Tag: real estate

Remnants of classic street cobblestones and a striking redbrick façade hint at the provenance of the building that houses this sophisticated three-bedroom loft in SoHo. Designed by prominent young architect Jarvis Morgan Slade, the 1883 cast-iron building was renovated by Lawrence B. Bogdanow in the 1990s and joined with a neighboring building to create a complex of contemporary condominiums sharing a tranquil courtyard.

New York, New York | Mark Mistovich, Daniela Sassoun, Sotheby’s International Realty – East Side Manhattan Brokerage

Although vestiges of 19th-century style remain—in stately columns, for example—the light-flooded residence is undeniably modern and chic. The voluminous open-plan living area, with soaring 12-foot ceilings and ample space for large-scale dining and entertaining, is anchored by an eye-catching gas fireplace with an extended hearth that creates warm built-in seating beside a wall ideal for displaying art. Oversized windows make the most of the home’s multiple exposures, while glass doors admit floods of morning light and open to Juliet balconies overlooking the courtyard. Nearby are a powder room and a discreet bar area with a custom-designed retractable cart. The adjoining chef’s kitchen, which includes space for informal dining, features appliances from Wolf, Miele, and Sub-Zero and a butler’s pantry with a wine chiller and an auxiliary dishwasher.

For quieter, more-intimate moments, the library or media room welcomes with its relaxing ambience, built-in bookshelves, and French doors giving way to a Juliet balcony. Tucked in the quiet southwestern corner behind a wall of steel-framed glass is an office with windows facing Wooster Street, an extensive built-in desk, and streamlined storage. Secluded on the home’s southeast corner, the spacious owner’s bedroom is accompanied by an elegant marble bath with heated floors and both a roomy steamshower and a soaking tub. The two guest bedrooms benefit from en suite baths and thoughtful closet space.

A keypad-controlled elevator connects the building’s lobby directly with an inviting foyer. Residents enjoy central air conditioning, amenities and services that include a full-time superintendent, and the knowledge that their home helps maintain a portion of the history of one of the greatest cities in the world.

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Arthur Goodrich – Sotheby’s International Realty – St. Helena Brokerage

In the heart of the Calistoga Hills, set amid verdant vineyards yielding some of Napa Valley’s most coveted cabernets, you’ll find a sommelier’s dream home.

This 46-acre property previously served as a boutique school for boys, so its grounds play host to all sorts of useful amenities—common rooms and workspaces, studios and a gym, courtyards and sporting greens—that have been thoughtfully remodeled as a resort-like private residence. It’s an ideal destination for anyone, but what it offers to wine connoisseurs is a genuine dream come true.

Form Deserves the Same Consideration as Function

Arthur Goodrich – Sotheby’s International Realty – St. Helena Brokerage

A sommelier’s cellar must meet multiple technical specifications, but this pragmatism shouldn’t come at the expense of aesthetics. The most elegant designs, like the most elegant wines, are experiences as original and memorable as they are opulent and sumptuous.

That’s why dedicated tasting rooms are in-demand, transforming what was once solely a cellar into a sanctum where wine can be enjoyed with all the senses—seen, smelled, swirled, and sampled.

In this particular home, a custom wooden table and seating have been added along with a plush woven rug, conceptually combining the classic wine cellar and the contemporary tasting room in a single, well-appointed refuge. A cellar like this is comfortable for not only the patrons, but for the wine itself.

Temperature and Humidity Must Remain Top of Mind

Of all the rigorous requirements a sommelier’s cellar must abide by, none are more important than temperature. In order for the wine to age at its natural rate, a state-of-the-art facility should maintain the thermostat in a range of 55 to 58 degrees with minimal fluctuations.

Humidity is also a critical factor, and must be kept between 50% and 70%. Any more humid than that, and mold may form on labels and corks; any less, and corks could shrivel slightly, allowing air to percolate through the weakened seal and cause the wine to spoil.

The Right Kind of Light Won’t Put Your Wine at Risk

Arthur Goodrich – Sotheby’s International Realty – St. Helena Brokerage

Wine cellars are typically associated with being bunker-like—sequestered and subterranean, with small faint lights that are rarely left on. This is for good reason, since the sun emits UV radiation that reacts with wine’s phenolic compounds and degrades it, which is why bottles are crafted with tinted glass. In fact, even fluorescent lights cast trace amounts of UV, and like incandescent lights, they also emit heat and can subtly raise the temperature of a wine cellar.

Does this mean that all wine storage has to take place below ground, in darkness? Not at all. With double-layered panes and augmented UV protection, frameless glass wine cellars have gained popularity as a way to store a collection in full view of guests. This property features one on the ground floor, giving it prime placement in the home without the risk of prematurely aging the wine.

But for the traditional wine cellar, cool and bright LED lights are the best option. And because high-end wine cellars can be energy-intensive, their efficiency is a welcome bonus.

Proper Posture Ensures Protection for the Collection

Wine bottles should be laid horizontally when stored in a cellar. The cork is kept moist through contact with the wine, meaning it won’t dry out and damage the seal.

Less well-known is the fact that subtle vibrations, such as the rumbling of a washing machine nearby or the trundling of trucks on a busy thoroughfare, can agitate the wine’s sediments, thus lowering the levels of tartaric and succinic acid that give the drink its signature notes.

Wine, Like Property, is an Investment Worth Making

Kelly Brophy and Olivia Decker – Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty

Good wine can be literally worth its weight in gold. That’s another reason why it’s so critical to keep it in pristine condition, from its flavor and corking to its label and original casing. Keep those limited edition boxes somewhere secure, like the deluxe wine cellar in this estate also located in California’s renowned wine country.

Kelly Brophy and Olivia Decker – Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty

But before purchasing remarkable wines, purchase the type of property and the type of wine cellar that can protect your investment for the long term. Like fine wine, a fine home will continue to appreciate in value while bringing immense satisfaction to its owner.

Fine wine pairs well with delicious food. Look inside these kitchens for the home chef.

Each of these four eye-catching fireplaces—one an ornate mantel carved from stone, another a sleek contemporary piece clad in dazzling black tile—contribute warmth and style to their singular settings.

Classic, Comfortable Manhattan Haven

Diana Devendorf Rice | Sotheby’s International Realty – East Side Manhattan Brokerage

Overlooking the East River and the terraces of the iconic River House, this renovated Art Deco cooperative residence is a classically elegant aerie on one of Manhattan’s most distinguished tree-lined cul-de-sacs. In addition to a kitchen with custom gray and white cabinets and Miele appliances, it includes two bedrooms—one of which easily functions as an office or library—and a light-filled living room with Tudor-style leaded-glass windows and a stately carved stone wood-burning fireplace.

Estancia del Rio

Gary Bobolsky | Sotheby’s International Realty – Santa Fe Brokerage

Northwest of Santa Fe along the Rio Chama, this remarkably private 1,000-acre property—two separately deeded 500-acre tracts with a private well—enjoys vast views of the glorious scenery memorialized in the works of Georgia O’Keeffe. Landscaped stone paths lead from a home offering a formal stone-walled living and dining space with an oversized arched fireplace to the sleeping casitas. A large soaking pool sits just below the outdoor living spaces, and the ranch enjoys access to the river.

California Contemporary

Robert Radcliffe | Sotheby’s International Realty – Santa Monica – Venice Brokerage

This thoughtfully designed 3,770-square-foot four-bedroom contemporary home allows for the consummate indoor-outdoor California lifestyle. Atop the roof is a deck with 360-degree city views, and the property offers a sauna, an ipe deck, and an additional residence with its own entrance and deck. The open-plan main level consists of a kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances and quartzite countertops, a dining area with a clever interior plant wall, and a welcoming living room with a dazzling custom-tiled fireplace.

Stylish Serenity in Sherman Oaks

 John Giddins | Sotheby’s International Realty – Beverly Hills Brokerage

This stylish and serene home on a quiet cul-de-sac in Sherman Oaks is replete with graceful archways, herringbone-patterned white oak floors, and uncommonly elegant finishes. Its 3,247-square-foot floor plan offers four bedrooms, while the generous backyard features dining and sitting areas, a firepit, a spa, and a built-in grill. Adjoining in an ideal flow for entertaining are a stylish living room, an inviting family room, a gourmet kitchen, and a formal dining room with doors to the backyard and a striking Calacatta marble fireplace.

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Highlights from this week’s top news stories on luxury and global real estate, art, collectibles, and home.

Bedford, New York | Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty