FABULOUS FIND: SPONSORED BY GAIL’S OPTICAL THURSDAY XX.XX.XX $450 FABU L OUS FIND: S P ONSORE Asbury Park Press APP.COM D1 THURSD AY 09.11.14 ROSE GLOW PRODUCT: David Yurman Buckle Aviator WHAT MAKES IT FABULOUS: The glasses are crafted with rose gold and amertine marble and have a CR-39 merlot double-gradient light flash lens. The frame features 20-karat gold and palladium electroplating. WHERE TO GET IT: Gail’s Optical, 2100 Route 35, Sea Girt; 732-449-1667 or facebook.com/gailsopticalshoppe A Morristown designer, and former musician, is making the move to Asbury Park — and adding a home furnishings store at 519 Bangs Ave. Nancy Leffler Mikulich, principal designer and owner of the full-service interior design firm NLM De- sign Interiors of Morristown, is moving to Asbury Park with her new retail store, Oasis Home. “I always wanted to do a retail side of design,” says Mikulich, also a trained violinist and electric violinist. “I really like it here in Asbury.” Set to open later this month, Oasis Home will offer people a fresh mix of home furnishings, accessories, fine gifts, and other home and lifestyle items, in addi- tion to full-service design consultancy services. Items range from antiques, to custom upholstery and case goods — to create a “sophisticated and invigorating en- vironment that appeals to the senses,” a news release states. “If you’ve ever seen Coco Chanel’s studio ... you felt like you were in her living room,” says Mikulich, who is also a member of the American Society of Interior De- signers. “This store is going to be set up with products on the floor that are available for sale ... and staged to have a particular feel or vibe to it.” The furnishings that Oasis Home will offer will be scaled for smaller modern beach houses and condos, and the design services offered will be customized but at an affordable price, Mikulich says. FILE PHOTO Nancy Leffler Mikulich is moving to Asbury Park with her new retail store, Oasis Home. AUTUMN ‘OASIS’ Designer finds new home in Asbury Park By Gina Columbus @ginacolumbusapp See OASIS, Page D4 A t some point in their lives, most people wish they had a time machine. Last week, I unknowingly stepped into one. It was Cobble Close Farm in Middletown. As I got out of my car and stepped onto the property, I was immediately swept into the 1920s in Europe: Belgian cobblestone grounds at my feet, cast stone embodying the 19,000-square-foot property’s exterior walls on the several connected buildings, Greco- Roman statues in various figures perched throughout the yard and overpowering arch- es surrounding the property. I’m in the middle of 13-acre history. Cobble Close Farm, located at 310 Cooper Road, is a French country estate built in the 1920s by the legendary Straus family, owners BOB BIELK/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Cobble Close Farm in Middletown comprises 13 acres and a very colorful past. Owned by the Straus family, who perished on the Titanic and owned Macy’s department stores, the property is on the market for just under $11 million. $10.9 MILLION MEMO R IES Magic abounds throughout Middletown ‘Macy’s mansion’ By Gina Columbus @ginacolumbusapp COURTESY OF JEFFREY MINDHAM This is the first time the property, which borders the Navesink Country Club, has ever been on the real estate market. All 13 acres, including the four homes, are being sold without a listing agent. ABOUT THE HOUSE LIST PRICE: $10.9 million DATE BUILT: 1920s SIZE: 19,000 square feet; 28,989 square feet with 12-stall garage, eight-space carport/open archway shed and pool cabanas SPECS: 12-stall parking garage, several connected buildings, maid’s tower with spiral staircase, livestock-filled pastures, corn crib, unfinished loft, colonnade MORE INFO: Contact Jeffrey Mindham at 732-996-7944 or [email protected]; additional information on the property can be found at www.cobbleclose.com; a two-percent commission will be offered to a licensed real estate agent upon closing of title who has successfully produced the buyer See COBBLE, Page D4 INSIDE See pages 4 and 5 for more on Cobble Close Farm and page 8 for an in-depth photo spread.
Transcript
FABULOUS FIND: SPONSORED BY GAIL’S OPTICALTHURSDAY XX.XX.XX
$450
FABULOUS FIND: SPONSORE
Asbury Park Press APP.COM D1
THURSDAY 09.11.14
ROSE GLOWPRODUCT: David Yurman Buckle Aviator
WHAT MAKES IT FABULOUS: The glasses are crafted withrose gold and amertine marble and have a CR-39 merlotdouble-gradient light flash lens. The frame features 20-karat gold and palladium electroplating.
WHERE TO GET IT: Gail’s Optical, 2100 Route 35, Sea Girt;732-449-1667 or facebook.com/gailsopticalshoppe
A Morristown designer, and former musician, ismaking the move to Asbury Park — and adding a homefurnishings store at 519 Bangs Ave.
Nancy Leffler Mikulich, principal designer andowner of the full-service interior design firm NLM De-sign Interiors of Morristown, is moving to Asbury Parkwith her new retail store, Oasis Home.
“I always wanted to do a retail side of design,” saysMikulich, also a trained violinist and electric violinist.“I really like it here in Asbury.”
Set to open later this month, Oasis Home will offerpeople a fresh mix of home furnishings, accessories,fine gifts, and other home and lifestyle items, in addi-tion to full-service design consultancy services. Items
range from antiques, to custom upholstery and casegoods — to create a “sophisticated and invigorating en-vironment that appeals to the senses,” a news releasestates.
“If you’ve ever seen Coco Chanel’s studio ... you feltlike you were in her living room,” says Mikulich, who isalso a member of the American Society of Interior De-signers. “This store is going to be set up with productson the floor that are available for sale ... and staged tohave a particular feel or vibe to it.”
The furnishings that Oasis Home will offer will bescaled for smaller modern beach houses and condos,and the design services offered will be customized butat an affordable price, Mikulich says.
Designer finds new home in Asbury ParkBy Gina Columbus @ginacolumbusapp
See OASIS, Page D4
At some point in their lives, most peoplewish they had a time machine.
Last week, I unknowingly steppedinto one.
It was Cobble Close Farm in Middletown. As I got out of my car and stepped onto the
property, I was immediately swept into the1920s in Europe: Belgian cobblestonegrounds at my feet, cast stone embodying the19,000-square-foot property’s exterior wallson the several connected buildings, Greco-Roman statues in various figures perchedthroughout the yard and overpowering arch-es surrounding the property.
I’m in the middle of 13-acre history. Cobble Close Farm, located at 310 Cooper
Road, is a French country estate built in the1920s by the legendary Straus family, owners
BOB BIELK/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Cobble Close Farm in Middletown comprises 13 acres and a very colorful past. Owned by the Straus family, who perished on the Titanic and owned Macy’s departmentstores, the property is on the market for just under $11 million.
$10 .9 M I L L ION MEMOR I ESMagic abounds throughoutMiddletown ‘Macy’s mansion’By Gina Columbus @ginacolumbusapp
COURTESY OF JEFFREY MINDHAM
This is the first time the property, which borders the NavesinkCountry Club, has ever been on the real estate market. All 13 acres, including the four homes, are being sold withouta listing agent.
ABOUT THE HOUSE
LIST PRICE: $10.9 million
DATE BUILT: 1920s
SIZE: 19,000 square feet; 28,989 square feet with12-stall garage, eight-space carport/open archwayshed and pool cabanas
SPECS: 12-stall parking garage, several connectedbuildings, maid’s tower with spiral staircase, livestock-filled pastures, corn crib, unfinished loft,colonnade
MORE INFO: Contact Jeffrey Mindham at 732-996-7944 or [email protected];additional information on the property can befound at www.cobbleclose.com; a two-percentcommission will be offered to a licensed real estateagent upon closing of title who has successfullyproduced the buyer
See COBBLE, Page D4
INSIDESee pages 4 and 5 for more on Cobble Close Farmand page 8 for an in-depth photo spread.
Co-owner Jeffrey Mindham meetsme near the 12-car garage, and we walktoward his unit — which in its originalform housed cows and bulls. We walkacross the courtyard, which centers thefour units, a corn crib and more.
Built-in, intricate architectureadorns the multi-stone cast stone out-doors. Mindham points out some sculpt-ed artwork in the arches, such as RedRiding Hood. Stone cows decorate thearches of Mindham’s door, as a symbolof what his home was once used for.
Luscious green ivy, shrubbery andflowers cover the area, and several ofthe cast stone walls.
I see a pair of grazing cows in thenearby pasture, taking in the early Sep-tember heat.
I stroll into Mindham’s unit, breath-ing in the warm decor that screamsFrench Norman architecture with vault-ed ceilings, but the home does boast amore modern feel. A southern African-themed sitting area, however, has an au-thentic zebra rug. Three fireplaces areinside, along with four bedrooms andthree bathrooms.
“We wanted to keep, in keeping withthe French Norman look,” says Mind-ham. “But most importantly this place, Ihave pictures of this place in 1930, itlooks the same.”
Plenty of natural light shines throughentire home. The kitchen features Vik-ing and Sub-Zero appliances.
In the living room, with a dining tableand sitting area and fireplace, are doorsthat lead to a quaint backyard, filledwith growing tomatoes and artichokes,but also a hot tub.
The rooms in here are quaint and sim-ple — not really boasting splashy ameni-ties — but it’s the detail in the architec-ture that mentally transports you to thisnearly century-old French Normanatmosphere.
Cobble Close Farm: Behind closed doors
Multiple points of entry awaitBy Gina Columbus@ginacolumbusapp
COURTESY OF JEFFREY MINDHAM
Cobble Close Farm has a 12-car garage.
Page D4 Thursday, September 11, 2014 Asbury Park Press APP.COM
“I feel like this is a fertile ground forme to kind of expand into,” says Mikul-ich, adding lines include Hooker Furni-ture, Interlude Home, Bungalow5 andCaracole Furniture. “I think that mystyle of design (works here) and I justthink it’s a really cool, funky town. It’sall kind of going in the full circle.”
The above-mentioned lines are usedto provide custom design services andfurniture, Mikulich adds.
Mikulich, who is also a certified Ag-ing in Place specialist, is celebrating 10years in business. NLM Design Interi-ors projects range from full-serviceresidential design and furnishings tocommercial projects. The firm com-pleted several superstorm Sandy resto-rations of condo lobbies in Hoboken,Jersey City and other areas.
“I think of so many things when I de-sign for a customer that I think are fab-ulous, but they’re not for a job,” saysMikulich. “(And I) can’t stick them in awarehouse. I think the most excitingthing is kind of being able to fulfill be-ing able to buy a cutting-edge designproduct and bring it into the store.”
Oasis Home will operate 11 a.m. to 8p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.For more information, visitwww.nlmdesigns.com and www.oasishomedesigns.com.
OASISContinued from Page D1
of Macy’s and Bamberger’s. Today, the estate is a co-op divided
into four luxurious homes — but zonedfor five — with a total of 18 bedroomsand 15 bathrooms. Fountains, livestock-filled pastures and Greco-Roman statu-es fill the one-of-a-kind property, cur-rently occupied by four families.
“It casts a magical spell,” says co-owner Fred Century of his home andCobble Close Farm. “You’re surround-ed by such beauty, that works its wayinto you.”
This is the first time the property,which borders the Navesink CountryClub, has ever been on the real estatemarket. All 13 acres, including the fourhomes, are being sold without a listingagent. If sold, it can be used as one sin-gle family home or remain a familycompound.
And, its price tag is $10.9 million.Come back in time with me, as I ex-
plore Cobble Close Farm — a land richwith history, interesting facts and stun-ning French Norman architecture innearly every nook and cranny.
COBBLEContinued from Page D1
STAR-STUDDED PASTFORMER RESIDENTS OR GUESTS ATCOBBLE CLOSE FARM, ACCORDINGTO CO-OWNER FRED CENTURY:
» Elaine Perry, actress, producer and director
» “Nazi Princess” Stephanie Julianne vonHohenlohe
» Marquesa de Cuñha
» Elaine Stritch, Broadway actress
» Jean Flagler, philanthropist andgranddaughter of tycoon Henry Flagler
» Nadia Gray, known for her coffee tablestrip tease in the 1960 Federico Fellini film“La Dolce Vita”
FUN FACTS
» Cobble Close Farm has been featured inseveral commercials, Vogue magazine andserved as the backdrop for a Victoria’s Secretcatalog starring model Gisele Bundchen.
» “The Godfather” makers originally ap-proached Century and his partner to shootscenes from the film outside the estate.
Cobble Close Farm was owned byHerbert Straus and Therese KuhnStraus; Herbert Straus’ parents wereIsadore and Ida Straus, who perishedaboard the Titanic when the ship sank tothe bottom of the sea in 1912, accordingto reports.
Ida Straus reportedly refused toboard a lifeboat without her husband,and the story garnered massive mediaattention due to the family’s fame.
The Isadore and Ida Straus memorialstands at 106th Street and Broadway in aManhattan park close to where the cou-ple resided. The words “lovely andpleasant were they in their lives and intheir death they were not parted” areemblazoned behind a bronze statue.
But Herbert and Therese Straus —who came from the a German-Jewishbanking family — were also part of theStraus family who owned Macy’s andlater acquired Bamberger’s, which wasbased in Newark.
Macy’s has been a staple at the Mon-mouth Mall since 1987, when it replacedBamberger’s.
Cobble Close, designed by noted ar-chitect Alfred Hopkins, took eight yearsto construct and was such a large pro-ject that a separate train line was de-vised to deliver the materials, many ofwhich were transported from Europe,according to reports.
Herbert and Therese Straus hadplans to form the compound into aFrench country estate, complete with a
French chateau, but the chateau nevermaterialized. Still, after her husband’spassing in 1933, Therese Straus lived in awood-frame home on the chateau site.
The property, once a working “gen-tleman’s dairy farm,” has five acres thatare designated as “farm assessed” prop-erty, explains Fred Century, who haslived at Cobble Close Farm for roughly60 years.
Originally, the property included anorangerie, a large wood-paneled dininghall, worker’s dormitory, care taker’shouse, cow barns and a 12-stall parkinggarage, among many others, accordingto the property listing.
With all of its features, the estatefully engulfs a southern France theme.According to a 1934 Architecture maga-zine article written on Cobble CloseFarm, many old farm barns in southernFrance had an enclosing wall, with alarge gateway for the farm vehicles anda small one for the footpath adjoining.
In 1949, the Straus’ auctioned off theproperty. The new owners — one ofwhom, is Century, 85 — transformed thebuildings into luxury homes.
In the ’50s and ’60s the owners rentedthe units “to a colorful cast on NewYork’s glitterati which included Euro-pean royalty, a film star, society damesand even a woman whose claim to famewas that she befriended Hitler and spiedon the Nazis,” the listing states.
Middletown later granted CobbleClose Farm a co-op status and is said tobe the Northeast’s sole farm mansion co-op.
Cobble Close Farm: The backstory
A ‘TITANIC’ CONNECTIONBy Gina Columbus@ginacolumbusappand Shari Puterman@shariputerman
WIKIPEDIA
Cobble Close Farm was owned by HerbertStraus and Therese Kuhn Straus; HerbertStraus’ parents were Isadore and Ida Straus(pictured), who perished aboard the Titanicin 1912.
luxury living
APP.COM Asbury Park Press Thursday, September 11, 2014 Page D5
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WORD SLEUTH
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luxury living
After taking a short walk from Jeffrey Mindham’sdoor, across more of a cobblestone path, we give a fewrings on the martini bell of the next home.
Fred Century greets us and brings into his home,which once housed Straus’ servants. It has three bed-rooms, and three bathrooms.
Instantly, I’m swept into more French decor but mo-reso drifting into the medieval time period.
The foyer features more cast stone walls, with dimlighting and a variety of period artwork Century has in-herited or found in various places, he says. Two medi-eval knights, mounted into lampshades, frame anarched doorway, which leads to another room with awet bar.
Century takes us into the warm and attractive li-brary, originally called the servants’ lounge. Candle-sticks adorn the room, as well as more artwork andstunning arches. A Savonarola chair, also called an X-chair, sits in front of one window, a hand-painted green,Bechstein piano in an opposite corner. A wood burningfireplace is in here.
The door in this library leads to a small terrace, over-looking a peaceful pond with a built-in fountain. Mind-ham, who’s lived there for about 20 years, says his chil-dren actually grew up ice skating on this pond.
Back to the foyer, to the left, is a drawing roompacked with more ornate, colorful furniture, and vi-brant, captivating pieces of art. Another fireplace is inthis room. In front of it, is a low table with a “travelingliquor” a small chest filled with a liquor selection.
I eye an 1850 desk, said to be in the style of CharlesCrescent.
In the center of the room, a wooden table has legswith carved, winged mermaids. It’s topped with glassfigurines such as apples and ducks.
We head into the garden room — a true sanctuary —also on the first level. Aside from plants, there is a pea-cock chair, a small fountain by The Erkins Studio andmore art hanging off the walls, including a Fuchs paint-ing of Elaine Perry, who was once a frequent visitor atthe estate, Century says. A Weso German stove in theroom provides heat in the winter months.
A fiery red dining room is next. One can’t miss the
carved wooden chairs, containing tropical upholsterywith parrots. The same pattern adorns the valence cur-tains.
The caretaker’s home and more
The third home, which originally was the caretaker’shome, is also filled with French Norman architecture.It has a little more of a modern and simple feel, though,than the other two homes, I note.
It includes four bedrooms, three bathrooms, andalso a sunroom, which carries in more natural light.This unit is also connected to what was the maid tower.
One of the bedrooms has a sink near the bed, to keepguests hydrated during the night or in the morning.
Outside in this yard is a chicken coop — filled withthe proper livestock, of course.
There is a fourth connected home, which was origi-nally used as a horse barn, with four bedrooms — in-cluding a corn crib — and three bathrooms.
What connects the servants’ dormitory and the caretaker’s home? It’s called the colonnade — or arcade, inmore historical terms — and is a communal space forall of the homeowners to unwind in the shade and appre-ciate the natural beauty of the property.
Past the units, we head to the green — more spaceshared by all of the owners. A flourishing stone foun-tain sits in the center, with poised statues surroundingthe perimeters.
Of course, one can’t miss these additional highlightsincluding a 12-stall parking garage, an inground classi-cal-style pool, and three cabanas.
The fiery red dining room inside one home on the property,which was once the servants’ quarters.
Nestled in the Cream Ridge section of UpperFreehold is a majestic beauty waiting to beowned.
A 200-year-old Federal-style brick homeat 92 Holmes Mill Road has been fully re-
stored, but maintains period details. It’s even eligiblefor the National Register of Historic Places.
The farmland preserved property, which is 11acres, has a horse barn, six other barns and outbuild-ings and is said to be 15 minutes from the Horse Parkof New Jersey in Allentown.
It also boasts five bedrooms and three full bath-rooms.
Stroll through and admire the wide plank, chestnutflooring, six fireplaces, 10-foot ceilings, crown mold-ings, and a Victorian-era bathroom with a clawfoottub.
Modern features include a gourmet kitchen withMiele appliances and granite countertops, multi-zoneair conditioning, renovated bathrooms — one has aWhirlpool tub — and solar-powered electric.
A library has built-in cherry bookcases. Plus, thereis even a full basement with a wine room.
More Than a Million
WEIDEL REALTORS
The 200-year-old Federal-style brick home at 92 Holmes Mill Road has been fully restored, but maintains period details.
FEDERALFLAIR$1.2M Cream Ridge estate boasts 200 years of historyBy Gina Columbus@ginacolumbusapp
ABOUT THE HOUSE
LIST PRICE: $1.19 million
DATE BUILT: 1795
SIZE: 5,000 square feet
SPECS: Walk-up attic, artesian well, Morton pole barn, oversized two-car garage with heated and air-conditionedfinished room above it, fenced paddocks, stained glasswindows, steam oven and warming drawer, paver terrace,double-sided corn crib, original outhouse, two run-in sheds
DESIGNATED SCHOOLS: Newell Elementary, Stone BridgeMiddle School, Allentown High School
MORE INFO: MLS 21421946md; Barbara Kizis, Weidel Realtors: 609-586-1400 ext. 671 (office),609-462-0072 (cell), [email protected]
REALTORS/SELLERS: To submit a home for considerationinto Luxury Living’s “More Than a Million” feature: contactGina Columbus at 732-643-4010 or [email protected]
WEIDEL REALTORS
Stroll through and admire the wide plank, chestnut flooring.
WEIDEL REALTORS
Modern features include a gourmet kitchen.WEIDEL REALTORS
