House: 29 East 69th Street

We shape our buildings…thereafter, they shape us. – Winston Churchill

What makes this townhouse different from all others now available on the market? This mansion was chosen and created over decades by a designer who has been a citizen of the world, blending classicism with the best designs of various centuries into a global eclecticism no other house possesses.

AN EXTRAORDINARY MADISON TO PARK BLOCK This limestone mansion sits adjacent to a 25 foot wide house by Walker and Gillette and opposite a 20 foot wide by Carerre and Hastings and a 50 foot wide townhouse by CPH Gilbert for Arthur Sachs of Goldman Sachs which provides this mansion with elegant views out of all south facing windows. HIS SIX BASIC AESTHETIC CONCEPTS

Choose a setting for the best light.

Always consider what’s going on beyond your windows.

Establish a clearly defined entryway that directs flow to the interior.

Think of the floor as the “sixth facade” or elevation after the four walls and the ceiling.

Enter into a dialogue with the space to bring out or to create its best side.

Feel free to combine the best concepts of the classic with the contemporary.

THE RESULT

An 8,700 /- sf (808 /-sm) limestone mansion of 7 levels with a planted duplex roof terrace of 1,600sf /- (148 /-sm) and a therapeutic pool also includes a grand entryway, two entertaining levels, 5 to 6 bedrooms, 8 full baths, 3 powder rooms, 8 fireplaces, an elegant staircase, and an elevator. PRESENT LAYOUT ENTRY LEVEL: vestibule with wrought-iron and glass doors open to impressive entry hall with black and white marble floors and a large fireplace. Elegant staircase, elevator, powder room. Rear gym with access to balcony overlooking the lower patio, circular stair up to an office or to the rear guest room with en-suite bath. PARLOR LEVEL: main living room with three tall southern windows with balustrade and a working fireplace with a French regency marble mantelpiece. 11’2 ceilings. Bronze and glass doors matching the window shape lead to a wide foyer with lacquered walls inspired by a 17th Century Chinese screen which artfully hides a powder room, closet and elevator. The north facing library has scagliola walls created from a composite of marble paste and marble dust in layers that are repeatedly polished in the 16th Century Italian method. There is also a wood-burning fireplace. The northern exposure is of the greenery in the lower patio. The office in the rear has a staircase to the gym and basement below. THIRD LEVEL: the front sitting room also has three tall windows and a fireplace. 10’ ceilings. The mid floor library includes an alcove for sculpture and is double height to the fourth floor. Powder room. The formal dining room with stenciled floors also has a wood burning fireplace and is adjacent to a full kitchen and terrace. FOURTH LEVEL: front bedroom has a full bath en-suite. 10’6 ceilings. Rear master bedroom suite includes a full bath and planted balcony. FIFTH LEVEL: front media room/study with 10’1 ceilings with an adjacent laundry that could be turned into a full bath en-suite. Rear encompasses a large guest bedroom suite with two full baths and a sitting room. SIXTH LEVEL DUPLEX PENTHOUSE: front spa relaxation room with a large Jacuzzi bathtub, and full bath. Roof duplex garden fully furnished with therapeutic pool and lavish mature plantings for recreation and entertaining. LOWER CELLER GARDEN LEVEL: fully finished with extensive storage, mechanicals, a den, two full baths and a northern terrace.

Description provided by Alex Salem