Mediterranean-style manor
This stately Mediterranean-style home, designed by Louis Lott, sits on a 1-acre lot in Oakwood. Built in 1928, the stucco two-story with a terra-cotta tile roof has terrace porches, arched entries, courtyard parking and wrought-iron accents.
The home is highlighted by a maze of boxwood gardens surrounding cascading waterfalls that flank a staircase to the circular driveway.
Listed for $899,900 by RE/MAX Victory, the home at 555 Rubicon Road has about 5,600 square feet of living space. Renovations and restorations throughout the years included the gallery-style foyer, Italian imports, cypress ceiling and Rookwood tile while integrating updates to the kitchen, heating and plumping.
New to the home include a brick patio and walkways, storm windows, attic and crawl space insulation, a boiler for fast quiet steam heat, exterior iron railings, shutters, accents and custom replacement storm doors.
Inside, the charm has remained with the Rookwood tile in all the baths, cypress ceilings with hand-painted Canterbury Tales upon the cross beams in the living room, quarter-sawn oak floors with wood peg nails, wrought-iron railings and curved wood sconces.
A circular driveway curves around the garden and waterfalls, leveling at the covered formal front entry, which has a row of arches and earth-tone flooring. Arched double doors with stained-glass windows open into a gallery foyer with stucco arches, ornate gold leaf sconces and arched front-facing windows.
An adjunct hallway leads to the back door and rear courtyard, passing a library enhanced with cypress ceiling, a wall of built-in book shelves and an offset fireplace with an ornate screen with floral motifs in the cast iron.
At one end of the foyer, Rookwood tile steps lead down to a grand living room with hard wood flooring, arched window seats next to double arched windows with shutters, a beamed cypress ceiling with wood corbels, candle chandeliers and a massive stone fireplace with imported wrought-iron screen and doors.
At the opposite end of the foyer, spindled wood gates open into a banquet-style dining room with a Schonbeck crystal chandelier centered within a rosette of the cypress ceiling. Textured stucco walls have tile-accented display nooks. The hardwood floor has wood pegs.
Earth-tone tile steps lead up to the family room or patio room as stone walls have arched openings accented by concrete pillars. A triangular window seat has a front-facing window, and the opposite wall has a water fountain with curved catch pool. Arched double doors open to the brick patio and side yard.
Access to the kitchen and breakfast room is from both the family room and dining room. The kitchen has been updated with a raised ceiling, large windows, oversized cabinets, hidden LED light soffits, granite countertops and high-end stainless-steel appliances. Above the five-burner gas cooktop is a colorful tile backsplash that complements the kitchen wall color.
A wrap-around counter divides the kitchen from the elevated breakfast room, and a coffee station and serving counter flank the arched door into the family room.
A casual back staircase leads to the second floor and a door opens to the hidden stairwell to the walk-out basement.
Ornate wrought-iron spindles edge the carpeted staircase to the upper level, which has six bedrooms and four full bathrooms. Wood flooring enhances the main bedroom, which has a private deck overlooking the side yards. A walk-in closet and dressing room has multiple storage organizers and a pass-through walkway into the bath where creamy taupe Rookwood tile surrounds the bath, which has a glass door enclosed tub/shower and board basin pedestal sink.
Another bedroom with wood flooring has French doors to a terrace overlooking the courtyard at the end of the driveway. Four more bedrooms are arranged Jack-and-Jill style to connect to two bathrooms. All bathrooms are decorated in Rookwood tile.
A partial walk-out lower level provides a finished recreation room, a half bath and a laundry room, which has walk-out access to the courtyard driveway and parking area. A separate driveway leads to a patio area and parking space preceding the rear-entry, three-car garage.
OAKWOOD
Price: $899,900
Directions: South on Far Hills Avenue from Shantz Avenue to west on Rubicon Road
Highlights: About 5,600 sq. ft., 6 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 2 half baths, 2-story built in1928, granite kitchen with raised ceilings, high-end appliances, imported fireplace, cypress wood ceilings, Rockwood tile baths, brick patio, quaint playhouse, partial walk-out lower level with recreation room, 3-car garage, sprinkler system, security system
For more information:
Jill Aldineh
RE/MAX Victory
(937) 303-1888 or (937) 689-2858
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