Vezelay, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Feb 10th 2011 at 1:01PM

Today Concierge Auctions takes you away to Vezelay, a sprawling equestrian estate in Unionville, Pennsylvania. This home on 51.9 acres goes up for sale on May 10. The property includes a six-stall custom barn and a more than 9,000-square-foot residence. The sale is being conducted in cooperation with Brett Jones and Karen Nader of Brandywine Fine Properties Sotheby's International Realty. The property was originally listed for $6.969 million.

"Vezelay is a true escape, offering rural relaxation, panoramic views, a custom barn and direct access to the Laurels Preserve, a permanently protected natural area," Nader stated. "This property is not just a residence, it's a lifestyle. We look forward to working with Concierge Auctions to find its new owners."

The main home has open, cathedral ceilings leading to a living room with a wood-burning fireplace and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Laurels Preserve. Also on the first floor, the chef's kitchen offers arguably some of the best views of the property, and the master bedroom suite is complete with a sitting room with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a fireplace. On the second floor of the main home, two bedrooms each offer convenient en-suite bathrooms for guests. The lower level is home to a media room that looks out to the large heated pool. Another bedroom suite includes a walk-in closet and a full bath.

The home was enlarged in 2007 with a two-story addition with additional rooms and amenities. Accessible from the courtyard and the garage or from the main home's interior sunroom and nearby hallway, is the mud room. The addition also has an office and an assistant's office. The office is equipped with two desks and has direct access to a half bathroom between it and a 400-square-foot studio space, which features cathedral ceilings and ample storage below. The second floor of the addition includes a kitchenette, two additional bedrooms and a full bathroom. Two very unique additional spaces include a dollhouse room and a Breyer horse room for children to play.

Outside there is the pool and Jacuzzi spa. Designed by resident Charlotte du Pont Donaldson D'Arcy, the barn has a large tack room, feed room, heated wash stall, main level hay storage, workshop and three oversized garage bays while the second level of the barn has air-conditioned and heated squash court and a small basketball court.

The "live" auction of the Vezelay Estate will be held on May 10. The property is available for preview daily by appointment. For more information call 866-822-0874 or visit www.VezelayAuction.com.

Tags: concierge auctions, estate of the day, pennsylvania real estate, real estate auctions, unionville

Filed under: Estates

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Mikki Feb 10th 2011 1:10PM

I certainly would expect more in the way of interior decorating from a house of this caliber. Some of the rooms look like they are just thrown together; other rooms are too dark and didn't photograph well. All in all, seems second class work.

monet Feb 10th 2011 1:28PM

I'm inclined to agree. Much of the artwork looks quickly thrown on the walls without in consistency. I think stripped of all the decorating the home itself has potential.

What's the purpose of the concrete slab in the backyard? Its the 5th pic above following the description

Spectacular Bid Feb 10th 2011 1:43PM

I'm not thrilled about the overall package of this house and perhaps that's why it hasn't found a buyer in some time. The price they've been marketing it for (even with 51 acres) is a steep pitch compared to others in the area.

The problem isn't the land or location. The latter is certainly desirable as its in Chester County's noted horsey region (it falls under Newlin Township) and some of the biggest, old money names in PA are a quick gallop away: from the Dorrance and Strawbridge families (Campbell Soup) to the families behind Comcast and Urban Outfitters.

In fact the property - for what its worth - comes with its own cache as the builder/owner is a du Pont heiress.

The forecourt facade is fine (but unremarkable) but then in the rear it looks like any overblown suburban house without much architectural guidance. I adore stucco and stone as building materials but something is just odd about the presentation here. Inside the rooms are fairly generic and maybe its just me for the price point but I would've strongly suggested professionally staging the rooms. Too much personal clutter and frankly the furniture (while not part of the sale) looks cheap thus detracts from any prospective buyer.

It will find a buyer, but like many other recent auctions by this Sotheby's affiliate this will likely go at a firesale price.