Jawdropper of the Week: New Old Money in Chestnut Hill for $1.945M

On the outside, this French-inspired chateau looks like one of those classic Main Line mansions. On the inside, its layout and features are totally au courant.

3 Valley View Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19118 | TREND images via BHHS Fox & Roach

3 Valley View Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19118 | TREND images via BHHS Fox & Roach

Trompe l’oeil is a French term for an artistic practice that makes the viewer think she is looking at one thing when she’s actually seeing something else altogether. (The literal English translation is “fool the eye.”)

This week’s Jawdropper is a trompe l’oeil masterpiece that looks like an old Main Line chateau but is actually a very modern home in Chestnut Hill.

It has some of the trappings of those traditional Main Line homes, including a center entrance hall, formal living and dining rooms and a butler’s pantry. But these are all a front for the true heart of this home, which is the large open-plan space behind them that combines a soaring family room, a casual dining area and a state-of-the-art kitchen with a Viking six-burner commercial-grade range, among other high-end appliances.

Those last two rooms cloak their modernity in the language of the traditional, with coffered ceilings and classically styled cabinetry, while the family room lets its modern freak flag fly with a soaring vaulted ceiling with clerestory skylight, minimalist trim and farmhouse-style stone fireplace.

You’ll find this mix of tradition and modernity in this home’s other rooms as well. Recessed lighting and contemporary-styled chandeliers coexist harmoniously with dark mahogany paneling, wainscoting and crown moldings, for instance.

You’ll also find a full complement of the usual luxury extras found in homes like this: a master bedroom with dual walk-in closets and spa bath. A huge wine cellar and gym. A full home office plus an office nook. A third-floor guest suite with its own full bath. A stone patio with cocktail pool surrounded by a large fenced-in yard. Plenty of storage space in the basement and over the two-car garage.

And if for some reason you feel the need to get out and about, you’re a short walk away from the heart of Chestnut Hill and SEPTA Regional Rail service into Center City.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 5

BATHS: 5 full, 2 partial

SQUARE FEET: 6,300

SALE PRICE: $1,945,000

OTHER STUFF: This home is also equipped with a backup generator and central vacuum system.

3 Valley View Rd., Philadelphia, Pa. 19118 [Elise Greenberg | BHHS Fox & Roach]