Schools

Hundreds Attend 30th Annual Rye House Tour

The tour, a fundraiser for Rye High School, featured five multi-million dollar homes.

Anyone who has ever wanted to know how the other half lives got their wish granted on Friday, when hundreds of people were given an inside peek into some of Rye's most lavish homes during the 30th annual Rye House Tour.

More than 750 attended the tour, the sole fundraiser for the Rye High School Parent Organization. Attendees were charged $50 a person for the tour or $75 for the tour and luncheon at the Manursing Island Club. All the proceeds will fund scholarships and school programs.

The tour included five homes—Neal and Alison Stearn and Pam and Rob Kindler's Dogwood Lane homes; Gary and Julie Killian and Will and Joan Steere's Forest Avenue homes; and the "Green House," one of a few homes in the area that meets all the criteria for a Full Energy Star Rating and is LEED certifiable. The house is currently on the market for close to $7 million.

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All the multi-million homes had thousands of square footage and featured amenities such as a media room, wine cellar, library, lush gardens and a copper-roofed gazebo.

Though the tour helped to raise money for a good cause, most of the people who attended said curiosity—and getting some home design ideas—were the main reasons they came.

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"I'm fascinated with houses, so I'm getting all kinds of ideas," said new homeowner Rebecca Amissah, of Elmsford, as she toured a nautical-themed room in the Steere's home.

Amissah's friend, Rye resident Maureen Milet, said she loved seeing the different design sensibilities of each homeowner.

"It's just interesting to see the personality of people," she said.  

For others, the Rye House Tour is a yearly treat.

 "I think that every home is just so beautiful, with all the decorations and the different knick knacks," said Paula Sachs of Rye Brook, who has been coming to the tour for the last seven years.

Joan Specter, Sachs' friend, said it was her second tour and that she could not resist coming.

"I just wanted that flavor again, so that I could go home and rearrange my whole house," Specter joked.

On the tour, which was mostly attended by women, you could hear constant amazement as people entered a new room, with many of them pointing out features they wanted to incorporate into their own homes.

"I love this!" one woman remarked as she entered the Killian's bar area and media room, which featured stainless steel bar tops, silver leaf wallpaper, a plasma TV and walnut flooring.

Others loved the Kindler's backyard terrace, the Steere's unique theme for every room, and the Green House's 3,000 square foot lower level that featured a wine cellar, home theatre and family room.

Gabirele McGuckien, whose three daughters went to Rye High School, has been on five Rye House Tours. She said she is always astounded by how luxurious many of the homes are.

"Some are absolutely breathtaking. It's more like a museum than a home where somebody lives," she said. "It must be nice to have so much money that you can buy anything you want and put it in your house."


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