Photographs courtesy Houlihan Lawrence.
From indoor lap lanes to disco dance floors and NBA-worthy basketball courts, Fairfield and Westchester county homes boast some HIGH-end indoor recreational features:
In the swim
Swimming pools thread WAG country. (Think of the story “The Swimmer” by the late Ossining resident John Cheever, which was filmed in Westport.) A $7.7 million Colonial home in Greenwich features a full-size indoor pool with abundant natural light for year-round fun. A full bath, sauna and changing room complement it and the equally large outdoor pool for a spa effect. (The home also includes an indoor greenhouse.)
There is always the more modest indoor lap lane — although the one found in a $3.4 million Greenwich home is anything but modest. This submarine-like pool features portholes, a second-level spiral staircase and a curved ceiling bathed in turquoise reflections from underwater lighting that help to create a mix of nautical style and secluded grotto ambiance.
The house’s modern design includes numerous sliding doors providing open lines of sight and connecting the indoor pool directly to the home’s entertainment room and custom-shaped outdoor pool.
Arcades, theaters and gardens
On those days when the heat and humidity have the upper hand, homeowners with indoor entertainment ranging from arcades and theaters to basketball courts and bowling lanes are especially lucky.
The all-in-one home theater, arcade, dance floor and workout room in one Rye home is a playland for children and adults alike.
Designed by the homeowner, the $2.4 million residence features a multi-themed basement, including takes on a 1950s diner and the New York subway system and even a tropical cave bathroom complete with a replica stone toilet, sink and multihead open rain shower.
For those especially rainy days, skipping the lines and crowds at the movie theaters is made easy with the home’s in-house projection screen. Meanwhile, a $6.5 million home in Old Greenwich blends box office and billiards with an in-house projection screen movie theater, bar and pool table, all overlooking the Long Island Sound.
Competitive recreation
For sports’ enthusiasts, many high-end homes feature indoor basketball courts, not the least of which is the 52-foot by 36-foot basketball court in former New York Knick Allan Houston’s $19.9 million home in Armonk, which also has a top-of-the-line fitness room.
The house in Old Greenwich mentioned above also boasts an indoor basketball court (not quite the size of Houston’s) on its second floor.
Basketball courts are popular, but perhaps the crème de la crème of indoor recreation is the regulation AMF bowling alley inside a $2.5 million home in Pound Ridge.
