Wow House With A History: The Bauhaus School In Scarsdale

SCARSDALE, NY — An amazing bit of history is on sale in Scarsdale. The house at 39 Penny Lane, on the market for $2,998,000, was designed and built in 1937 by Paul M. Doering, who studied at the Bauhaus school but left Germany when the Nazis closed the school. He emigrated to the United States and built this house for his parents.

Made of cement and steel, it was recognized early on for its use of Bauhaus principles of design and engineering. It was featured in a 1943 issue of House Beautiful in an article on modernism.

Bauhaus architecture's characteristics include functional shapes, abstract shapes used sparingly for decor, simple color schemes, holistic design, and basic industrial materials like concrete, steel, and glass.

"The space is magnificent. It’s been fully restored while being preserved and sits on one full acre, which is rare around these parts as you know," listing agent Owen Berkowitz told Patch. "It's a remarkable, authentic Bauhaus. This house is so stunning it was featured in an issue of House Beautiful. I found a copy on Etsy and bought it!"

Walls of glass block, clean lines, enormous open spaces, soaring ceilings, steel stair railings and floor to ceiling windows invite a cinematic amount of light that bathes the brand new hand-lain herring-bone oak flooring which is in keeping with the clean linear sightlines.

Wood and windows make strong accents, bringing warmth and light year-round into the living spaces.

What's new? The highlights include an all new butler's pantry with one of two Bosch dishwashers, the brand-new kitchen with a Bertazzoni induction range, Viking refrigerator and built in microwave with lots of space for gourmet cooks and lots of light for cooking, Berkowitz said in the listing.

The 5,400-sq.ft. home includes eight bedrooms, four fireplaces and a plethora of balconies and patios. Sited on a gentle rise, it has a mature garden with specimen plantings.

It has all new Marvin windows & doors which carefully echo the original steel casements, new HVAC system, new copper cladding & flashing, interior and exterior paint, pointing, new roof membrane, new electrical panel, outlets & switches and all new bathrooms with Carrera marble tile work.

What's original and restored? Olive knob door hinges, built-ins everywhere, the lounge, stair rails, exterior stone stairway from the patio to the lower yard, and the balconies (with new bluestone surfaces and railings), Berkowitz said in the listing.

It has been thoughtfully preserved with an eye toward modern comforts and utility while holding on to the singular purpose and intrinsic beauty of the original vision, Christie's International Real Estate Group said in the listing. "Privacy, Property & Provenance on Penny!"