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Annual house and garden tour provides rare access to one of New Jersey's exclusive estates

BY SUSAN ALAI

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

These days selling a house can be a challenge. Just ask Gloria and Herb Glatt, who put their Tudor estate in bucolic Harding Township on the market two years ago. With its 21 rooms, 34 acres and 12-car garage it's been a hard sell in a tough economy.

Enter the Women's Association of Morristown Memorial Hospital which was looking for a venue to stage the 15th Mansion in May House and Garden tour for the benefit of the hospital. This year proceeds are going to the Emergency Department, which is woefully undersized and in need of updating. Once a deal was struck, in trooped 35 designers, decorators and landscapers with their army of painters, carpenters, electricians and more to render the once traditionally furnished house into a vibrant new space.

The 100-year-old farm property was once owned by the Kirby family, whose name is synonymous with mineral holdings, railroads and inland marine transportation.

The Harding house and 11.3 acres are now priced at $5,999,000. All told, the estate with 34 acres is listed at $15,250,000.

The show house and grounds are open for the entire month of May and play a not insignificant part of the $25 million expansion of the emergency department. The Health Foundation has targeted for $4.5 million for the campaign with $500,000 pledged by the Women's Association which is responsible for the mansion project. The improvements will increase the number of beds from about 50 to 80.

This being the time of the great Recession of the oughts, however, designers were encouraged to make the most of existing cabinets and fixtures in an effort to cut down on waste and appeal to the DIY generation who would be turned off by too much rip and renew gilt and glitz. Thus the Poggenpohl cabinets in the kitchen were saved, sanded and stripped, then treated to an acrylic lacquer finish with a copper glaze by Joe Turner of Morristown. The granite countertops and island remain and look refreshed with the refurbished cabinets. Adjacent to the 20 by 16 foot kitchen is a similarly sized breakfast room.

Curren Design Associates of Mendham has rendered the wood floor in a deep Jacobean brown, giving it a Napa Valley feeling and moving away from the sunny tones of the past. The beams that were once a bright yellow now complement the floor; decorative painter Laura Zavala of Randolph "hammered and beat up wood all day" to give the room's beams and other woodwork an old wood look. "I de-stressed while distressing the wood," she laughed. What she was trying to transform was the glossy yellow oil based paint that had covered the beams during the Glatts' years in the house. Eventually the woodwork had that old, wormy look she wanted to achieve.

In the main dining room (there are two) the theme is Rhapsody in Bleu by Rachel Kapner and Creative Wallcoverings & Interiors of New Providence. Unfortunately before the firm began work, the milk glass chandelier with tinted blue hurricanes that was its inspiration was sold for some $14,000 in a house sale. Now it was time to punt. The designers soldiered on and found a new chandelier in pale greenish blue Murano glass.

Although it's a large house on three floors, there are plenty of nooks and spaces for family members to gather for fun or quiet time. Turning the notion of the gentleman's library on its head, Nina Karamallis has dubbed the space by British Home Emporium A Sexy Little Library, meant more for the ladies than the gents. The home was named Fawn Hill Farm by the Glatts.

There are fireplaces in the breakfast room, facing dining rooms that are mirror images of each other, the bedrooms and of course, the guest cottage. Fireplaces are to be expected in such a grand place, but they were painted and enhanced with new decorative trim which may remain or can be removed once new owners take custody of the house. What will surely catch visitors' attention is the basement level bowling alley with adjacent bar and movie screening room.

As with most show houses, themes abound: the master bedroom has been named "A Place for Grace" in honor of the actress Grace Kelly. The room has been designed by Interior Decisions and Karla Trincanello of Florham Park. On the third floor is a guest bedroom referred to as Edith Wharton's Retreat by Joan Eisen Interiors in Morristown.

Outside, the transformation continues with garden designs and landscaping by some 20 professionals. A sense of humor keeps things light, whether it's a giant cornucopia made from a tree that once grew on the property. The Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass themed side gardens by Helen Grundmann Garden Design of Frenchtown add a playful touch. A Mad Hatter's tea party is set in the upper garden just like in the Lewis Carroll stories. Pink flamingo figures serve as croquet mallets and the balls are formed from toy stuffed animal hedgehogs.

In keeping with the First Ladies' initiative, a garden on the other side of the estate will be used to grow vegetables which will then be donated to the Interfaith Food Pantry. Thus the renaissance of this house and garden will be complete.

The mansion is open Monday through Sunday. Tickets are $30, 25 for senior citizens. For more information go to www.mansioninmay.com.