Warren’s Villa De Sogni brings the italian countryside to an elegant retreat close to New York City

by JENNIFER VIKSE

Standing high on a cul-de-sac of estate homes in Warren, New Jersey, Villa De Sogni combines luxurious amenities with enchanting Old-World charm to create a home that dreams are made of.

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Villa De Sogni, literally “House of Our Dreams,” is the perfect name for this masterpiece, which sits atop two rolling acres.

The home boasts 23 rooms, including seven bedrooms, 10 full and six half baths on three levels, and four garages. The “outdoor oasis” offers a whole range of other features.

Captivated and inspired by the Tuscan countryside, the owners wanted to re-create the region’s rough-hewn stonework, plentiful natural beauty, and relaxed atmosphere in their hilltop retreat. They spent three years working with architects and builders Joe Costantin of J. Costantin Architecture ( JCA) and Roger Polo of Polo Master Builders to transform the property’s 10,000-square-foot house (originally built by the Beer Architectural Group) into the perfect Tuscan villa. Another three years were required to physically reinvent the property.

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VJ SPREAD

The stucco and fieldstone house, trimmed in brick, under a clay tile roof is masterfully done. “Our client reimagined the entire house,” noted Michael Lattmann, broker associate with Kienlen Lattmann Sotheby’s International Realty, who has listed the home for sale. No details were overlooked, no corners were cut, he said. “There was a great canvas to start with, but the results are unrecognizable. It’s really first-class in the way it has been done.”

Tuscan style is as much a way of living as an architectural form. It means being outside as readily as indoors—a concept that appealed to the homeowners.

“The Italian lifestyle—from the cooking and finding the freshest ingredients—translates to being a part of the countryside. When you look at the home, you can see that they reconfigured the whole outdoor space into multiple tiers of landscaping. There’s a pergola on one level, a wading pool for kids, a traditional pool…an outdoor kitchen. It all creates a flow,” explained Lattman.

The home serves as an outdoor oasis for leisurely enjoyment with family and friends, from the countless amenities to the lush gardens, designed by Chris Paul of Genesis Landscaping, that bloom from spring through fall.

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The home’s exterior was as important to the homeowners as the amenities inside. Terraces and Juliet balconies for dining, sunning, and appreciating the sheer splendor of the property abound. Sunlight sparkling off inviting pools surrounded by fieldstone, the pergola, a rose garden, a playground, and a dining patio— all meant to be actively lived in and enjoyed.

“It’s unusual in homes to have access to the outdoors from all of the above-ground levels,” noted Lattman of the many terraces and French doors. “It’s very powerful.”

The clay tile, stone, and stucco exterior is complemented by a Mediterranean-style tile roof. The arched windows and doors, which give an authentic look, are accented by a butterfly staircase and stone walls.

Indoor walls, in varying shades of amber, continue the look of a Tuscan villa. The overall feel is one of classic elegance: high ceilings, cross-vaults, Venetian plaster walls, gallery halls with arched pilasters, chandeliers, and lighted niches and sconces that span the entire house. The foyer, just beyond an arched entry door, has a vaulted ceiling and a chandelier. The stone-floored gallery hall runs the length of the house.

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The sunken living room is lovely under a faux-painted tray ceiling with cove lighting, which was done under the direction of Sandy Lambert of Realm Designs. A limestone fireplace— just one of five in the house—and a towering custom bar cabinet extend nearly from wall to wall. Here, too, are the first of dozens of floor-to ceiling windows and French doors, topped with arched-glass transoms, that open to terraces and balconies, a recurring theme in the home.

The dining room’s glass-fronted wine closets are crowned with arched wood transoms, which makes them real eyecatchers. The hardwood floors become travertine in the inviting kitchen, where a sprawling granite-topped island with dining bar beckons family and friends to gather around. Top-of-the-line Wolf appliances are tucked among custom cabinets in various tones. The space continues to a lounge with a stone fireplace, a two-story domed breakfast area crested with a cupola, and the step-up family room.

Further along the main-level hall are an office suite, with its fireplace-centered sitting room, and a guest suite, with a turret-shaped sitting room and French doors opening onto the manicured grounds.

The stairway to the second level—finished in stone steps under a reclaimed wood ceiling and featuring a carved wood handrail and wrought iron railings—is reminiscent of another time and place.

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Varied roof elevations and U-shaped wings are expressions of the villa’s distinctive floor plan. The spacious master suite, set on its own upper level, is comprised of a sitting room, refreshment room, two closets, and a bath suite whose main chamber connects to two half baths, one of which features a dressing area.

The master bedroom, remaining faithful to the house’s Tuscan inspiration, is done in soft warm tones. The room has a large limestone fireplace that sits beneath a faux-painted cross-vault dome ceiling, and a hardwood floor. The refreshment room, which features custom cabinetry, a Marvel beverage refrigerator, and a vessel sink, is accessible through a vaulted entryway.

Two half baths with granite countertops and herring bone patterned floors connect to a bathroom through an arched entry. A ceiling painted to reflect the natural sky sits over the BainUltra tub with air jets, a marble enclosure, and a mosaic backsplash.

The house’s additional bedrooms are beautifully appointed; they feature crown mouldings and hardwood floors, they are thoughtfully decorated, and they profit from a bounty of natural light.

There is plenty on the lower floor—which is accessible by either stairs or the home’s elevator—for family and friends to enjoy. Its very Tuscan stone gallery hall, complete with pillars and arches, leads to a conference room, theater, kitchen, and winery, including a cellar, lounge, and bar.

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The theater features a Da-Lite screen, surround sound, carpeting, tray ceiling, and plaster-finished walls. Six oversized red leather tufted armchairs await guests. The room’s deep red hues are reminiscent of a bygone time of opulent theaters.

In the winery, an arched brick entryway leads to a bar that has a full-wall breakfront, a large-screen TV, a coffered ceiling, pendant lighting, and seating for four.

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The lower level also features a play room, a golf room with a Sanyo simulating golf system, a gym, a laundry, and a bath that includes a salon. Completing this level are the multiple storage and utility areas containing the components of the house’s 20-zone radiant and hot water heating system.

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Kienlen Lattmann Sotheby’s International Realty
Contact Michael Lattmann
908.672.3930 / mlattmann@klsir.com