Jawdropper of the Week: Live Like a Sun King in Rydal
930 Pine Valley Circle, Rydal, Pa. 19046 | Photos by Photography Arena via Global Living Team
“La maison, c’est moi.”
This week’s Jawdropper may have you proclaiming that after you move in, for it will definitely make you feel like the ruler of your own domain.
For starters, it’s in the gated community of Rydal Green in Abington Township, so you get to control who may pass into your kingdom.
Then there’s the house itself. On the outside, it’s an attractive contemporary home in the French country estate style. But on the inside, this custom Gigliotti-built home is all Louis XIV.
The palace effect starts the moment you set foot inside the door and encounter the grand two-story entrance hall with its elegant chandelier. What makes the main floor contemporary is its free-flowing open plan; what makes it palatial are the features and architectural details. The living room features a coffered ceiling, a wet bar with ice maker and Lutron lighting system, and large windows overlooking the impeccably manicured back yard.
The formal dining room also takes you back to the ancien regime with its patterned ceiling and cherry wood trim. There’s even a touch of classicism in the more contemporary kitchen and adjoining breakfast and family rooms. The kitchen would delight Escoffier with its dual disposal-equipped sinks, generous counter space, oversized island and built-in top-drawer appliances, including a double Dacor oven and a five-burner Thermador gas cooktop.
There’s also a handsome paneled library, laundry room and powder room on the main floor.
The centerpiece of the second-floor master suite is a bedroom truly fit for a Sun King: You’ll sleep under the sunny skies every night thanks to the decorated ceiling. The master bathroom is just as luxurious, with a whirlpool bath and shower with dual shower heads.
Also upstairs are three bedrooms that are more modest but no less elegant. Two share a Jack and Jill bathroom and the third has its own en suite bath.
Downstairs you’ll find everything you need to offer your guests the royal treatment: a custom-built full bar, a home theater, and an elegant wine cellar with its own cooling system and space for 900 bottles. And for you, there’s a gym and a private office. There’s a full bathroom on the lower level as well.
The lower level opens out onto an attractive paver terrace and a beautiful back yard. And you won’t have to lift a finger to keep it beautiful, for the homeowners association takes care of all lawn maintenance and snow removal. You also have use of the community’s tennis courts and private walking trail. The home also has three separate climate control zones, a three-car garage, a security alarm system and a whole-house water softener. And, of course, there are French doors all over the place.
About the only thing this home lacks is a Hall of Mirrors. And the best thing is, you don’t have to pay a king’s ransom to enjoy it all.
THE FINE PRINT
BEDS: 5
BATHS: 4 full, 1 half
SQUARE FEET: 6,434
SALE PRICE: $1,150,000
OTHER STUFF: You’re within walking distance of Rydal Regional Rail station, and if for some reason you feel the need to get out of the house, there’s also great shopping and dining nearby.
Full disclosure: This home is being marketed by the Global Living Team, headed by Noah Ostroff; Property editor Sandy Smith was the editor of his blog before taking this position.
930 Pine Valley Circle, Rydal, Pa. 19046 [Global Living Team | Keller Williams Center City]
