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The sprawling home at 450 Claremont Road in Bernardsville has been fully renovated by fashion designer Marc Ecko, CEO of Eckō Unlimited and founder of Complex Magazine.
It's on the market for $13.75 million, with Turpin Real Estate, Inc.
Ecko's home, which at one point served as a school, sits on 32 acres and boasts 13 bathrooms, 7 bedrooms, and spans 20,000 square feet.
Did we mention, it's a smart house?
Ecko, who grew up in Lakewood and attended pharmacy school at Rutgers University, moved to the five-story, palatial estate in 2005, before reconceptualizing it into a family-based space.
"It's a very unique offering because the way that the Eckos renovated it is truly a comfortable space,” realtor Jill Turpin tells Daily Voice. “It’s for a family which I think is what makes it so unique.”
The seven-year family-centric modernization process included “gutting” the home entirely — even ripping out a staircase near the double-doored entrance, according to Forbes.
"The original interior appointments of the home have all been painstakingly restored with the greatest of care," the Zillow listing reads. "The whimsical and eclectic interior design is the perfect counterpoint to the home's classical architecture."
The gymnasium once used by students has been converted into a modern basketball court, complete with a kitchenette and loft, which Turpin described as an "incredible asset."
Other features include a two-story family room, a terracotta terrace with an outdoor kitchen, an elevator, a poolhouse, and perhaps most charming, a rooftop deck with views “as far as the eyes can see,” the listing says.
While luxury properties may be more common in Bernardsville, renovations like the Eckos’ are anything but.
“We have a lot of these era houses in our area and a lot of them have been renovated but nothing like the renovation that the Eckōs have done,” Turpin says.
“It just exudes warmth and you can understand how you can live there."
A separate 10-acre parcel is also being included with the lot, making the home “well-priced for what it is,” says Turpin.
"I know it’s almost 20,000 square feet, but it’s just a comfortable home," Turpin said. "The way they have designed it just feels very good.”
Click here to view the full Zillow listing.
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