If you build it, they will buy. At least, that’s what Pinnacle Custom thinks. The Chatham-based company is putting the finishing touches on an 18,000-square-foot home in Saddle River. With a price tag of $13.9 million, the castle-like, French manor-style mansion (think Newport, Rhode Island, in New Jersey) ranks among the most expensive spec homes ever built in the state.
The house’s spectacular stone and stucco exterior is topped off by natural slate roofing, cast stone windows and turrets. Inside perks include ten bathrooms, a basketball court, a six-car garage, sauna and exercise rooms, a fourteen-seat home theater, wine cellar and tasting room, and a room just for wrapping gifts. Overnight visitors get the royal treatment in the 800-square-foot guest suite with a separate entrance. The property, designed by architect Robert Zampolin of Westwood, is located on four acres stretching from Saddle River Road to the Saddle River itself; it’s a twenty-minute drive from the George Washington Bridge.
“We believe that the market segment that this house is geared to is generally ignored by custom builders,” says Pinnacle president Michael I. Cantor, who has overseen the project since mid-2005. “This has been my baby,” he says.
with amenities like these, you’ll never leave
- 25 rooms, 8 full bathrooms, 2 half-baths
- 2,400-square-foot master suite
- 4.2 acres
- 800-square-foot guest suite with private entrance
- Billiard room
- Six-car heated garage
1: Second-floor hallway outside the palatial master suite, looking toward the rear staircase. Throughout the home, exotic-wood floor inlays are used.
2: Behind the house is a 2,000-square-foot stone patio, with 700-square-foot cabana at left and 25-by-50-foot concrete pool at right.
3: In the second-floor master suite are “his” and “hers” bathroom suites (“hers” is pictured), which also feature shower rooms with multiple body sprays and steam-shower options.
4: Two-story grand spiral staircase has a domed ceiling and forged iron panels.
5: “Smart house” automation system is concealed in the utility room. It controls lighting, heating, cooling, audio/video, and security. These functions can be controlled remotely using any high-speed internet connection.
6: Customized workmanship is evident throughout the property, including the six-car garage, with elaborate wooden doors and light fixtures.
7: The dining room, which measures 16 by 23 feet, has a double-opening fireplace (one of the home’s five fireplaces) that also warms the great room.
8: Detail of one of the home’s cornices.
9: The exterior features a mansard roof and stone towers—even details like a drainpipe are customized.
10: On the lower level, the wine cellar features redwood racks that hold up to 1,700 bottles. On the same level is a separate wine-tasting room.
11: “Going to the gym” here means never having to set foot outside. The fitness center includes an exercise room that overlooks a basketball court with sport flooring.
12: The fitness center’s sauna, with changing room nearby. Shower in the center’s own full bath, then head over to its refreshment bar for a post-workout snack.
13: A fourteen-seat home theater features three rows of seating, fiberglass sound-absorption panels, surround sound, and subwoofer.
119 EAST SADDLE RIVER ROAD: HOME SWEET ($13.9 MILLION) HOME
WHEN IT WENT ON THE MARKET: November 2006.
HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT FINDING A BUYER FOR THE PROPERTY? According to Chip Gildea of Marron and Gildea Realtors, which is listing the house, potential buyers are targeted through an ongoing advertising campaign, which includes brochures sent to high-end Manhattan and Connecticut brokers.
WHO ARE THE BUYER CANDIDATES? Interested parties include one local sports figure who has toured the house numerous times, an international entertainment figure, and several high-net-worth private business owners.
HOW MANY OTHER HOMES IN THIS PRICE RANGE ARE ON THE MARKET? There are currently nine properties on the market in Bergen County listed between $10 million and $22 million, according to New Jersey Multiple Listing Service. In 2006, the nation’s most expensive home sale was a 63-acre estate in Alpine, purchased by Advanced Photonix CEO Richard Kurtz for $58 million, according to the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing.