48 Elm Ridge Rd, Pennington, NJ, 08534

Sycamore Creek is a ​s​ecret hideaway of unmatched natural beauty and private tranquility. For well over a century, the original farmhouse and its 3-story barn stood nearly unchanged beside 2 picturesque ponds and the gently flowing waters of Stony Brook. Thanks to preserved surroundings, the bucolic ambiance of the 31+ acres can remain forever this unspoiled. The artfully enlarged house, however, is far from trapped in time. The structure evolved from a rambling farmhouse to a modern showplace designed for displaying world-class art to an unforgettable venue for the avid entertainer. The striking great room by NYC-based firm Stamberg and Aferiat just benefited from the addition of a bar worthy of the chicest cosmopolitan hotel. Pull up a stool beside the massive original cooking fireplace or step outside to the new outdoor kitchen. A curved wall of glass in the dining and sitting areas overlooks the heated saltwater pool with stone walls and the most glorious pair of Japanese maples, just one example of the specimen trees situated around the pond. This wing can be closed off for events or if you simply wish to keep the more intimate spaces private. Cozier areas include a library with warm grasscloth walls, a 2-story family room and adjoining sitting room bookended with fireplaces as well as a high-end kitchen renovation with a separate dining area now includes a sunny work-from-home nook with built-in desks. Another smart recent improvement was to properly connect the guest quarters via a new mudroom. This completely renovated, 4-room, skylit wing is overly hospitable with a kitchenette, pellet stove and access to the patio, where a bygone summer kitchen is positively charming. Highlights of the upper level include a study lined with carved paneling and hidden storage, as if plucked from a mystery novel, and the main suite with a barrel vaulted ceiling sheathed in wood brought in from California. Walls of cedar-lined closets, a balcony and a huge soaking tub are thoughtful amenities, but it’s the magical pond view that will get your mornings started on the right foot. While exploring the property, you will happen upon a magical tea house surrounded by pathways, plantings and a footbridge to an island–what a setting for imaginative play and outdoor adventuring! A 2-bedroom caretaker’s cottage is privately situated behind the barn, both of which are ripe with potential. This one-of-a-kind, second-to-none property is minutes from Princeton, ​nestled right between NYC and Philadelphia.