SUBURBAN OASIS:  3 Glenview Drive, Watchung, NJ

A one-of-a-kind architectural masterpiece specifically designed to be at peace with nature. Majestically nestled on over 1.3 private and tranquil mountaintop acres and elegantly framed by sprawling lush lawns and mature specimen plantings, this stunning cedar shake residence by renowned Hiland Hall Turner Architects is ideally situated at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac of distinctive and prominent estates. Awaiting visitors at the end of a long drive, this home creates a commanding presence and promises no less. A pair of 8' beveled mahogany glass entry doors welcome you into this timeless design, boasting 5 bedrooms, 5.1 baths and a first-floor primary suite with luxurious spa-like bath that affords one floor living at its best. Having won landscaping design awards, the owners used their considerable expertise to create their own botanical oasis. In turn, the home was situated to offer breathtaking views from every room, many with balconies, bringing the picturesque outdoors in. The Aspen-inspired family room boasts barnwood floors, vaulted pine ceilings, massive beams and a floor-to-ceiling 16' stone fireplace, while the nearby chef's kitchen was designed to be the heart of the home. This residence is substantial, with 6,720 sq ft including a finished walk-out basement, offering flexible spaces for multiple home offices and multi-generational living. Plenty of room for a pool. Convenient access to NYC (29 miles), the Summit train station (15 minutes), The Mall At Short Hills (20 minutes), local shopping, local dining and public & private schools (Pingry).

Click here to see the MLS Listing and photos for this home.  Additional information not found on the MLS can be found below. 

Property Video

The following is a walk-through video of 3 Glenview Drive, Watchung:

PROPERTY DETAILS

Property

• Designed and built by owner in 2001
• Home published in Design New Jersey (Dec 2015-Jan 2016) & (Feb-Mar 2007), New York Spaces (New Jersey Edition - Vol 4, #7)
• Hyland Hall Turner Architect
• Owner earned 2 White House awards for landscaping
• Owner is an A.S.I.D. designer
• Private secluded wooded lot (1.38 acres) with views
• Located at the end of a cul-de-sac
• Winter view through notch in the mountains

Exterior

• Cedar shake shingle and natural stone home
• 11 natural stone pillars
• 2 natural stone chimneys
• 45-year Timberline roof shingle
• Kolbe & Kolbe - True divided lite windows with maintenance free K Kron finish
• 18 maintenance-free composite columns
• 16 double French doors
• 2 single French doors
• Custom double mahogany front door with beveled glass and side panels
• Covered outdoor natural gas fireplace (with 30’ high natural stone chimney) with built in Alfresco grill with rotisserie and smoker
• New York State bluestone patio and covered walkways
• Custom curved double French door with side panels
• 9 handcrafted Antique Brass outdoor lanterns
• Easy access to walk from the back yard to the front yard
• Spacious mahogany deck overlooking vistas
• 4 wrought iron balconies
• 3 additional balconies with wood railings
• Outdoor speaker system
• Primary bedroom has separate foundation and bridges over from main house with arched stone stairway (on outside to lead from front to rear) with wrought iron gate
• Handcrafted willow wood swing on covered stone patio
• Completely irrigated (22 zones)
• Belgian block curbing
• Many security lights on photocell

Interior

• 6,720 sq ft, including finished walk-out basement
• Ceiling fans in the FR, guest bedroom, master bedroom, covered patio and upstairs sitting room
• Speakers throughout the house
• Hand-painted tile in kitchen backsplash and hood
• Recessed lighting inside and out
• New recessed LED light fixtures in most areas of the home
• Custom shades and blinds throughout

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Main Level

Foyer

• 2-story entry foyer with vintage chandelier
• Views from the front door and foyer through to the back yard
• Custom architectural details including archways and decorative moldings
• Herringbone oak floor with mahogany inlay
• 2 double-door coat closets

Living Room

• Beautiful arch entry into the living room from the foyer
• Custom marble and millwork natural gas fireplace
• Large true divided glass windows on each side of the fireplace which overlook the magnificent back yard
• Unique 15’ four-way vaulted ceiling
• Solid oak wood flooring
• 3 double French doors to covered walkway and patio
• Built-in cabinetry, glass shelving and recessed lighting

Kitchen

• Gourmet custom cook’s kitchen is perfect for living and entertaining
• Hub of the home with views and flow to multiple spaces
• Hand hewn barn beams on ceiling
• Custom wood cabinetry with under cabinet lighting
• Viking Professional series stove top plus griddle and grill
• Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer
• Miele dishwasher
• Dacor self-cleaning double wall oven and convection oven
• GE microwave
• Trash compactor
• Recycling bins
• Tumbled marble floor
• Walk out to the natural bluestone patio and mahogany deck
• Large center island with breakfast bar seating for 4
• Breakfast nook with surrounding natural stone and windows
• Franke stainless steel main and prep sinks with garbage disposal in each unit
• Vintage chandelier
• Cable TV hookup
• Built-in desk with 2 file drawers
• Water filter
• Sound system speakers
• LED recessed lighting.
• • Large walk-in pantry with custom floor-to-ceiling shelving

Family Room

• Enjoy the ease of the open floor plan
• 16’+ natural stone/gas fireplace with raised hearth and reclaimed hand hewn barn beam mantle
• Aspen inspired family room with vaulted cathedral tongue & groove pine ceiling incorporating true mammoth hand hewn mortise & tenon barn beams/pegs
• Reclaimed hand hewn barn beams on ceiling and walls
• Antique tongue & groove random width white pine flooring
• Custom cabinetry with TV/stereo system and surround sound
• 6 double French doors with transoms and dormer windows above
• 4 double French doors open to wrought iron balconies with winter and night views
• 2 double French doors lead into the back yard patio and entertaining area
• Natural stone surround with bluestone top
• Ceiling fan
• Cable TV hookup

Dining Room

• Winter and night views through the notch in the mountain
• Day view of the tree tops through the wall to windows
• Large mahogany deck is off the dining room and family room
• Custom wainscoting
• Solid oak wood flooring
• Speaker system
• 5 unit bow window
• Vintage chandelier

Powder Room

• Custom vintage vanity
• Tumbled marble floor
• Wainscoting detailing
• Vintage chandelier

Primary Bedroom Ensuite

• Random width antique white pine floor
• 14’ vaulted ceiling with tray detail
• Double French doors overlooking fern and peony gardens with transom, upper windows and side panels
• Speaker system
• Radiant heat

Primary Bath

• Large Kohler jetted bathtub with hand held shower wand overlooking a privacy garden through a true divided light Kolbe window
• Marble and tile steam shower with Calcutta Gold marble bench and transom windows, body sprays and handheld shower wand, toilet, bidet with pocket door
• Additional water closet with privacy and light
• Honed Calcutta Gold marble vanity
• Radiant heat
• Wainscoting
• Linen closet
• Honed tumbled marble floors
• Water filter
• Heat lamp

Dressing Room

• Custom vanity/dressing table with sink and Calcutta Gold marble top
• Two walk-in closets with custom built-ins
• Floor to ceiling built-in drawers and cabinets
• Shoe closet
• French doors with transom windows leading to covered bluestone patio with vaulted ceiling
• Radiant heat
• Cable TV hookup

Bedroom/Office - #2

• 14’ four-way vaulted ceiling
• Triple windows overlooking the back gardens
• Large walk-in closet
• Speaker system
• Double French doors to private patio
• Solid oak hardwood flooring
• Built-in bookcases and computer desk with file drawers
• Dormer window
• Shared adjoining bathroom
• Custom wall mirror
• Cable TV hookup

Guest Bedroom - #3

• 2 double door walk-in closets with built-ins
• Triple windows overlooking Dogwoods, Evergreens and a magnificent rare weeping Katsura Tree
• French door with direct access to the yard, can also be used as a separate entrance
• Ceiling fan
• Solid oak hardwood flooring
• Cable TV hookup

Guest Bedroom/Office Bathroom

• Custom vanity, marble countertop and tumbled marble floors
• Tumbled marble and tile shower
• Custom wall mirror

Laundry Room

• Full size Franke utility sink with garbage disposal unit
• Full size front loading washer and gas dryer
• Drip dry bar over the Franke utility sink
• Laundry chute from upstairs
• Custom pull out ironing board
• Custom wood cabinetry
• Beadboard backsplash

3 Car Garage

• Mahogany garage doors and side door
• Automatic garage door openers
• Storage shelving throughout
• Concrete floor
• Direct entry to laundry/pantry/kitchen/back coat closet
• Heated garage
• Central vacuum outlet
• No-freeze water spigot

Second Floor

• Custom stringer staircase to 3 levels
• Balcony that overlooks the magnificent weeping Katsura Tree, white flowering Crape Myrtles and the woods beyond and also looks down to the entrance foyer
• Vintage chandelier hanging to the foyer below
• Attic access with pull down stairs
• Double door closet with window and attic access
• Double door linen closet

Recreation Room

• Flexible living space can be used as a media room, game room, additional bedroom or office.
• 12’ high vaulted ceiling
• Ceiling fan
• Solid oak hardwood flooring
• Eyebrow window
• Cable TV hookup
• Walk-in closet with laundry chute and attic access

Bedroom - #4

• Coffered ceilings
• Solid oak wood flooring
• Double French doors leading to a Juliette balcony with beautiful views
• Triple bay windows
• Large walk-in closet with built-ins and additional attic access
• Cable TV hookup

Full Bathroom

• Tub/Shower with wainscoting with architectural design details
• Tile floors
• Custom vanity with marble top
• Custom mirror with 2 vintage sconces

En-Suite Bedroom - #5

• Triple window nook overlooking the beautifully landscaped back yard
• Potential to be an office
• Large walk-in closet
• Solid oak wood flooring
• Cable TV hookup

En-Suite Bathroom

• Marble top custom vanity
• Custom wall mirror with tumbled marble bullnose edge
• Custom tumbled marble shower with bullnose detail
• Honed tumbled marble floor

Lower Level

• Finished walk-out living space for possible mother-daughter suite
• Walk-in closet

Exercise Room

• Wall-to-wall carpet
• 5 panel bow window overlooking park-like setting
• Cable TV hookup

Media Room/Game Room

• Floor to ceiling natural stone fireplace
• Hand hewn barnwood mantle
• Unique custom curved double French door with side panels
• Tumbled marble flooring with double French door to outside
• Pre-plumbed - ready for wet bar or secondary kitchen
• Cable TV hookup

Office/Arts & Crafts Room

• Multipurpose room for crafts or an additional office
• Honed tumbled marble floors
• Two double closets with built-in shelves
• Access to utility room/storage room with water softener, water filter, Moen automatic water shutoff system

Full Bath

• Pedestal sink
• Honed tumbled marble floor
• Custom shower with tumbled marble and tile
• Double door storage closet with shelving

Utility Room

• 3 forced hot air furnaces
• Shelving

Unfinished Middle Basement

• Fantastic storage with 10’+ high ceilings

Unfinished Far Basement

• Huge unfinished storage room with 10’+ high ceilings

Potential Au Pair Suite

• Plumbed for an additional apartment (unfinished)
• Iron gate to stone enclosed staircase with blue stone steps leading to back patio
• Mahogany door
• Separate entrance and detached from the rest of the basement
• Two 100 gallon hot water heaters
• Grade level
• 2 curved windows

Systems

• Moen Flo Smart Water Monitor & Shutoff - uses a phone app that helps reduce risk of water leaks and damage
• New irrigation system controlled by a phone app, approximately 23 watering zones
• Alarm system consisting of sensors, glass breaks and motion detectors with central station monitoring
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with central station monitoring
• Cell phone backup with central station monitoring
• Intercom/phone/stereo system doorbell throughout the house
• Underground utilities
• 400-amp electric service
• Recirculating hot water
• 7 heating zones (6 hot air and 1 radiant)
• 5 air-conditioning zones via 4 air conditioners
• Nest thermostats for all living areas and finished basement
• Electronic air filters on all living areas
• Central vacuum
• Generator runs the entire house except for the oven, steam shower and upstairs air conditioning
• Water softener
• Two 100 gallon hot water tanks and recirculating pump
• Radiant heat boiler for the primary bedroom wing
• New radiant hot water heater/boiler

Updates

• New driveway 2022
• Outside front Mahogany deck stained 2022
• Natural gate (2018-2019)
• Upstairs air conditioner (2021)
• Back patio, walkways and front steps redone (2021)
• All stonework repointed (2021)
• Outdoor covered grill Alfresco 36” with rotisserie and smoker (7/2020)
• Two new hot water heaters, 100 gallons each (2020)
• Azek white fence and gate (2022)
• All marble floors and marble countertops were cleaned, honed and sealed (2022)
• Franke kitchen disposal replaced (2021-22)

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Gardens and Landscaping

• Beautiful four seasons landscaping
• Continuous blooming in season
• Many varieties of annuals and perennials (rebloom every year)
• Deer fenced back yard
• Natural moss rock boulders on the property
• Huge natural stone fireplace with built-in Alfresco grill, rotisserie, smoker and LED lights on covered blue stone patio
• Covered walkway from the kitchen to living room, including covered grilling area with a well lit fireplace/grill area
• Deer fenced back yard
• back yard arbor
• Private

Early Blooming Perennials (February through May)

• Azalea’s - Located along the driveway and by the front door, as well as near the Fern Garden in the front yard.

• Bluebells - Located at the top of the driveway (blue flowers). Blooms in April-May.
• Clematis - Located in the garden by the guest bedroom (blooms October) and around the back patio. Blooms in May. Autumn blooming variety blooms in October. Located along rock wall in the peony garden.
• Crocus - Located under the Large Maple tree in the back yard. Blooms in April.
• Daffodils - Located at the top of the driveway and the back rock garden. Blooms in April-May.
• Dogtooth Violet - Yellow flowers. Blooms in April.
• Forsythia - Located on the left side of the driveway and in the woods. Blooms in April-May.
• Helleborus - White bloomer near front door blooms around Christmas. Purple/white near the top of the driveway, right side and along the driveway. Blooms in March.
• Hyacinths - Located along the driveway. Blooms in April-May.
• Iris - Large yellow flowers, located in the garden by the primary bedroom and the back yard fern garden. Blooms in May.
• Iris - Japanese with purple and lavender. Located in the garden by the primary bedroom, the back perennial garden and the upper rock wall along the driveway. Blooms in April-May.
• Japanese weeping grasses, both front and back yards.
• Lilly of the Valley - White and pink. Located around the patio and bedroom office in the back yard.
• Mock Orange - White flowers, located in the back perennial garden.
• Myrtle - Located along the driveway and in the back perennial garden. Blooms in April-May.
• Nepeta - Blue purple flowers. Located in the back perennial garden and the front peony garden.
• Peonies - Trees and bush form. Located in the peony garden by the primary bedroom. Blooms yellow, red, pink, white and multicolor in April-May.
• Roses - Located along the rock wall by the garages and the back perennial and rock gardens. Blooms pink and red in May-November.
• Scilla - Located at the top of the driveway. Blooms white in February-March.
• Sweet Woodruff - Blooms in April-May.
• Violets  -Located in the back perennial garden, near the office and in the bed along the woods in the back yard. Blooms in June-July.
• Wisteria - Located on the back trellis. Blooms purple in May.

Mid Blooming Perennials (June through July)

• Asters Stokesia - 2-3 varieties, located in the back perennial garden and the peony garden In the front yard. Blooms in June-July.

• Astilbe - 3-5 varieties, in pinks and whites, located throughout the back yard and by the front lawn.
• Daylilies - Throughout the back yard. Blooms in yellow, pink, orange and multicolor starting in June through September.
• Echinacea - In the back perennial garden. Blooms in July.
• Ferns - Painted, Ghost, Native, Cinnamon, Ostrich.
• Hostas - Located throughout the back yard. Blooms in June-July.
• Hybrid Lillies - In the back yard along the patio. Blooms in June-July.
• Hydrangeas - Tree, Bush, Oakleaf, Mophead (Endless Summer), regular Mopheads & Lace Cap (Twist & Shout Endless Summer). Tree is located near the garages. Reblooming and regular hydrangeas are located throughout the back yard. Blooms in whites, purples, blues and pinks from June-December.
• Iris - Japanese, located in the garden, throughout the back yard, in the perennial garden, along the driveway wall and at the top of the driveway. Blooms in white, purple and lavender in June-July.
• Jack in the Pulpit - In the woods, in the back yard and at the end of the driveway.
• Ligularia - Located in the moss rock area. Blooms in June-July.
• Mexican Primrose - Front yard near stone wall.
• Onions - Located. by the mailbox. Blooms in June-July.
• Phlox - Located along the back patio. Blooms in June/July.
• Shasta Daisies - Located in the back perennial and rock gardens. Blooms in July-August.
• Stachy - Pink flowers in the back perennial garden. Blooms in Mid-June, July.

Late Blooming Perennials

• Anemone - Located near patio. Blooms with pale pink flowers in July-September.

• Begonias - Located around the back patio and the back rock garden. Blooms in June-July.
• Black Eyed Susan’s - Located in the back perennial garden and the rock garden. Blooms in July, August and September.
• Clematis - Sweet autumn clematis located by the master bedroom wing in the perennial garden. Blooms in October-November.
• Grasses - 5-10 varieties. Blooms starting in Spring through August.
• Hardy Hibiscus - Located around the back patio and the back rock garden. Blooms in July-August.
• Montauk Daisies - Located at the top of the driveway and the back perennial rock garden.
• Roses - Located at the top of the driveway and around the back patio. Blooms in June-December.
• Sedums - 3-5 varieties including Autumn Joy Sedum.

Trees/Shrubs

• Andromeda - Located in the front yard. Blooms in April.
• Blue Spruce - Fat Albert blue spruce located in the back rock garden. Colorado blue spruce in the back yard.
• Bluebeard (Caryopteris x Clandonensis) - Front left side of driveway. Blooms in August-September.
• Cherry (Flowering) - Along the right side of the driveway on the right. Blooms in April-May.
• Crape Myrtles - Blooms white near the front door. Purple bush to the right of the front door. Blooms in July.
• Cryptomeria - Back left side of the property
• Dappled Willow - White and green leaves. Located in the right corner of the back yard.
• Dogwoods - 3-5 varieties. Kousa with white/pink flowers in the front yard and back yard. Red twig dogwood in the back yard. Blooms in May/June.
• Hinoki Cypress, Golden Cypress & Leyland Cypress - Located in the back rock garden and back left corner of the property.
• Hollies - Along the driveway on the left and right sides.
• Lilac - Front yard on the right side of the driveway and in the back near the bedroom/office.
• Magnolias - 2 varieties. Star Magnolia in the back yard on the left side of the home which blooms white. Regular Magnolia blooms pink and white along the right side of the driveway.
• Maples - 5 varieties in the front yard and back yard.
• Mugo Pine - Back yard rock garden.
• Norway Spruce - Located along the driveway and in the back yard.
• Oak Trees - Front yard and back yard.
• Rhododendrons (Native & Hybrid) - Located in the front, side and back yards. Flowers in May/June.
• River Birch - Located along the driveway and front yard.
• Sequoias - Front yard and back yard.
• Smoke Tree - Located on the right side of the driveway.
• Stewartia - Located in the lawn in the back yard. Blooms white in June.
• Tulip Trees - Located in the front yard and back yard.
• Weeping Hemlocks - Located along the driveway.
• Weeping Katsura - Specimen in the wall planter in the driveway.
• Weeping Norway Spruce - Located along the driveway.

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EXCLUSIONS

• See Listing Agent

The information above is deemed to be accurate but is not guaranteed and is subject to change.