Description

This gorgeous Beaux Arts townhouse in Carnegie Hill is truly one-of-a-kind. From the moment you enter, the scope of the double height living room takes your breath away. The ceiling in the entryway is impossibly high, and you can see more than eighty feet back, all the way to the garden. Original wood-burning fireplaces, charming round nautical windows, and stunning mahogany woodwork permeate this unique home. With the amount of sunlight that comes in on a sunny day, between the copious windows and the four skylights on the top floor, you will think you left the lights on. This house was owned in the 1950s by Patrick Dennis (also known as Edward Everett Tanner III), creator of Auntie Mame. Many of his decorative flourishes have survived to the present, and great care has been taken to create convenience for the 21st-century owner: every floor has an audio/visual intercom, and central air conditioning has been installed, with three zones. There are two different outdoor spaces, both with their own lighting and irrigation. And the Carnegie Hill location simply cannot be beat; it is just one house off the corner of Park Avenue, a brisk seven-minute walk from Central Park and Museum Mile. LAYOUT Garden Level: When Patrick Dennis lived here, he combined half the second floor with the garden level living room. The result is a dramatic, twenty-foot living room ceiling and a towering Palladian-style window (which mirrors a grand archway on the opposite wall) looking onto the street. The height and light really must be seen to be believed; white Grecian columns amplify the effect. Three steps down from the entryway is a red marble wood-burning fireplace, with a huge circular mirror above the mantel flanked by sconces. Along the opposite wall is an elevated landing that looks out over the living room, leading to a spiral staircase to the rest of the house. A mirrored wall panel furthers the feeling of expansiveness. Beyond the living room you will find a kosher kitchen, with two dishwashers and ample mahogany cabinetry. The counters are granite and the appliances are stainless steel?a Viking oven, a Subzero refrigerator, and two Miele dishwashers. The hardwood floors of the living room give way to elegant black tile here, and there is a pretty half-bathroom in shades of deep red and gold. This is also where you access the elevator. At the rear of the garden level is the dining room, with an entire wall of windows that intersect a panel of skylights, letting in yet more light and creating a feeling of a greenhouse or sun room. The mahogany cabinetry continues back here, and the windows afford a view of the attractive, well-kept garden. With its high, ivy-covered walls, colorful flowers, and dedicated lighting and sound system, this garden is a perfect secluded spot for dining al fresco with guests or just enjoying a good book. Second Floor: In the front you will find a laundry room with a refrigerator and sink that could easily become a kitchenette. It enjoys plenty of cabinets and shelves, a linen closet, and black and white tile. In the rear, there is a spacious and sunlit lounge, with a bay window along the back wall (affording splendid garden views) and accompanying window seat. This is a great room for an entertainment center, or a party! One panel of the bay window is a glass door, so a spiral staircase could be installed to lead down to the garden from this door. Third Floor: The front room on this floor is currently used as a library, but could easily become a bedroom, as it has its own full bathroom. This room is rich with red-infused mahogany woodwork, with a distinctive curved closet door in the corner and a mirrored wall panel. Three glass doors along the front wall lead to a terrace overlooking the street, with brick flooring and bright flowers?perfect for enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning. In the rear bedroom you will find a black and white fireplace, three tall windows overlooking the garden, an archway leadi

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