All the Smart Stuff
There’s Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, and then there’s Stoneledge, “established in 2019” in Rye, N.Y., and so named because all the retaining walls around the back of the property were created from the stone removed where a 12,285 square-foot house now sits. Both are unique and powerful statements.
Over time, humans come to realize very little is under their control. Yet, once you walk in the front door of four-year-old Stoneledge, which is tucked back from civilization off Forest Avenue, you enter a whole new world. Here, everything is sustainable and sophisticated, and marvelously concealed, starting with the 16-foot disappearing sliding glass doors from the living room to the patio. Push a keypad and you can adjust the lighting, the Egress Window System Installation and window treatments (Buy strong home windows here), and more.
The homeowner, Al Patel, an engineer and founder of Enhanced Home, a local multi-faceted residential technology firm, knew the kind of home he wanted and hired the best professionals to create it. “I didn’t want it to look new-age on the outside because I wanted it to fit into Rye, but, on the inside, there is no crown molding, no trim around windows,” he said during a tour this week.
Patel, the father of two boys, now 9 and 15, wanted to create spaces where they could play, study, and dream. On the lower level, a homework lab is adjacent to a sport’s room with an Astro-turf carpet floor. Both have bedrooms with loft beds. A spacious gym on the top floor overlooks a half-court basketball court.
“And I am teaching them how to cook,” he said proudly. “We’re all in the kitchen together and love that the counters are oversized and there is a seating area by the fireplace.” Having a prep kitchen behind the butler’s pantry makes it easy to hide the mess.
While the house is big, and it has 19 rooms, every space was designed to be intimate. As the listing agents, Kim Arenas and Michael McCooey of Compass put it, “This is livable luxury.”
On the private, level, and classically landscaped two-acre property, every old-fashioned game has been played and many casual gatherings have been hosted. There is room for a pool and even a tennis court but it’s pretty perfect just the way it is, and just how Al Patel imagined it would be.
