominent American architects including A.J. Davis, Calvert Vaux, Charles McKim, Sanford White and Robert A.M. Stern.

One of these homes, sequestered at the end of a private, tree-lined drive, is 72 Glen Avenue. This brick and slate Georgian-influenced Federal-style manor house has 16 rooms, including five bedrooms, and five full and one half-baths. Six fireplaces, high ceilings, a spacious entry hall and a formal dining room, living room and library make this elegant, stately manor a splendid venue for entertaining. Modern amenities include a gourmet chef’s eat-in kitchen and a state-of-the-art gym. A pool, lush gardens, a carriage house and an oversized four-car garage are also on the property.

Lewellyn Park’s 173 homes and estates are truly special. The Park caters to those looking for a home where neighbors socialize while privacy is respected. This historic Glen Avenue home, with its gracious Old-World style, offers both an authentic country lifestyle and a quick commute to the city.



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F R E N C H M A N O R S A D D L E R I V E R N J


Joie de Vivre

Tw enty-thousand square feet. Twenty-six rooms. And a fireplace in the poolside cabana.

How can a home so grand — whose footprint is best appreciated from the air — still manage to feel so livable?

Inspired by the grand chateaux of France, this luxurious Saddle River estate may boast Venetian plaster ceilings and a terra-cotta wine cellar reminiscent of the catacombs, but this is no Francophile fortress stuck in the 10th century.

This is a warm and comfortable French manor house, tucked away on five private acres, designed for easy American living.

Steeped in Old World traditions and artifacts — from its 18th century limestone fireplaces to its frescoed walls — the estate also delivers a dash of Yankee informality and ingenuity.

You can view “An American in Paris” in the award-winning movie theater, which seats 15 in Hollywood splendor, and features state-of-the-art upholstered acoustical panels.

You can hit a backhand on the DecoTurf II tennis court, and shoot hoops on the all-American basketball court, as well as park your vintage Mustang in the seven-car garage with solid mahogany doors.

Still, make no mistake, this is very much a European estate, especially when you consider the master bedroom suite of five spacious rooms, which takes up an entire wing of the house.

“The owners wanted a home that looked like it was in the French countryside,” says Joe Commorata, co-owner of Commorata & Berardi, the custom design and building company that constructed the estate with three levels of living space.

The home with the honey-hued sandstone exterior rambles like




something out of a storybook. The French-gray slate rooflines are steep and varied, while sturdy chimneys rise above the peaks.

It may look like a generations-old French manor, but the home was completed in 2006 and created by a consortium of artisans, designers and master craftspeople — many from Europe.

Masons pillowed every block of the hand-hewn and chiseled sandstone. Artisans painted delicate flowers on ceilings, along with the whimsical faux Parisian storefronts on the home’s lower level.

It exudes a warm, country French feeling, says interior designer Wendy Eigen, who worked on the estate for a year and a half.

Inside, you can move along a magical, 100-plus-foot-long gallery, which ushers you from one magnificent, light-filled space to another.

In the gourmet kitchen and adjoining family room, hand-hewn beams arch and curl from a wormy chestnut ceiling that soars 20 feet above the limestone floor. And then there’s the piece de resistance: the magnificent terra-cotta wine cellar. In mellow hues ranging from pale yellow and pink to peach and ochre, the antique Parefeuille terracotta adds a soft opalescence to the space, which is accessed through heavy French gates. In this Gothic-inspired catacomb, you almost expect to see a procession of beaming, brown-robed monks gliding by.

“The home is timeless,” says Commorata. No wonder a little placard on the mantle of the 17th century Parisian fireplace reads: And they lived happily ever after.

– By Eileen Curtis





SouRCES:Builder: COMMORATA & BERARDI (201) 848-1155 www.commorata-berardi.com

Architect: CANZANI ASSOCIATES ARCHITECT(201) 265-5645 [email protected]

Interior designer: WENDY EIGEN DESIGNS(201) 327-3545 [email protected]



201-803-7865 ••• 908-561-4726 725 River Road • Suite 32-267 • Edgewater NJ 07020 • www.YorkshireBuilders.net

For more than 25 years we have designed and built gracefully appointed luxury homes for our discerning clientele.

Our team of extremely talented designers, architects, builders, painters and woodworkers pay meticulous attention to detail to provide the elegant custom home you desire.

YOrkshire builders is ready to assist you in the building or management of your next project whether you are looking to create a luxury home or renovate an existing one.

Selected Designer Showhouse of New Jersey 2007 to Benefit

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LUXURY HOMES | AdditiONS | RENOvAtiONS | CONStRUCtiON MANAgEMENt

BYORKSHIREUILDERS

BYORKSHIREUILDERS

Lucy Ricardo serving martinis.Knights jousting on horseback.Little Orphan Annie pining for tomorrow.

All conjur specific images. And all are concepts that get a house sold.

The Cape Cod in Llewellyn Park looked just like Lucy and Ricky’s Connecticut farmhouse. He envisioned Lucy entertaining guests and the concept was decided. A Lucy impersonator served food. Sam wore a white dinner jacket a la Ricky at the Tropicana. Realtors remembered. The house was on the market in December 2008 for two weeks, listed at $799,900. It sold for more than the asking price.

Realtors know that he serves a mean lunch (“I have a caterer who is fabulous”) and they’ll have a good time.

“Lots of Realtors think I spend a lot of money, but I don’t,” he says. For the castle, a call to Medieval Times supplied the knights and horses. Medieval Times’ relationship with Perrier brought in refreshments.

“If you think a little outside the box, you don’t need to spend a lot of money,” he says. Any idea can work. He’s used the seasons; he’s run a state fair complete with carnival and jugglers. He’s staged Raven Claw, a Georgian Colonial in Llewellyn Park, as Daddy Warbucks’ house in “Annie.” A call to friends on Broadway supplied an Annie for the day.

Sam specializes in custom-made houses in Glen Ridge, Maplewood, Montclair, and South and West Orange (including Llewellyn Park). He’s in the process of doing a couture house in Montville and has two open houses planned for spring.

“If the house doesn’t talk to me, I can’t sell it,” he says. He takes his time when deciding whether to take on a listing. “I like to walk around, take my time,” he says. He may need several visits before the path is clear.

People come because my open houses are fun,” he says. “They say they never know what I’ll do next.” And that means bigger business. “If Realtors are having fun at the open house, they’ll stay longer. If they’re at my house, they’re not at others.”

Holding an open house that sticks in their mind means a greater chance that Realtors will bring their clients to see Sam’s homes. That formula has paid off. After only three years, he has a market niche. He averages about 20 deals a year, with up to 25 in the works for 2010. Former clients include Whoopi Goldberg and the Sultan of Brunei, whose son is attending NYU. Sam was Rookie of the Year and has been a RE/MAX Platinum Club member since 2006, with sales of more than $14 million. He is a certified luxury home specialist, meaning that his sales represent the top 10 percent of the marketplace. He has five listings for spring, totaling about $15 million in inventory. One home is in Glen Ridge, two are in Montville and two in Llewellyn Park. Sam says the luxury real estate market is doing just fine in New Jersey. “We haven’t suffered like others,” he says. “We have a built-in market: People will always

M A R K E T M A K E R S

By Karen M. Harris

HousecentricSam Joseph,

with RE/MAX

Village Square

in South Orange,

is a master at

setting the perfect

scene at his open

houses. His secret?

“I let the house

tell me how to

present it.”

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work in New York and need a place to live.”

With more than 25 years of design and decorating experience, Sam is uniquely suited to real estate. When he represents a seller, he brings the ability to stage and decorate the house to its potential. When he represents

a buyer, he takes the time to match his client with the perfect home. Sam’s creative ability has been featured on two seasons of HGTV’s “Bought and Sold,” about 14 episodes, which spotlight his luxury home clientele and properties.

Before the real estate business, Sam was vice president, creative director of Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square. For 12 years, he was the creative force for the annual Macy’s Flower Show, the world’s largest indoors. Other responsibilities included designing all the store windows, including the holiday windows, which attract millions of shoppers each year. After about 400 window designs, he was feeling a tad burned out, so he retired from Macy’s on air on CNN, while being interviewed for his “Polar Express” themed holiday windows.

Soon after, a friend brought him along to a real estate course. Two weeks later (six days a week/eight hours a day) he passed the test. While at a cocktail party, friend Roy Scott, who owns five RE/MAX Village Square offices, heard the news and offered him a job on the spot.

He credits his success with his ability to team-build. “I can’t draw,” he says about creating window displays, “but I can surround myself with those who can to make myself better.”

With a degree from the University of Montevallo in Alabama, and a

certificate from the London School of Fine Arts, he began a design career in London, serving as window director for Harvey Nichols’ flagship store in the exclusive Knightsbridge shopping district.

While in London, Sam also put his special event talents to work, planning the Queen Mum’s 90th birthday party at the Royal Opera House.

An “American by birth, a Southerner by grace,” Sam hails from Birmingham, Ala. That Southern upbringing (he later lived in Georgia) instilled in him a love for historic architecture.

He’s been an Essex County resident since 1992, having restored and decorated two grand homes. The first, the former home of publisher John W. Scribner, is a six-bedroom home circa 1900 in South Orange’s Montrose Park. The second, a brick and limestone 1907 mansion in Glen Ridge, was the home of jeweler and Titanic survivor Henry Blank. The estate includes a large sun porch, a music room and formal English dining room on the first floor and six bedroom suites on the second floor.

He now calls Linden Lawn home. The South Orange estate was built in 1903 by architect Edward Gooch and his wife, Josephine. The French Chateau-style house is marked by a slate mansard roof. The first floor features black-walnut paneling, beamed ceilings and three marble fireplaces. It also boasted an Otis elevator used to convey visitors from the French living room to the entrance hall.

“I love old houses. I’m a houseaholic.”

Market Makers offers insight into the innovative ideas of the region’s top real estate brokers. More than just open houses or balloons tied to a For Sale sign, Market Makers have mastered the creativity and outside-the-box thinking needed to close the deal.

M A R K E T M A K E R S

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P A Y I T F O R W A R D

Keeping the Light OnBy Terry Egan

And, really, what would you do? You landed in country earlier in the day, a wild place you’ve heard of and read about but had never been to before. You, your party of doctors and nurses and student volunteers make your way deep inside the Haitian countryside, hours from Port-Au-Prince, which is no beacon of light but is downright cosmopolitan compared with this primitive outpost.

Dr. Jim Morgan

As we were going to press with this edition of ASP1RE we watched with profound sadness as the horrific effects of the terrible earthquake in Haiti unfolded. Our hearts are with the many people whose lives are forever altered.

We dedicate this issue to the volunteers from all walks of life that have pitched in with their generosity and time to give selflessly to our friends in need and those that are suffering.


P A Y I T F O R W A R D

You make your way past the pigs running free on the dirt paths and the roosters complaining on the rusted tin roofs of the shacks that are called homes. The first patient you see is a boy burning with the fever of neglect. He is slumped in his mother’s arms, his eyes half open, his lips mouthing babble. His mother’s face, scared and vulnerable, stares bewildered at her helpless child. Her eyes meet yours. You administer the boy, hook him to intravenous lines, fill his body with fluids, nutrients and antibiotics. You examine him head to toe, like you would do for any child you saw come through the emergency room doors at St. Vincent’s Hospital in lower Manhattan or in your private practice in New Jersey. But the boy remains listless. He stops breathing. You breathe for him. You return a pulse. More oxygen, more antibiotics. You comfort him as best you can. A thought comes to you: He has just received world-class medicine for the first time in his life, but you, his doctor, are full of fear. There are so many more patients to see, so many more stories of poverty to match to the faces of disease and need and neglect. The day makes you bone-weary tired and the faces of the burning boy and his petrified mother will not fade. All that medicine studied, all that knowledge absorbed through years in the finest clinics and hospitals . . . is it enough now? Night comes and you lay your head on the cot. Toss. Turn. Feel the heat and the mugginess and the dread of the place. When it comes, sleep is fitful, the boy, his mother, their faces seared into your brain. There are other places in the world where crowing roosters and foraging pigs and a rising sun bring with them the promise of a new day. But here the morning sun is met with the screams of an anguished mother. “Wails,” you call them. “As long as I live I will never forget the sounds of her wailing.” You know immediately what it means: the boy who burned with the fever of neglect is dead. It is just your second day in the country and a mother is crying for her dead son and, really, what would you do?

Would you break down because this place is so bleak that a 5-year-old boy’s death is no big news? Would you scream because a government is so corrupt that fighting to retain power is more important than a 5-year-old’s chance at a life?

No, you become resolute. You resolve to stay and fight the good fight another day. Sure, maybe you’re draining a swimming pool with a teaspoon but you are here and the faces and the pain and the tears, they’re real. You stay. You have to stay. * * *

Maybe it’s as simple as this: you are your parents’ child. Dr. Jim Morgan’s father was one of the founders of the Manhattan Bowery Project, a medical detox facility in New York’s Lower East Side, in the late 1960s. His mom worked with Covenant House when it was just a Manhattan storefront. “It was always pounded into us to help,” Dr. Morgan says. “Growing up in our household, it was part of the culture of who you were.” Dr. Morgan graduated Creighton Med and interned at Loyola. He’s now in private practice in Cedar Grove, N.J. Prior to that he was an emergency physician in the ER at St. Vincent’s in Greenwich Village. That’s when he ran into a friend from college, a Jesuit priest who was principal at Regents High School in Manhattan. His friend was planning a trip with students to Haiti for the summer of 2001. Volunteering in a poor country had always been an interest of Dr. Morgan’s. His friend, the priest, said come along. Other friends said,

“You must be out of your mind. That country is dangerous.” It was. It is. But for two weeks, at the end of August, he went to Haiti and heard the mother’s wails.

When he returned to the States, he would go into private practice and work in a hospice and learn about things like end-of-life counseling and cancer management - all specialties that would help his patients not only in New Jersey but in Haiti, too. Eventually, he helped found the Lamp For Haiti, an organization that provides free medical care and food to the Haitian poor and investigates human rights violations in Haiti. He serves on its board of directors. The Lamp operates a clinic in Cite Soleil, one of the poorest areas of Port-au-Prince, three days a week year round. The only hospital in Cite Soleil closed, so there was no health care in the area. Dr. Morgan’s clinic has full-time nurses. There is always a board member at the clinic (usually more than one) each month. Dr. Morgan goes down every two months. His patients get help with prenatal care and see a dentist, either from the United States or from Haiti - all volunteers. The charity established a feeding program because of the country’s severe food shortages. One volunteer built a filtration system for a municipal water source so that people could get clean, instead of contaminated, water. Dr. Morgan and another founder of the charity, Tom Griffin, an immigration and human rights lawyer, investigated the mysterious beri-beri deaths of prisoners in the Haitian National Penitentiary. They found that in addition to inconsistent meals, the prisoners’ diets were mainly rice from the United States, which is bleached and polished to look good. But the bleaching and polishing remove essential Vitamin B1/thiamine. The lack of the vitamins caused the disease. Lamp for Haiti’s clinic offers triage, nutritional support and long-term care. “Mostly urgent care, still,” Dr. Morgan says. “But we’re moving toward long-term care. We need both.” Long-term care is how you avoid the future wails of another 5-year-old’s mother, he says. The work is hard and the volunteering is not easy, not on the individuals who offer their expertise or their families. But to improve the lives of people who can’t help themselves, people like Dr. Morgan cannot turn their backs. That long-term care he talks about: “I was visiting a woman in a village, adjacent to the hospital,” he says. “She was this little frail woman. She was about 60 but she looked 100. She was lying on a blanket on the dirt floor, which is how the average household lives there,” he says. “I knew she was not long for this earth but I asked her what plans she was making for her care. “She pointed to the rafters of the hut and I look up and I see, 8 feet above, is this wooden coffin. This is what they live with,” he says. “She was like, ‘I had my time here, this is it.’ “I contrast my life here, in the States, as an American doctor, to helping as a physician in Haiti and sometimes I have to pinch myself. We can never give up on this place. Someone has to do something about this. And that means me. I have the capacity to change people’s lives.

“The problem is gigantic in Haiti but think about it, someone being treated for tuberculosis in New York City, we’re giving that same treatment to someone here in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the Hemisphere.”

And, really, what would you do?

Lamp For Haiti gave free medical attention to 8,000 patients in 2008. Dr. Morgan expects that number to reach 10,000 in 2009. Check out www.lampforhaiti.org for more information on the charity and on how to donate to it.

M O R R I S M U S E U M A R T Q U I L T S

By Alice Barbarini Hurley

Today’s quilts cover much more than the marriage bed. Carefully crafted by fine artists, they’re part of a contemporary visual art movement.

Sought after as prized collector’s items, some take years to complete. Yet none of the modern masterpieces, incorporating painting, printmaking, photography, graphic design and more, ever completely forsakes the homespun folk-art quilts that were their original inspiration.

A Stitch in Modern TimeMorris Museum hosts one-of-a-kind art-quilt exhibit

Lush Life, 1992, Michael James, Collection of John M. Walsh III

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Ask prominent New Jersey art quilt collector John M. Walsh III, who has acquired 84 art quilts since he started collecting in the early 1990s. It all started when he was on a business trip to England and saw Michael James and his quilts on the BBC.

“After that trip, I started dabbling in quilts,” says Walsh. “I got out my grandmother’s quilts. I bought a Mennonite quilt and a crazy quilt.”

He quickly caught the fever to acquire contemporary art quilts after hearing a speaker say dedicated collectors were lacking in that area. “I mentally raised my hand and said ‘Count me in,’ ” he remembers. Walsh now has a special room built onto his home, complete with custom-made wooden platforms that can hold quilts not on display. Like wine and cigar connoisseurs, he stores his prized possessions like the treasures they are.

His stunning finds now include Circus Quilt, an unforgettable 12-foot-by-8-foot extravaganza with three circus rings and 367 handmade ceramic figures, which took Milwaukee artist Anne Kingsbury three years to complete; Let Her, an enchanting tribute by artist Rachel Brumer to her young daughter, who pulled together mismatched outfits to wear; and Monet over Money, by John Lefelhocz, a work in fabric, nylon mesh and Czech, German and Chinese beads juxtaposed against dollar bills. Yet true to his roots and honoring the timeless art of quilting, Walsh also counts among his treasures the log cabin quilt stitched by his maternal grandmother from Watkins Glen, NY.

“Having a quilt collection is like having children,” says

Walsh. “It’s hard to have a favorite.” Still, thanks to the fine eye of Penny McMorris, from Bowling Green, OH, with whom he has been collaborating for years, this enthusiastic collector has snagged beautiful pieces, mostly from America but also from England, Germany and Holland.

In a breathtaking, one-of-a-kind exhibit, more than 35 of Walsh’s treasured quilts will be on display in the main gallery of the Morris Museum in Morristown from Jan. 13 through April 25, 2010.“Jack’s collection is one of the most prominent in the country,” says Linda Moore, chief operating officer for the museum. “Every year, the world of art quilts gets more spectacular. It’s mushrooming.” The exhibit includes Circus Quilt, Let Her, Monet over Money and works by Michael James, an early art-quilt innovator; Jan Myers-Newbury; Nancy Crow; Joy Saville; and other artists.

Mounted in the main gallery, with sweeping views of hills and mountains, the tour will focus on the quilt as art, methods and materials, and narrative quilts in one of the closest looks at art quilts ever in one place. Text panels will incorporate statements from the artists about their works.

“These are not bed coverings,” says Moore. “They are intended to be displayed as visual works of art.” And while you can’t put a price on the labor it took to make old-fashioned quilts around a prairie table, the fine-art quilts today are full-size works of art (some over 10 feet wide) that can cost from $10,000 to $100,000 each. “This truly is a new medium, fueled by people who were trained as fine artists,” says Walsh. “They’ve cross-pollinated each other.”

Summer Echo, 1994, Joy Saville, Collection of John M. Walsh III

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“Having a quilt collection is like having children,” says Walsh. “It’s hard to have a favorite.”

SouRCES:

STUDIO ART QUILT ASSOCIATES www.saqa.com

MORRIS MUSEUM (973) 971-3700 www.morrismuseum.orgArt Quilts: Contemporary Expressions from the Collection of John M. Walsh III, on view: Jan. 13 - Apr. 25, 2010

Pregnant Winter Tree, 1993, Therese May, Collection of John M. Walsh III



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