WESTFIELD — What makes a home “notable?” Is it architecture, furnishings, layout, design? Of course, it’s a combination of items which makes each home unique. Last Saturday’s fundraiser for the New Jersey Festival Orchestra (NJFO), their 37th “A Tour of Notable Homes,” offered hundreds of curious people from Westfield and the surrounding area to get a peek at some gorgeous abodes.
People who were eager to see the inside of each home were given blue booties to don before entering. Friends of NJFO volunteered as docents in every house, and were stationed on each floor, pointing out special features and unique pieces. Docent Christine Fiorenza shared that she was having a ball informing the guests on specifics in the living room at the Dudley Street home of Richard Sherman and Lorraine Davis. She commented on the Janus Chesterfield sofa about which owner Lorraine joked as she posed for a picture, “I tell my guests that this is the spot where I can hear them talk behind my back!” But one of the unique highlights of the home is the decorative use of yardsticks. There were end tables, coffee tables, cocktail tables, mirror frames, and a huge kitchen table with tops made from yardsticks that were given away to customers years ago. They were stamped with logos and addresses of the paint and hardware stores that existed long before Home Depot or Lowe’s became omnipresent. When Mr. Sherman was asked by one of the guests as to his collection, he couldn’t give a definitive answer about how his passion for yardsticks grew. Their 1904 Craftsman home in historic Dudley Park is the only one of the five homeowners that did not have professional designers to guide their choices and placement of their collection of tools, period pieces, and eclectic items that are uniquely theirs.
Another homeowner who generously opened her doors is Miriam (Mimi) Verga, designer of Mimi and Hill in Westfield, an enthusiastic hostess who welcomed the visitors to her home. She shared lots of “before” pictures from her phone. When she and her husband bought the home on Orenda Circle, she said she was concerned about noise from nearby Rt. 22 traffic. Yet standing in the lavish dining room and gazing through doublewide, opened sliding glass doors, the guests could only hear a delightful waterfall emanating from the pool just a few steps from the house. What a perfect spot for entertainment both inside and outdoors. The outside space, designed by Marc Nissim of Harmony Design Group in Westfield, boasts a lovely pool with three waterfall treatments, two-tiered entertainment area with hot tub, comfy seating, outside dining set-up, and a clubhouse for children. The Verga home juxtaposes older architecture with smart upgrades, modern design, and an unbeatable harmony with the outdoors.
At many of the homes, harmony of beautiful music was provided by teens in the Junior Musical Club of Westfield. The musical duo of Tyler Reed and Ankush Sathe were stationed in the historic neighborhood of Stoneleigh Park at the Harrison’s residence. The family purchased the house in 2020 looking to keep all the historic interior architecture. Anastasia Harrison is an architect and designer, so she knew what she wanted to do. She said the restoration “was a dream come true – it was an opportunity to honor a century of history and charm while creating a space that is livable for the 21st century.” Her home is featured in the current edition of New Jersey’s Home & Design Magazine, Design NJ, with loads of before and after pictures that capture how amazing the transformation really was. Their backyard is a perfect oasis with a firepit, pool and lovely cabana that provides shade and a conversation spot.
NOTABLE HOMES INSIDE AND OUT…The Harrison residence is one of the featured homes from Saturday’s New Jersey Festival Orchestra’s “A Tour of Notable Homes” fund-raising event. The backyard provides a calming respite with a gorgeous pool, fire pit and comfortable conversation grouping in a gazebo. Being recognized by the Westfield Historic Preservation Commission, the 1905 landmark Dutch Colonial home is an excellent example of the first period of Colonial Revival construction in Stoneleigh Park.
Another of the featured homes is on Shadowlawn Drive, the Levitt residence. That home and the Goodstadt residence on Scotch Plains Avenue were both designed and constructed by Michael Robert Construction and Ellie Mroz Design. The Westfield group advertise as “One Stop Shop Home Design/Build/Furnish” and their work proves it. Clean, contemporary colors prevail, and perfect use of space and light is evident. The Goodstadt residence on Scotch Plains Avenue can boast notoriety having been featured in Modern Farmhouse Style magazine.
Is it a unique window seat? Or lots of airiness and light that makes a home one that could be a dream home? Is it a soaking tub that Hollywood stars might have that makes it desirable? Whatever style one prefers, there was something for everyone to take away from the self- guided tour. This tour was not a contest to see which home was “the best” but the clear winners were the guests who took with them ideas to spark their own creative designs.
