Lair of Luxury
Aston Martin - the esteemed marque beloved of James Bond, has teamed up with S3 Architecture to design a country residence which is just to Live and Let Die for. Located in Hudson Valley in upstate New York, Sylvan Rock is a mere 2 hours away from Manhattan but feels like a world away from the metropolis.
The three-level house hugs the landscape like a low-slung sports car; its angular, faceted roof looking distinctive and understated at the same time. The lower level houses a three-car gallery garage with a spectacular glass wall-cum wine rack which cleverly enables the owner to admire their cars and wines at the same time from the comfort of the "Auto Lounge" on the other side. Non-Aston Martins should perhaps park out of sight at the end of the (very long) driveway. The first level contains the main living, kitchen and dining areas as well as access to the extensive outdoor living space, whilst the top floor houses three ensuite bedrooms. If that doesn't sound like a large number of bedrooms, that's because the guests get to stay at three multifunctional "pods" a short walk (or quick drive) away from the main house. The spectacular outdoor living space features a decked lounge, open kitchen, dining table and swimming pool accompanied by a 873 square feet pool house with a sauna, jacuzzi, gym and two private treatment rooms. This is surely enough to impress even those for whom The World is Not Enough.
What the developer / Aston Martin says: "We wanted the owner and their guests to experience the three-dimensional feel of the house in an organic way, just like you experience one of our cars - there is no single façade that dominates. Fully integrated into its surroundings and the community, Sylvan Rock is rare example of a complete residential work of art."
What we love:
Sylvan Rock epitomises a new breed of contemporary luxury country homes. The house is architecturally interesting and has enough extravagant features to make the average Bond villain green with jealousy. There is a strong focus on integration with nature - the house comes with 55 acres of secluded woodland, a "food garden", an "architect designed" treehouse as well as a mysterious "planned pond" next to the guest pods. The latter, incidentally, are cleverly marketed as an example of "post pandemic design thinking", as they can be converted easily from guest rooms into a remote office, wellness space or home school. How utterly zeitgeisty is that??
What we would do:
Some of the secondary bedrooms could be more spacious, but we are really nitpicking here. This is a stunning residence which, unless you can fork out USD 7.7 million (and until it is built), is sadly For Your Eyes Only.
The Sylvan Rock development is marketed by Corcoran. Prices and details correct as at 1 October 2020.
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Product Inspiration
Looking for sleek, contemporary designs with a luxury sports car vibe? Try the Longwave swivel armchair from Diesel Living, the Blink oval dining table from Stellar Works and the Chariot trolley from Casamania.
For understated lighting which nevertheless makes a huge impact, try the Hirst pendant light from Dare, the Lens floor light from LZF and the Dusk table lamp from 101 Copenhagen.
Go extravagant with accessories that ooze luxury, such as the Butterfly coat rack from Ghidini 1961, the Rain Drops rug from Scarlet Splendour and the Concierge from Nomon.
