TAKE ON THE MANTELS
11 Tallwoods Road
Fans of midcentury modernism should look no further than this 1957 house designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s Arthur Witthoefft. Located in Armonk, about an hour north of the city, the 2,600-square-foot single-story residence was updated in 2007, but not at the expense of its character. A freestanding woodburning fireplace sheathed in concrete and accented by exposed steel beams creates a division between the open living and dining areas. The kitchen now has stainless steel appliances, but retains a pantry and cabinets in natural wood. There are four beds and two baths. Amy F. Via and Todd Goddard, Houlihan Lawrence, 914-328-8200
412 First Neck Lane
This 1930 Southampton The estate recently underHamptons went an 18-month reno by design whiz Tony Ingrao, who brought the classic home into the 21st century. Its elegant interiors include a black-painted library featuring a woodburning fireplace offset by its light stone surroundings. The 8,000-square-foot house sits on 5.57 acres — designed by touted landscape architect Edmund Hollander — lining Southampton’s Lake Agawam. The property also includes a waterfront pool, a pool house and a sunken all-weather tennis court. Tim Davis, Corcoran, 631-702-9211
3116 Burnt House Hill Road
A farmhouse — located in the middle of the triangle that connects Philadelphia, Allentown and Trenton, NJ — has been refreshed, but still maintains much of its rustic charm with a wood-beamed ceiling and a handful of original fireplaces. The home’s dining room features floor-to-ceiling stone around its fireplace and two blingy chandeliers. Outside, a covered terrace boasts a snazzy freestanding double-height stone fireplace, along with a full outdoor kitchen and commercial heaters that make it usable year-round. The landscaped grounds include an additional guest house, a pool and a whimsical life-sized chess board.
275 W. 10th St.
One of the last New York City buildings greenlit for woodburning fireplaces, The Shephard — a handsome 1897 building of rentals recently converted to 38 generously sized condos — has six units on the market, from a 705-square-foot studio for $1.88 million to a four-bedroom, 4,763-square-foot penthouse asking $24.5 million. While only two of the units for sale have fireplaces, the building’s luxurious lobby (above) has a hearth to curl up alongside. Alexa Lambert and Alison Black, Stribling, 917-403-8819 and 212-585-4578
17 Brush Island Road
The interiors of this five-bedroom contemporary waterfront home in Darien include warm wood tones and other natural materials that add a softness to the clean lines of its design. The 7,900-square-foot home sits on 1.23 acres and abuts 430 feet of shoreline. Five bedrooms (including a master suite with a sleek gas fireplace) and five bathrooms mean there’s enough room for the whole family. The family room boasts a dramatic double-height stone fireplace.
280 Washington Ave.
Built in 1887 by a co-founder of Pfizer, Charles Erhart, the famed Brooklyn mansion of the same name is currently one of the borough’s priciest listings — and for good reason. The four-story, 25-foot townhouse contains 10,000 interior square feet and sits on a sprawling lot that stretches through to the next avenue. Inside the 18-room townhouse, original and updated inlaid wood floors, ornate plaster ceilings and seven woodburning fireplaces — including one in front of a decadent freestanding bathtub — add to the home’s unquestionable grandeur. The property even comes with private parking. Angela Ferrante, Brown Harris Stevens, 718-858-1765
6 Juniper Point Road
Contemporary style meets natural surroundings at this property, nestled just east of New Haven in the private seaside residential enclave of Juniper Point. The 4,700-squarefoot steel-framed house overlooks idyllic marshes. There’s a lovely view of the Long Island Sound from the living room, where a freestanding gas fireplace anchors the space. The 1997-built four-bedroom house comes with a sheltered courtyard and a heated pool. Claire Kilmer, William Pitt / Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, 203-856-0387