See inside $7M ‘timeless’ European-style mansion at auction in NC mountains
Jim and Marie Hefley are holding an online auction June 12 of their $6.95-million classic European-style mansion in the North Carolina mountains.
The couple has always loved the “comfy, cozy” feel of their nearly 10,800-square-foot Biltmore Forest estate, Marie Hefley, a 71-year-old retired IBM marketing executive, told The Charlotte Observer.
Located at 9 Brooklawn Chase, the custom chateau was built in 1995 with the guidance of noted Asheville-area architect Robert Griffin and interior designer Anne Cooper, according to its listing.
The couple told Griffin they wanted a “light and airy” feel to the mansion, with lots of windows, and left the rest of the design to him, Marie Hefley said. The couple used many local artisans and craftsmen on the mansion, she said.
They’re auctioning their home because “it’s time to downsize while we’re still in good health,” 85-year-old Jim Hefley told the Observer. He retired as a partner in a New York metropolitan area management consulting firm with clients worldwide.
The couple had a primary home in Montvale, New Jersey, before moving to North Carolina. Before their nearly 4-acre Biltmore Forest estate, they lived at private Lake Toxaway, 50 miles southwest of Asheville between Brevard and Cashiers in Transylvania County.
They wanted the mansion to include features reflecting the estates they’d seen on their European travels, they said.
“When we did the interior, we wanted it to look like it was 200 years old,” Marie Hefley said, citing one example of their vision for the home.
Custom metal work, grand terrace
The Hefleys’ three-level, five-bedroom chateau includes large, light-filled rooms, pillowed limestone floor in the foyer to the formal living and dining area, and a formal living room with 20-foot high ceilings and a crystal chandelier.
Custom metal work by George Dixon and a marble-finished, conservatory-style master bathroom overlooking a private garden also highlight the home.
A Venetian portico with 25-foot arches and large cast-stone columns graces the front entrance to the home.
The mansion has a grand two-level terrace, and copper accents the towers and roof ridges of the estate, according to its listing.
The formal living room has a fireplace, molding details and custom metal work by Dixon. French doors open to the back terrace.
French honey-toned cabinetry
A light-filled private owner’s suite includes a fire place, a back-lit tray ceiling, walk-in closets, access to the terrace, and a marble-finished conservatory bathroom with a jetted tub and glass walk-in shower.
A sunken family room between the breakfast room and kitchen includes an imported antique Syrian light fixture and a custom fireplace.
The conservatory-style breakfast room overlooks the Venetian portico and includes a large glass-topped table with two historic wine cask bases.
A gourmet kitchen includes French honey-toned maple cabinetry and large granite counter tops. A butler’s pantry in the kitchen connects with the formal dining room, which has a custom chandelier, floral crown molding and double French doors that lead to the terrace and a built-in grill.
Three guest rooms with walk-in closets and full bathrooms are on the second floor. A rooftop terrace is off the first guest room, and a balcony overlooking the estate is off a second guest room. A fourth guest bedroom serves as a sitting room.
The two-level terrace has concrete square and round columns and handrail medallions, and Gothic arches that Griffin designed. A courtyard below the terrace has a lion fountain and views of greenery.
’Testament to timeless elegance’
The mansion also has imported tile, leaded glass accent windows, gargoyles, and cast stone fireplaces.
One of Jim Hefley’s favorite rooms is the 2,500-book Renaissance-style library, which he described as cozy. The library, created by Carl Giesenschlag of Wildwood Studios in Asheville, has cherry woodwork, custom wood floors and a separate office room for computer and file storage.
“I love reading in there,” Jim Hefley said about the library.
The mansion “is a testament to timeless elegance,” said Scott Kirk, president and CEO of Interluxe Auctions.
The home also is minutes from the private, member-only Biltmore Forest Country Club, founded in 1922 by the Vanderbilt family and well known for its history and Donald Ross golf course, according to Interstate Auctions.
The mansion was on the market for about a year before the couple decided to auction it, Jim Hefley said. Many buyers of such large homes these days want a more modern contemporary-style, he said.
To the Hefleys, their home not only exudes grandeur but has the lived-in feel they sought.
And they’ll still be able to admire the home: They’re moving 2.7 miles away to Deerfield, the Episcopal retirement community on Hendersonville Road in Asheville.
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9 Brooklawn Chase auction
The auction is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, June 12, at www.interluxe.com. Bidding starts at $1.75 million.
Online previews are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
The estate is offered in cooperation with Marilyn Wright of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.
For more information about the property, including due diligence and procedures for registering to bid, visit www.interluxe.com/12545.
Find auction terms and conditions at www.interluxe.com.
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