Builder Gary M. DeLuisio was determined not to construct one of the newer, cookie-cutter homes he sees everywhere when he bought a woodsy lot in Old Tappan with a 1960s home and horses.
To avoid that, DeLuisio and his design team of Ridgewood architect Piero Gabucci and DeLuisio's wife, April, combined their individual strengths to create a unique home in a market saturated with sameness.
The first distinguishing feature of the six-bedroom, 6.5-bath home is its reddish-amber cedar shake exterior, a hint of April's warm color choices inside. Stone and wood square columns, and the long, low horizontal line of the front porch suggest the early 1900s Arts and Crafts/Craftsman style.
Unusual hardwood and stone choices continue inside, such as honey- red Brazilian cherry floors, mahogany doors and moldings, and floors of subtly colored Brazilian slate. Together, they bring a rich, earthy coziness to the 8,500-square-foot dwelling.
"We needed the warmth," April said, and used richer colors and strong textures to make the large home more personal and inviting. To please most tastes with the speculation home, April chose neutral kitchen and bathroom colors but kept them unique by mixing unusual tile sizes and patterns of tumbled marble, honey onyx, porcelain and travertine.
Behind the 8-foot front doors, the elegant foyer is split between a lower and upper level by wide steps. A graceful, wrought-iron chandelier hangs overhead from a barrel vault ceiling in front of the large, arched window. It can be lowered for maintenance by a 750- pound crane hoist.
The foyer and kitchen are at the center of the first floor while the living and dining rooms are to the right. To the left and angled toward the home's center are the great room, guest room, full and half baths and one of two laundry rooms. Gabucci designed this layout so most rooms face the expansive back yard, he said.
An elegant staircase with simple, wrought iron spindles spirals like a ribbon within the windowed half-turret. Simple, horizontal window grills affirm the home's linear theme.
Morning sun fills the kitchen's eating area. Sand-colored Mission- style alder wood cabinets, Subzero refrigerator and freezer and two pantries surround a large island with a sink. DeLuisio, a cook, added a pot filler faucet above the six-burner Viking range.
"Our hearts and souls have gone into this house," he said.
The vast great room is the perfect gathering place, said the home's listing agent, Mary Verducci of Burgdorff Realtors in Hillsdale. Fourteen-foot ceilings soar over the Brazilian slate and bluestone gas fireplace and double doors that lead to a patio.
In the master bedroom suite, a gas fireplace built into the wall high off the floor appears like a painting. The team nicknamed the large, elaborately tiled steam shower in the bathroom the "party shower."
Downstairs, an equipped, soundproof theater sits between a wine room and a family room with a fireplace and wet bar. The room also has access to the backyard.
Technocrats will be excited by the home's security cameras, intercom and SMART-ready wiring, which allows climate controls to be operated by laptop. Radiant heat has been installed under all tiled floors.
The three-car garage home is listed at $3.25 million.
***
E-mail: fletcher@northjersey.com
(c) 2007 Record, The; Bergen County, N.J.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.