Built to stun
Aspirational architecture, some for sale
The Capital Region has a wide variety of architecture, from homes the Dutch built in the 1700s to huge, modernday palaces. Here’s a sampling of exceptional local homes.
43 Ray Road, Rexford
The home at 43 Ray Road was built in 2010 for Scott Earl, the millionaire founder of both County Waste and Twin Bridges Waste and Recycling. The luxurious house was built by Polito Homes for comfort and entertaining: wet bars and bedroom suites on two floors, an elevator, balconies, media room, mahogany floors and a marble island and backsplash in the gourmet kitchen. The landscaping includes fountains and a pergola that rivals the rosedraped one at Yaddo. The house is on a 4-acre lot. It’s clad in shingles and stone and has four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms in 5,000 square feet of living space.
“I wanted something different, someone (a builder and designer) who could understand me and what I was looking for and do the whole house, soup to nuts, without a lot of questions but not skimp on quality or design features,” said Earl. “I think it came out great.”
Earl’s home is on the market for $1.7 million. Dona Federico of Select Sotheby’s International Realty is
handling the listing. Contact her at 518421-6753.
42 Eureka Ave., Saratoga Springs
The home at 42 Eureka Ave. is a study in geometry. One side is a broad curve covered with stucco and divided by vertical windows. It is reminiscent of a lighthouse. The other side is a stack of horizontal and square shapes. Inside are more unique aspects. Natural stone flanks a staircase from the first floor to the second. The room decor looks like it has been largely untouched since the house was built in 1977. There’s wood paneling, laminate countertops and carpeted stairs. The house has a time machine vibe, welcome in a time when the influence of HGTV often leads to cookie-cutter interiors. The house is on an acre and a half. It has five bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms and 3,575 square feet of living space. It’s on the market for $649,000. Contact listing agent Jennifer Vucetic of EXIT Realty Empire Associates at 518-879-6318.
282 Snyder Road, Ghent
Little Ghent Farm is a working farm with a modern farmhouse. Architect Neil Pelone, whose firm NPARCH is in Troy, designed the property, which includes a home for a family of four, a farm store open to the public, a small apartment for guests and a working barn. Siding made from reclaimed barn wood and black stained cedar give the home a barn-like exterior look. The living spaces are illuminated by floorto-ceiling windows and the furnishings are simple, with couches grouped around a woodstove. The floor is polished concrete except a section of hexagonal tile under the dining table. The living, dining and kitchen areas have an open layout, and the bedrooms, up on the second floor, are also open to a lofted gallery. Pelone says of the project: “The modern farm is a new idea that is still evolving and therefore does not have a defined trope. The ones we work on are about a lifestyle that, along with food production, tends to involve more variety of activities. Understanding the seasonal ebb and flow of the farm operations added a layer of consideration.”
5 Sage Estate, Menands
This house was built in 1994, but its style is drawn from a much earlier time. It has the calling cards of Georgian architecture — fierce symmetry, an ornate centered entrance framed by columns and balconies that stretch across the entire front. The grand home has a stone and stucco exterior, and a palatial entrance hall. A den, used now as a billiards room, has a coffered mahogany ceiling. A huge bathroom off the primary bedroom is lined with windows that frame a big tub. The house is on the market and clearly unoccupied at the moment. It has 4,280 square feet of living space; four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. It would be interesting to see how a new owner would fill the huge rooms and walk-out basement. The house is part of a homeowners association; dues are $1,215 per month. List price: $1,399,000. The listing agent is Jill Cunningham with Howard Hanna: 518-583-7268