$5.2M Stanford White-designed hilltop estate in New Canaan has a history of Gilded Age glamour
Photo courtesy of Douglas Elliman
Known as Stoneleigh Manor, this landmarked estate at 255 Brushy Ridge Road in New Canaan, Connecticut, designed by renowned American architect Stanford White, was built in 1903 for Charles E. Diefenthaler and his wife Antonia F. Fischer as a summer getaway. Asking $5,199,000, the home has been restored by its current owners with care taken to honor its 118-year history while adding modern infrastructure and sensibility.
The home’s design is reminiscent of the Tudor style, with leaded glass windows, dark shingles, and stone. Interior highlights include intricate millwork, coffered ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling paneling. High ceilings fill its rooms with light, and its elevation provides views of rolling lawns and mature plantings.
At the front of the house, a suitably grand porte-cochere leads to a large entry foyer and formal living room. Rooms are furnished with an impressive collection of antiques and art, adding color and texture.
A formal dining room currently displays the homeowners’ silver collection in a leaded glass china cabinet. Similarly, a Chesapeake Bay decoy collection is on display in the wood-paneled study.
The renovated, luxurious kitchen also functions as a family room. Highlights include a Lacanche range; a butler’s pantry lined in marble and granite occupies the space between the dining room and kitchen and aids in outdoor as well as indoor dining. A sprawling back veranda stretches the length of the home.
Bedrooms have retained their Gilded Age grace while offering the tranquility and comfort required by modern life. Vintage style and bright colors give the home’s renovated bathrooms new life.
The homeowners have expanded on the estate’s designs for living and entertaining to accommodate modern family life. Updates include the addition of a second-floor office to the carriage house and an expanded patio with a fire pit and outdoor kitchen.
[Listing details: 255 Brushy Ridge Road by John Engel of Douglas Elliman]
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Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman
