
World-class collectors Mary Shay-Millea and Michael Millea, of Somerset County, regard their mid-century residence as a backdrop for their enviable cache of artwork, furniture and other decor. Designed by celebrated architect Myron Goldfinger, the modernist pad exudes futuristic vibes with soaring ceilings, timeless geometric elements, and a sleek, Jetsons-style kitchen.

The original, well-designed kitchen cabinets and rounded counter were only lightly refurbished by the homeowners, who aimed to preserve the integrity of the Goldfinger design. Photo: Sara Essex Bradley
Mary, who has a PhD in Italian Renaissance art history, has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum and Christie’s auction house. She is also a certified holistic life coach, founder of Millea Method coaching practice, and cofounder of Body & Soul Collective, which offers women’s wellness circles and retreats.

The foyer boasts an Ashley Longshore Sparklepuss mural embellished with the grille of a pink 1962 Chrysler Newport (with a license plate that reads “HUSTLE”), a Buddha statue, a Venetian mirror, and a Body chair sculpture by Sir Anthony Redmile. Photo: Sara Essex Bradley
Michael and brother Mark are the owners and cofounders of Millea Bros., a boutique auction company in Boonton founded in 2003. They’ve curated the sale of thousands of art objects and also operate Gotham Props, a prop house for TV and film. Michael honed his eye through the NYU appraisal-studies program and also studied fine art at Drew University. He recently decorated the couple’s Steinway (previously owned by the Rockefellers) with colorful graffiti art. When asked why he painted a Steinway, he dryly replied, “I didn’t want to paint a bad piano.”

Once owned by the Rockefellers, this Steinway piano was painted with graffiti by the homeowner. Photo: Sara Essex Bradley
Together, this power couple loaded their eclectic Far Hills digs with unusual art and artifacts. They collect everything from Tiffany lamps to African and Southeast Asian artifacts to Italian Radical art.
“I manifested this house,” Mary says. “We had been living in a mid-century, prefab deck house in Basking Ridge and also kept an apartment in Manhattan. We didn’t plan to move unless we found a residence designed by a famous architect. So as soon as we saw this modernist Goldfinger home, we knew it was perfect for us.”

The Milleas’ Somerset County residence remains an homage to architect Myron Goldfinger. Photo: Sara Essex Bradley
Goldfinger was known for his pure aesthetic and design of intensely sculptural homes comprised of half circles, blocks and triangles. (Goldfinger is perhaps most famous for designing the Hamptons party house featured in The Wolf of Wall Street film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.)
The family of four moved into the five-bedroom, 4,800-square-foot home in 2018 and preserved important, relevant architectural details, including kitchen cabinets, a rounded island and built-ins. The 5-acre property also includes an art studio, an outdoor teepee and gardens.

The vibrant family room is enhanced by a bold-orange Gaetano Pesce chair, a wooden Cloud table by Oggetti, and a rainbow of Flor carpet tiles. Photo: Sara Essex Bradley
“We see ourselves as stewards of this living, breathing sculpture,” Mary says. “It’s been made comfortable and modern with updated conveniences, but everything we do is approached through the lens of the house.”
She spoke with Goldfinger before he died in 2023. “I told him how much we love the skylight over our bed because it’s perfectly centered on Orion’s Belt and the Big Dipper, enabling us to interact with the cosmos.”

The primary bedroom is accentuated with a Catwoman photograph by Tyler Shields and a sculptural oVo fried-egg rug by Roberta Verteramo. Photo: Sara Essex Bradley
The Milleas enjoy repurposing and keeping only what brings them joy, Mary says. “Michael also makes a ton of things like sculpture. Because of our family’s auction-house business, things are always coming and going.”
Michael adds, “What I do for a living puts me in touch with a lot of antiques, but we have to consider the personality of the house. If we had moved in with more traditional furniture, it never would have worked. This space has bent our collecting habits, and the architecture gives us permission to be bold in our decisions. This is not the kind of space for noodle-y little collections. We always think big.”

An all-white meditation area is embellished with Josef Albers’s 1963 Interaction of Color silkscreens and a set of Marilyn Monroe silkscreens from the “Sunday B. Morning (after Andy Warhol)” series. Photo: Sara Essex Bradley
Mary, who speaks Italian and takes French lessons, also enjoys meditation and reading tarot cards. Michael and his teenage sons are passionate musicians. They play guitar and drums in their cool music room on the lower level, where they share daily jam sessions.
The couple also enjoys entertaining, especially throwing epic Halloween gatherings and dress-up soirees, like a 007 James Bond party in honor of architect Goldfinger. Guests are always enchanted and inspired by their continually growing art collection. “It’s essential to us to surround ourselves with unusual and artistic elements,” Michael says. “It enables us to feel the vibrations of the house. Every single thing here makes us feel good.”
Follow our home + style editor on Instagram (@susanbrierlybush).
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