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Spiegel’s three-bedroom, three-bath home was recently listed for sale for $1.15 million by Realtor Sharon Bodnar Briskman of Houlihan Lawrence. Spiegel, 89, raised his family in the house, which sits on 1.37 acres. “It’s just too big for me,’’ he said.
The contemporary design was built in 1955 by Roy Johnson, a disciple of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The home was built with many unique imported materials, including an Italian tiled entry in the dining and living rooms.
There are Pecky Cypress walls, a handcrafted Smallbone kitchen with granite centers, high ceilings, a fireplace, powder room, walkout basement and heated pool. There is abundant natural light throughout the house, which is 3,700 square feet.
One aspect Spiegel especially enjoyed was the view of the Hudson River. “We still have some gorgeous sunsets in the west,’’ Spiegel said. “We have a small river view, but it used to be a grand one. The trees have really grown over the years.”
Johnson built the house as a side job when he was assisting Wright in building a development in Pleasantville. Johnson used many of the concepts he learned from Wright, who designed more than 1,000 structures. He believed in designing structures in accordance with the environment and humanity, a philosophy he called organic architecture.
The exterior is landscaped impeccably, and is another feature that Spiegel appreciated.
“It was the whole feeling of the house that I enjoyed,’’ Spiegel said. “It had sort of an Asian look to it. I still love the house. I just don’t need this much space anymore.”
