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A Wappingers Falls, NY, home nestled on 10.65 acres landed on the market on Thursday for $2.79 million and immediately went viral. Listing agent Kelly Campbell‘s voicemail maxed out as the listing ricocheted around the internet.
As Campbell puts it mildly, “There are so many cool features in the house that make it special and unique.”
Owners Katie and Greg Knowles bought the property in 2009 and then took 18 months to design and build it. The finished space is a one-of-a-kind, “only in America” mansion. It features an indoor saltwater pool (heated year-round to 84 degrees), a pipe organ, a recording studio—and a two-thirds-size replica of the Oval Office.
Let us explain. The couple were set to relocate from Hawaii for Greg’s job as a professor at the Juilliard School in Manhattan. Katie, an emergency room physician, mandated that their New York abode must have an aloha vibe. Hence, the warm and inviting indoor pool.
Greg, a music professor and record producer, required a recording studio, control room, rehearsal space, and stage—and all were built on the home’s lower level.
The couple dubbed the downstairs area “Gregland.” According to Katie, almost as a joke, the home’s architect suggested Greg’s workspace required something big and important—like, say, the Oval Office. The couple agreed, and the replica of the iconic White House room was included in the design.
In researching the Oval Office interior decor, Katie says Greg used Jed Bartlet (the fictional president played by Martin Sheen) from “The West Wing” as the primary inspiration.
The interior is tricked-out with a grandfather clock, blue carpet embossed with a presidential seal, gold upholstery, flags, and even a reproduction of “The Bronco Buster” sculpture by Frederic Remington.
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The custom space also includes room for Katie’s grand piano and pipe organ, which required a ceiling height of 14 feet.
The indoor pool is the centerpiece of the home.
“You walk in [and] you have floor-to-ceiling windows that look right into the pool,” says Katie. “It’s rather breathtaking when you see it for the first time.”
The house measures nearly 10,000 square feet and has four bedrooms and 3.5 baths. The great room features a cathedral ceiling, living and dining spaces, and a gas fireplace.
The open-concept kitchen comes with an island, granite counters, double ovens, built-in microwaves, a gas cooktop, and a walk-in pantry. There’s also an air-conditioned dog kennel and exterior dog walk.
For entertaining year-round, the pool area features a teppanyaki grill with granite top and poolside seating. The master suite also has a cathedral ceiling, a master bath with double vanities, and a walk-in closet. There’s also an apartment with kitchenette for long-term visitors or staff.
The home is close to Metro North trains for a convenient commute into Manhattan. Campbell notes that there’s room to add a helipad on the acreage.
Katie and Greg are retiring and are no longer tied to the New York area, so they’ve decided to sell their custom residence.
While Katie will miss her pool and the pipe organ (which she has placed for sale separately in case the next owner doesn’t play) and Greg will miss issuing executive orders and recording tunes in Gregland, “We won’t miss the snow,” she says.
The post Why Does This $2.79M New York Home Have a Replica of the Oval Office? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
source https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/new-york-home-with-replica-oval-office/
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