Photographs by John Rizzo and Julia B. Fee/Sotheby’s
The gracious stone Georgian Colonial home on Quaker Center in the Heathcote section of Scarsdale is what many admirers see as the quintessential residence of its time and place.
Built in 1938 and now something of a local landmark, the home has been owned by Wendy and Ira Weinstein for 30 years. It has embraced their family, served as a repository for the couple’s extensive collection of Modern and contemporary art and been a gathering place for adult friends and children to enjoy the tennis court and natural-form pool.
“We have absolutely loved living in this home,” Ira Weinstein says. “We raised our four children here and the place was always full of fun and laughter. As our children grew older, their friends flocked here, enjoying the pool and, depending on the season, turning part of our big backyard into a soccer, football, lacrosse, football or baseball field. It has always been a busy, happy place.”
Weinstein says when he and his wife looked at the iconic home with its classic half-circle driveway for the first time, their immediate reaction was “This is it.” They did not look at another house.
The 4,500-square-foot home had everything the couple wanted — classic proportions, plenty of spacious rooms and more than two acres of rolling green lawns with mature specimen trees and plantings.
STELLAR DISPLAY OF ART
Inside, the Quaker Center house is home to the couple’s extraordinary collection of art, acquired over the past decades.
“We have been collecting since the early 1980s,” Weinstein says. “We tend to look for contemporary art. We have well over 50 pieces in all media, including sculpture. Some sculpture is displayed outside.”
Some of the best-known artists in the couple’s collection include Lichtenstein, Warhol, Johns, Chagall, Miro, Stella, Calder and Rothenberg. There are dozens of other luminaries’ work displayed throughout the home, including oil paintings, photographs, sculptures and ceramics. The art was acquired from major auction houses, including Sotheby’s and Christie’s, as well as the private market.
“We make adjustments to the collection from time to time,” Weinstein says. “Although large, it is still a work in progress.”
All of the art on display in the Weinstein home is presented in beautiful context, with plenty of wall space left bare to offset the art to the best effect.
DESIGN ELEMENTS
The graceful flow of the rooms in the home heightens the effect of peace and repose created by architect Hunter McDonnell, well-known in his time for his orderly, classic design and careful attention to detailing such as beautiful, deep-silled windows, some with window seats, and French doors.
White walls and burnished wood floors link the home’s foyer, with its gracefully curved staircase and fan-lit front door, to the large living room and den, both with fireplaces, and the grand formal dining room. A study is located adjacent to the foyer.
A spacious modern kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances and cabinetry, a morning room and a generous connecting family room with a cathedral ceiling complete the first floor. All of the rooms are bright and many look out onto the home’s lovely flagstone patio and other outdoor amenities.
The upstairs includes six bedrooms with a large master suite that has a marble-floored luxury bath and walk-in closets. Family bedrooms and additional bathrooms complete the second floor.
Reflecting on his 30 years in his home, Weinstein says it provided much happiness to his entire family and still does. “We now have nine grandchildren and they come here often. From the start, we have always wanted the house to be full of kids, their friends and our friends. Now that everyone is a bit older, it’s the youngest generation who are the most frequent visitors. Our rooms are ample in size, no one ever feels constricted and we have our wonderful grounds outside to provide plenty of space and things to do.”
When the kids are not around, Weinstein says he and his wife love the generous acreage and its quiet ambiance. “The grounds are beautiful and the specimen trees and plantings lovely at all times of the year.”
But as much as they love their home, Weinstein says it’s now time to downsize. “All of our kids are on their own and it’s two people living in a big house that goes three-quarters empty. We do have a few pangs, because we have been very happy here.”
The house is now listed with Jennifer Baldinger of Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty at $3,750,000. For more, email jennifer.baldinger@juliabfee.com or call her at 914-713-2022.
