As if conjured from a fairytale, and fit for fashion royalty, Château Ridge is a sumptuous and unrivalled estate set in the countryside of Greenwich, Connecticut, an exclusive suburb of New York City. Owned since 1984 by Vince Camuto, the late fashion designer and entrepreneur behind Nine West and his eponymous shoe brand, the château rests on nearly 5 acres with a swimming pool, tennis court, guest cottages and boxwood parterre gardens.
The manse was built in 1927 and inspired by French Renaissance châteaux of the 17th century, marked by its imposing stone façade, cathedral windows, conical towers and gabled roof. Camuto, an avid collector and passionate historian, painstakingly filled the 16,000-square-feet interiors with period Italian and French art, antiques and furniture, making it a veritable time capsule to another age and continent, but with all the modern amenities one would desire. Over a five-year renovation, the almost century-old home was restored from an ageing behemoth to its former grandeur.
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Upon Camuto's death at the age of 78 in 2015, his widow, Louise, put the property on the market. Although it is still currently listed for $26.5 million (£20.4 mil), Château Ridge will now be auctioned via Concierge Auctions in partnership with Compass and listing agents Shelly Tretter Lynch and Kimberly Johnson on 12-15 August with no reserve.
The exceptionally luxurious home encompasses seven bedrooms and eighteen bathrooms. The pièce de résistance, however, is the Constellation Room, a soaring hall that culminates in a grand stone fireplace above which was painted Camuto's family crest. The hall's barrel-vaulted, turquoise-painted ceiling is embedded with lights that imitate the stars' alignment on Camuto's birthday.
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A confection of the château is the Music Room, original to the home from 1927, which was inspired by Marie Antoinette's private chamber at Versailles. The fanciful motifs of flowers, fruits and nymphs are delicately arrayed on all of the panels of the gilded interior.
Château Ridge, though certainly remarkable in scale, still retains a provincial ease, as observed in rooms like the family room, with exposed wood beams, a limestone fireplace, tiled floors and wide French doors.
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The dreamy 4.66-acre property competes in beauty with the interiors of the château. Surrounded by an 135-acre forest preserve, the private setting feels entirely ensconced in nature. After approaching the estate through the gated entrance and apple tree-lined driveway, one comes upon the mansion set in formal boxwood parterre gardens, composed of carefully manicured hedges, with mazes that invite long strolls.
In addition to walks in the labyrinthine gardens, other active pursuits include playing on the tennis court and swimming, or lounging by the pool. Beneath the stone-arched wall, the sunken pool offers a unique inner grotto space, adding to the magical quality of the estate, with an adjoining pool house and hot tub.
Although Château Ridge seems worlds, and centuries, away from the energy of New York City, all of the attractions of the city are less than an hour away by car or train. A true dream estate for those who want museum-quality majesty in an idyllic landscape.
