Nestled in the northern hills of Westchester County is the well-heeled bedroom community of Chappaqua, New York. Genteel, charming and elegant, Chappaqua’s bucolic beauty belies its close proximity to Manhattan; no doubt part of the allure for those who choose to call the area home.

 

Perched atop a hill in this idyllic community is Rosewood. A brilliant gem of mammoth proportions the home, currently offered for sale through Sotheby’s International Realty, is situated at the end of a meandering allée of trees amid eighty-seven acres of park-like beauty.

 

Despite the unmistakable aura of quiet elegance - a trait normally reserved for English manors dating back centuries - this contemporary estate was designed in 2004 by renowned architect Boris Baranovich.

 

While the exterior of the home; replete with hand crafted stone walls, a multi-story rotunda and crisp white millwork is nothing short of stunning, it does little to prepare you for the gracious richness waiting to be discovered inside.

 

Baranovich worked with the homeowners and interior designer Richard Keith Langham to create a space that, while indisputably stately, successfully preserved all the warmth and intimacy of a true family home.

 

As you enter through the front door it is immediately apparent that those who designed Rosewood left no detail of its prodigious 20,000sf to chance or happenstance.

“Each detail, every choice for this house was made by conscious decision”, says the homeowner, her passion when discussing her home delightfully warm and infectious. “After interviewing architects and designers, we chose Boris (Baranovich) whose architectural work we had seen and admired.  We knew we wanted to work with Keith (Richard Keith Langham). Collaborating with them on this house was a joyous experience”.

 

Having built several homes prior to Rosewood, the clients were well aware of how laboriously consuming the process could be. Selecting professionals who not only shared a vision for the home, but what seems to be a genuine respect and affection for each brilliant decision in itself.

 

Despite her own obvious and well-honed design acumen, the homeowner is quick to recognize and applaud the brilliance of the team she and her husband put together for the project.

 

“Look at the way the doors to this sitting room tuck into the millwork when they are opened.  That is all Boris.  That’s his genius.  Did you notice the way the fabrics are lined in contrasting silk?  I love that. That’s Keith, his attention to detail, his eye for color.”

 

From the rock crystal pendants that drip from the dressing room chandelier like milky tears to the masterfully applied shades of peach paint in the master bath that create an effect of undulating motion on each wall; every inch of Rosewood is a carefully thought out, impeccably executed piece of artistry.

 

Amidst the framed photos, well read books and travel mementos that weave the fabric of family life, one tiny symbol might best personify life in this home.  A faint, barely perceptible imprint of a happy face remains etched on the surface of the gleaming, dark wood kitchen table – a cherished relic left by couple’s then eight year old son.  Be it ever so humble…

 

This Magnificent Chappaqua Estate is now listed at $24,750,000.  For more information:

 

Amy Smith Sroka

Senior Global Real Estate Advisor

Associated Broker

Sotheby’s Int'l Realty

+ 1 914 523 0678

 

www.juliabfee.com