A rolling six-acre estate in Cold Spring Harbor presents the opportunity to step into a private, uber-luxurious turn-key compound on the Gold Coast.
Aptly named, “Belle Vie,” this palatial property does indeed afford the good life. It is the privacy the estate presents that is a real game changer for any buyer looking to create their very own retreat, away from the hustle and bustle of the city or even the more congested suburbs.
“There is amazing detail throughout,” says John Messina, an associate broker with Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty in Cold Spring Harbor. “Plus, it’s being sold fully furnished, which is unique, and saves the buyer not only money, but time,” he says, adding that it took about three years to assemble everything. “Not one person who has seen it since it came on the market last month has said they would do anything differently.”
The 11,500-square-foot house at 471 Woodbury Road is asking $8,995,000. Messina represents the property as part of “The Masterpiece Collection” at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International.
“You could not come close to recreating what they did for this price. It’s impossible,” says Messina.“To recreate this whole thing you’d probably be at $14 million.”
Two stately gates reveal a long, tree-lined driveway that leads to the six-bedroom, seven-and-half-bath residence with its Timberline architectural-shingle roof. Made of a natural stone veneer and masonry stucco, it is set amidst a meticulously manicured 6.28 acres surrounded by woods.
The transitional-style house boasts “a modern, yet timeless aesthetic” where luxury abounds, says Messina. A double-height foyer features a large crystal chandelier and a built-in, tufted loveseat on one side of the gracious custom staircase with wrought-iron spindles — the first of seven custom stairs throughout the home.
The dining room is perfect for entertaining with a custom book-matched marble dining room table that seats at least 20. Modern chandeliers hang from an intricately designed octagonal ceiling detail.
The great room is spacious, yet intimate, with a floor-to-ceiling stone feature wall with a gas fireplace under a coffered ceiling. A wet bar includes a Liebherr refrigerator/freezer/ice maker. A wall of glass looks out onto the backyard pool.
Wide plank wood floors in the great room continue in the living room, where there is a sleek marble-clad gas fireplace and coffered ceiling.
entertainment lounge with a wetbar.Courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
The oversized and state-of-the-art kitchen offers every amenity necessary for making entertaining a breeze. A massive marble center island has a waterfall edge and a farmhouse sink. The custom white cabinetry is lit up from the inside, and there is under-counter lighting, too.
When it comes to appliances, there is a 36-inch Sub-Zero refrigerator and a 36-inch Sub-Zero freezer with cabinet overlays. The Wolf stainless-steel, 48-inch range top includes six burners and a griddle, plus there is a pot filler above the range.
The 54-inch exterior-vented, stainless-steel hood was custom-made for over the cooktop. In addition, there is a Wolf convection steam oven, a Wolf microwave, a Wolf warming drawer and two Bosch dishwashers.
Just off the dining room, there is also a butler’s pantry with matching marble counters and cabinetry, plus a Sub-Zero wine fridge for the dinner party wine after bringing it up from the temperature-controlled wine cellar on the lower level.
Accessed from the kitchen, there is a large covered marble patio with an outdoor kitchen, a fireplace and a television. There is a dining table for 12 and a stone bar. The same stone adorns the walls while tropical-feeling outdoor fans cool the space in the summer. A full bathroom off the kitchen doubles as a cabana bathroom.
Just steps away, there is a gunite pool with waterfall features and a spa. A 32-foot slide is hidden amongst lush landscaping, reachable by a landscaped pathway, A patio surrounds the pool and offers several places to lounge in the sun.
Back inside, there is a “handsomely paneled” home office with another floor-to-ceiling stone wall with a gas fireplace. Located on the main level, it is ideal for working remotely, Messina says. There is also an entrance off the patio.
A guest bedroom with an en suite and a laundry room complete the main-level living space. The laundry offers a chute from the second floor and two Electrolux front-load washing machines and gas dryers, as well as custom cabinetry and a sink.
The luxury continues upstairs into the primary suite where there are two opulent bathrooms and equally impressive walk-in closets.
The sleeping chamber boasts a double-sided gas fireplace with a connected separate lounge with 13-foot vaulted ceilings. Sliding glass doors reveal a private stone balcony, where there is even a hot tub. A wet bar provides a Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer/ice maker and drawer microwave for convenience.
As for the primary bathrooms, both boast marble floors and walls and Toto Neorest toilets. The first offers a custom vanity and makeup vanity and a free-standing Bain air tub. The two bathroom suites are connected by a shared shower, which employs two controls for a dual shower, handheld, body jets and Mr. Steam shower system.
Both closets inside the primary suites were custom-designed with center islands. One has a chandelier and a shoe closet.
There are three more en suite bedrooms on the second level, all well-appointed and spacious. A playroom offers tremendous space for children, custom crafted for a sleepover with six beds, including bunks, built into the space.
The gym completes the second level. The space is fully mirrored and includes a dance studio, a weight and cardio room and a half bath. Workout with a personal trainer? There is even a private entrance.
Down on the finished lower level, which benefits from 10-foot ceilings, there is a floorplan designed for open entertaining for adults, as well as an integrated play space for children, with spaces that are joint and separated.
It is home to a high-tech movie theater with an anamorphic lens, open to a lounge area with a wet bar with a waterfall edge. A custom matching pool table, shuffleboard table and card table are also included in the sale, as well as a custom dart board hand-crafted with 2,500 corks.
A massage room, an arts and crafts room, a sauna, a full bathroom and a half bath, an office and an arcade round out the lower level.
The house also provides a Savant smart home integration with the vast majority of the home controlled via a smart device, if desired. The house utilizes a dual filtration system, such as a whole-house filter, plus a distiller with faucets in the kitchen and bars in the great room, primary suite, outdoor kitchen and on the lower level.
Attached to the house is a garage that holds seven cars comfortably, plus there is room for lifts should the new owner be a car enthusiast. The garage comes with a Tesla quick charger, speakers and even has a central vacuum outlet.
Beyond the pool is a rolling lawn that includes a garden that could be in the English countryside with a stone fountain in the middle.
Toward the back of the property there is a tennis/sports court. A landscaper’s entrance, also gated, and a massive garage with additional parking and a half bath that services the sports court offer added convenience.
A playground with rubber mulch and another amenity you don’t see every day — a go-kart track that surely any kid will love.
Speaking of children, the property is part of the Cold Spring Harbor School District. Plus, it’s convenient to major highways and the Long Island Rail Road station for commuting to New York City, which is less than an hour away.
And if all that isn’t enough, perhaps the beach and mooring rights the property comes with will seal the deal on this house that offers everything one would want from the Gold Coast lifestyle.
An adjacent two-acre property with a caretaker’s house that was renovated this year is also available for sale.
John Messina of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty can be reached at 516-241-0761 or by email at johnmessina@danielgale.com. View Belle Vie and more properties at themasterpiececollection.com.
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This article appeared in the June 2024 issue of Behind The Hedges Powered by the Long Island Press. Read the full digital edition here. For more on Greater Long Island real estate, click here.
