The Air of a European Estate One Hour from NYC

176 Parkside Drive, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 United States

To pass through the iron gates into the stone courtyard is to be swept to another time and place. To share a meal beneath the canopy of sycamores beside the trickling fountain is simply magical. It’s hard to believe such a majestic structure started life 120 years ago as a dairy barn, one of 4 Tudor brick outbuildings on the Drumthwacket Estate. Today, clean lines and modern finishes, like custom iron staircases and a state-of-the-art Boffi kitchen, are just the right counterpoint to authentic barn doors and wood beams rising up to meet a 26-ft ceiling. The core of the house is open and dramatic with a huge fireplace anchoring one side. The kitchen, seamlessly clad in walnut, was designed with a chef’s movements in mind. A mezzanine library separates the private spaces of the top floor: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a sitting/family room. Some may choose to reserve this level as an all-encompassing owner’s suite, especially with 3 more bedrooms located in the just completed East wing, an inventive space that can be as integrated or separate as you’d like with just the swing of a door. A mudroom, 2 clever dorm-style baths, laundry room and loft make this airy wing full-service. The opposite wing serves a gym, media room and more. Don’t miss the wine cellar, al fresco Moroccan room or the workshop. With the slate roof restored and brick repointed under current ownership, there’s nothing to do, except maybe add a pool to the 2+ acre property.