Sumptuous Historic Home For Sale in Savannah

Give a girl a week off and what does she do?  Well she reads blogs and decorating sites and generally tries to reach the end of the internet.  And, for good measure, she peruses a few luxury real estate sites, too.  A visit to Sotheby's real estate site hit the jackpot for me in the first minute.  I found this absolutlely gorgeous historic home for sale in Savannah, Georgia.

The home is listed for $5,500,000, which once you see the pictures, I think you will agree with me that this is a very good value for the money.  It is exquisite and very well done in every way.  The home was built in 1857 and was completely renovated in 2007.  It was designed by New York architect John Norris, who also is credited with designing the Savannah Custom House as well as many other outstanding historical homes in the city.   The house is on the National Register of Historic Places and has won an ASID award.  Other awards include a 2009 award from the Georgia Trust and  a Preservation award in 2006.

Beautiful, Charleston-style piazzas.  I assume this is the street-level entry.

Another view of a piazza

And another

The entry hall and stairway.  I love the beautiful choice of paint colors in this home.  I would love to know the designer.  I think with the plethora of awards he or she should at least get a mention!

Dining room and sitting room

The mouldings and millwork in the house are just beautiful and look to be original.

Sitting room or family room

Beautiful updated and modern kitchen

I love the farmhouse sink and range hood.

A lovely and soothing bedroom.

I wonder if this is the master.

This bathroom is so current and yet so appropriate for a historical house.

I love the tub, the huge custom shower, and the cabinetry.

It seems that no corners were cut anywhere in this home.

Gorgeous spacious closet

Beautifully appointed office

Manicured gardens and courtyard

The home has 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, and a 3-car garage.  It includes a private elevator and guest house!

(If you have a few million and are interested, go to Sotheby's site.  The web ID# is 4201277.)

The Week Between

How do you spend the week between Christmas and New Year's?  I try to take a little time off and just relax.  When my children were still at home it was a week to just be together without the hustle and bustle of shopping and holiday decorating.  Now that the nest is empty, my husband and I still try our best to put work on hold if possible and spend a little time around our own hearth.  We took out the gas logs a few years back and went back to a real wood-burning fireplace.  It's a fairly cold night in East Tennessee tonight with lows in the 20's.  So I will sit next to this fire with a stack of design books and magazines and dream about a new year and new designs.

Cindy Rinfret in Traditional Home

I don't want to be a spoiler of the December issue of Traditional home magazine, but there is a fabulous piece on one of my favorite designers, Cindy Rinfret.  Her new home, designed by architect Jack Arnold, is featured, dressed in it's holiday finest and it is absolutely beautiful.
As usual, Cindy brings her signature style to her new house; classic style imbued with a cozy and warm ambience. 

That's all you get from me right now!  You need to run out and get a copy before Christmas, sit down in front of the fire and take a holiday tour of Cindy's beautiful and inviting new masterpiece!

A Jonas Brothers Wedding and a French Chateau

I am not all that into celebrities and their over-the-top lives as a rule, but today as I scanned the headlines on my home page, I saw the title "Jonas Brother Weds Former Hair-Dresser at French Chateau in New York".  Well, as a woman of a certain age, the Jonas Brothers don't really make my heart skip a beat, but my friends and readers know that a French Chateau sure does!  So I hopped over to the Oheka Castle and Hotel site to check it out.

I learned that the Oheka Castle was built in 1917-1919  by financier and philanthropist Otto Hermann Kahn in the middle of a 443 acre plot on the highest point on Long Island.  It's cost at the time was $11 million dollars, $110 million in today's currency.  It was and is the second largest private residence in America, runner-up to Biltmore Estate I presume.

Aerial view

The estate consists of 109,000 square feet and 127 rooms. Kahn used it as a summer home and as place to entertain royalty, heads of state, and Hollywood stars.

The Grand Staircase

The Loggia

After Kahn's death in 1934, Oheka changed hands several times and went through several incarnations, such as a retreat for New York sanitation workers, a training school for Merchant Marine radio operators, and a military school.  The gardens were bulldozed, the rooms subdivided, and paint covered walls and beautiful mouldings.  Eventually, the estate stood abandoned.  Vandals set over 100 fires in 5 years.

Archways to the Loggia

In 1984, developer Gary Melius purchased Oheka and set about to painstakingly restore it to its original grandeur.  Now Oheka Castle and Estate is a member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World.  It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The View from the Gatehouse

The Grand Ballroom

The Formal Gardens

The Hotel

The Carnegie Suite

Carnegie Suite

Carnegie Suite

Carnegie Suite

The Gatsby Suite

The Olmstead Suite

The Olmstead

 

The Olmstead Suite

There are many more images at their site, http://www.oheka.com/.  Sorry that I didn't delve into the Jonas wedding.  TMZ will have all that info I'm sure!

My Favorite Holiday Scents For the Home

All I Want for Christmas....

Is a French Chateau!

I love these even if.....

...they are from Pottery Barn!

These silver-plated nickel serving pieces have the look of antique silver.  I think they look great.

Here are a couple of pictures of some monogrammed pieces I picked up recently at an antique store for just a few bucks.  I think mixing them with the Pottery Barn pieces would look wonderful. 

I think I will circle these in the catalog and leave in a conspicuous place!

Monday Motivation and Inspiration

.

Blessed

I am blessed with a lot, and this little guy is at the top of my list!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Real or Faux Christmas Tree?

my tree Christmas 2008

I'm curious.  Do you have a real tree at your house for Christmas or a faux one?  I now do a fake tree after many years of only having a real tree because it enables me to put the decorations up earlier.  But I must admit nothing takes the place of that fresh-tree smell to put you in the spirit of the holidays.

Monday Motivation and Inspiration

"Decorating is the art of arranging beautiful things comfortably."

 Billy Baldwin

(He makes it sound simple doesn't he?)

My Southern Sunday Journal

At the end of the week I think it is good for a little reflection and introspection.  Just a few random thoughts and gratitudes:

 Like most everyone, I am busy and sometimes I worry about not spending enough time with my parents.  Yesterday my husband, my son-in-law Josh, and my Dad cut down and sawed up a large dead tree on my parents' property.  My Dad had been instructed to supervise but not do anything much.  Well, take a guess how that turned out!  Here's a picture to illustrate.

In my Southern family, you have to work really hard to keep up with the 78 year-olds!

My little Mother grabbed her rake, looked at my shoes and said, "Can you work in those?"  I answered in the only acceptable way.  "Why sure!"  (I had to try hard to not let her see me huff and puff.)

Gratitudes:

I'm thankful I come from hard-working Southern stock.  Don't whine; just work.

I thank God for the fact that my business is sustaining my family in such a tough economy.

I'm thankful for God's grace.

   Have a wonderful Sunday!

  photo credit: top photo from flickr, mobile bay ray