Beth Levene likes to tell
people that she found her house at a garage sale. It's actually
true. In early 2004, she was hosting a tag sale to clear debris
from her home in South Orange when she began talking to a female
shopper. The woman mentioned she lived up the road and was
planning to put her place on the market.
Beth, 45, became very
interested when she realized the woman was referring to the
"Mushroom House," a unique building, well known in the area.
Designed by architect Neander
Montgomery Woods in 1922, the building was given its name
because the roof line does indeed resemble a mushroom. Cedar
plank shingles are steamed and bent giving the roof its
free-flowing, deep overhanging "thatched" appearance. The
exterior of the house is built from locally quarried stone.
Referred to as a romantic revival, the style resembles a Tudor
cottage. Driving by, one could imagine seeing Hansel and Gretel
walk out the front door.
A smaller version of the house
exists less than half a mile away. Designed by Woods around the
same time, it too is stone with a sloping organic roof. The
owners, Bob and Carolyn Iglesias, refer to it as something you
would see in a story book. "Children love it, there is something
very friendly and funky about it," says Carolyn.
There is little known about the
architect, other than, before he moved east from Memphis in
1912, his firm, in which he was a partner with his brother
Everett, designed and built 500 homes between 1906 - 1912. In
the book "Memphis, An Architectural Guide," author Eugene
Johnson describes Woods as inventive, noting he was prone to use
"a mixture of textures and materials (including dramatically cut
rock-faced stone) diagonal porte-cocheres, a variety of roof
shapes and trefoil dormers."
Unable to hide her excitement,
Beth told her husband, Stuart, 52, they had to see the place --
immediately. He agreed, yet the minute they walked in he said,
"absolutely not." The large leaded windows were hung with heavy
drapes, making the interior dark and dreary, and every available
surface was overflowing with tchotchkes. It was impossible, he
said, to see future potential. Outside, as well, the gardens and
trees were wildly overgrown, making the house even darker. He
described the house as "depressing."
Beth disagreed. One look at the
huge leaded glass window in the living room depicting the voyage
of Christopher Columbus and she was sold. Other unique features
like the 24-foot ceiling in the living room, mahogany paneled
walls in the dining room and leaded glass windows throughout the
house, some embedded with colorful glass elves, seduced her.
Everywhere she looked, she was awed - the fireplace mantel,
carved with Christ and his apostles, the arched bedroom doors,
and the glassed-in office (which would eventually become
Stuart's favorite respite). She knew the place had to be theirs.
Eventually Stuart agreed, under
one condition, brightening the interior would be a top priority.
By the end of the year, without ever going on the market, the
house was theirs for $1.2 million.
With their children from their
blended families, Liz Levene, 24, Courtney Slaton, 23, John
Levene, 22 and Jack Levene, 5, they moved in in December 2004.
The first major undertaking was
to remove 30 prickly bushes and six problem trees from the
property and then aggressively trim back remaining overgrowth
including an army of pine trees. The difference afterward,
Stuart says, was incredible. Sunlight flooded the once dark
rooms, making the house instantly cheerful. It didn't take long
for him to appreciate Beth's vision.
For those looking in from the
outside, the change was obvious, as well. Hidden behind greenery
for years, the building was once again open and visible. It was
right about this time that Beth and Stuart realized there is
something about the house that draws the attention and emotion
of outsiders. "We had neighbors and perfect strangers telling us
what to do with the lawn," says Stuart, an attorney. "Some were
upset we cut the trees, others wanted us to cut more." He
laughs, adding, "Lots of direction, but no one offered to pay
the bill."
Beth, a claims manager in the
reinsurance business, laughs at all the attention. An easy
going, no nonsense personality, she said some of the stranger
events they've encountered include the couple who came to the
door one Christmas saying they had eight o'clock dinner
reservations. Other times they have had people stop in to
schedule a play time on their tennis court and others have asked
if a pool will be added to the property in the near future.
They refer to their decorating
style as a fusion of junk. "I like a good bargain," Beth says.
"When our friends are getting rid of something they know who to
call." With young Jack riding his bicycle around the
40-foot-long living room, and running free in the remaining
6,500 square feet of living space, there is little need to leave
precious items on display. Yet, even if they could they
wouldn't. The Levene's prefer, they say, easy and casual. A no
fuss farm table is used in the dining room and an arrangement of
comfortable seating by Baker furnishes the living room.
Former owner (twice removed)
Sharon Goldman, says she preferred a grand interior when she
lived in the Mushroom House from 1974 to 1999. "It was a
wonderful home to entertain in," she said, recalling the New
Year's Eve celebrations she hosted as well as her son's bar
mitzvah. "Everyone who saw the house loved it," she said.
"Especially me. It was a great place to live, so unique."
She too was aware of the
special attention the house garnered. When she first moved in,
rumors circulated that singer Dionne Warwick had bought it. For
months, there was a steady stream of people knocking at the door
hoping to get an autograph. Another time she was cleaning the
house in relaxed garb when she looked up and saw a class of
architectural students peering in the window. New shrubs were
planted soon after.
Her favorite story, she said,
was the garage sale she held prior to selling the house (to the
family who then sold to the Levenes). Not wanting a slew of
people inside, she noted a $5 entry fee in the ad. The morning
of the sale it was raining. Regardless, there were 200 people in
line waiting. She never intended to collect the $5 and didn't.
Down the road, Carolyn and Bob
Iglesias believe their Mushroom House is a gem as well. Living
there since 1983, they describe the house as a treasure. The
attention to detail is incredible, Carolyn said, noting the Tree
of Life design in the living room window. She refers to the
house as unusually romantic and said she never tires of its
beauty. "People know it, watch it and cherish it," she
explained. "It may be our home, but in some ways we're just the
caretakers."
Where to go
Visit the Levene home at the
corner of South Orange and North Wyoming avenues.
The Historical Gems in South
Orange House Tour is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets are $20 in advance or
$25 the day of the tour.
To order tickets: call (973)
762-7078 or order online: www.sohps.org.
© 2007 The Star
Ledger
© 2007 NJ.com
All Rights Reserved.
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