Over the river and through the woods is a familiar re-frain for the owners of this luxury Bavarian–style hunting lodge nestled on 26 woodsy acres in Far Hills, N.J.—about 60 minutes outside New York City. The homeowners, both of whom are proud hunters of wild game, fish and antiques, always dreamed of having a country place to showcase their proud finds. They hunted, of course, for nearly 10 years to find the perfect out-of-the-city hideaway.
 
The beauty of the estate lies in its timelessness: Very little has changed since the turn of the century when New York City’s railroad and industrial money established their grand hunting estates in the verdant, lush New Jersey hills. Part of the property’s charm is the journey—driving up the winding, three-quarter-mile entry road that leads up the mountain to the 14,000-square-foot lodge perched on the pinnacle. (Click image to enlarge)

Constructed of reclaimed barn timber and New England cottage stone, the lodge overlooks Ravine Lake, which sits 100 feet down the mountain. The bright-orange sunsets that reflect across the lake inspired architect Jeff Beer, of Beer & Coleman Architects in Piscataway, N.J., to give the home a western orientation.Concealed within the home’s rustic grandeur and varied textures is an elite automation system orchestrated by custom installer Joe McNeill of Electronics Design Group (EDG), also in Piscataway.  The fully integrated AMX control system—complete with wireless touchscreens in the master bedroom, great room and theater—communicates with the balance of the home’s many systems, including the multiroom audio system, the Lutron lighting system, the heating and air conditioning system and the security system.

  All the requisite technological trappings are integrated into the cozy, rustic decor. The theater’s overhead video projector is concealed within a custom hush box that contains the noise produced by the projector’s fan. Compartments for speakers and other equipment nestle cozily into the custom-built cabinetry. In keeping with the home’s Ralph Lauren inspired look, a bright plaid was selected to upholster the chairs, adding a touch of color and drama to the space. (Click images to enlarge)

The man of the house, a self-proclaimed techie, demanded that his cabin in the woods be equipped with a top-shelf sound system, but neither he or his wife wanted the 30 pairs of speakers to be even slightly visible. That charge in itself was McNeill’s biggest challenge. Working in tandem with a high-end millwork company, EDG created custom wrought iron and wood grilles that blend into the cabinetry.

Since this is the homeowners’ first home theater, McNeill helped them experience the various levels of audiovisual systems he could design by touring them through several homes automated by EDG. “With the newest sound and visuals, [a home theater] is much more exciting than being in a real movie theater,” the husband says.The tavern–like theater accommodates 12 guests with ease. Its knotty pine and timber beam design with 12-foot-tall ceilings complements the Bavarian hunting lodge theme nicely. Chairs are upholstered in a Ralph Lauren Adirondack plaid, selected by the wife, who designed the interiors of the space with the help of their daughter. Today, family and friends gather in the home theater regularly to enjoy movies and sporting events—that is, of course, when the grandchildren are not monopolizing the space for video game escapades.

Beamed ceilings and wood-and-plaster walls add visual interest to the inviting breakfast sitting room, which is part of the extended kitchen. The 27-inch Sony Wega TV that’s set within the antique hutch is one of 20 TVs in the home. The Tiffany ceiling fixture of emerald and amber glass reflects the hues of the leaden glass windows in the kitchen. Dried, wheat-like beer hops found on a trip through California’s wine country are wired into a valence that tops the breakfast room windows, which open up to Ravine Lake. (Click image to enlarge)

To prepare the site for construction, access roads were carved out of the wilderness and 30,000 cubic yards of rock and dirt were moved to the top of the mountain to create a level foundation. From the moment that construction began, the dream cabin became “a three-year, every day project,” says the wife, who hunted for antique treasures from Key West to Maine and Montana, and used her finds in nontraditional ways. For example, after she became enamored with dried beer hops she saw during a trip to California’s wine country, she wired them into a valence that tops the breakfast room windows. “Every room had to have charm,” she says, adding that the best antiquing took place in what she calls historic New Jersey.“[We used] special things we found in our travels.”

Inspired by the grand lodges the homeowners have visited during various hunting trips, from Alaska to Africa, the great room features high efficiency windows caulked in rough framing and walls of reclaimed barn floor wood and plaster. (Click image to enlarge)

The architect, meanwhile, still waxes poetic about the 100-year-old reclaimed wood that lines the entryway’s ceiling. Rescued from a Midwestern mushroom factory, the nearly petrified wood, used for mushroom storage bins, boasts tremendous texture. Walls and floors throughout are composed of logs and more reclaimed wood, rich with knotholes and blemishes.The home’s spirit of coziness is established in the great room. Walls are clad in an ingenious pattern of 2-inch-thick barn flooring and cement plaster. The airy space is framed with Arts and Crafts–style windows, which provide a front-row view of the magnificent sunsets, the architect says.
    
Intentionally devoid of draperies, the main living areas welcome in the stunning vistas of Mother Nature. Woven into the space is a 57-inch high-definition Sony XBR television accompanied by six speakers and a subwoofer, all of which vanish behind the doors of the custom cabinetry when not in use. Three pairs of speakers from the Sonance DR series hide within the beamed ceilings.

The master suite’s plasma TV is contained in an antique armoire from Atlanta. Its mate was disassembled by a carpenter and used to build the elaborate bed frame. The draperies are a blend of Ralph Lauren taffeta and antique French needlepoint. (Click image to enlarge)

In addition to the rustic Ralph Lauren look, the husband’s love of outdoor sports is incorporated throughout what he calls the “Orvis room,” which is framed by huge ceiling beams and accented with a canoe suspended from the ceiling, as well as a pool table and fly-fishing rods, guns, hunting and fishing scenes by artist Priscilla Smith. While the women of the house are most definitely welcome in the Orvis room, the wife has her own special sanctuary next door, which she affectionately calls the “Americana Room.” It boasts red lacquer walls, pictures of presidents, flags, commemorative plates and games for the grandkids.

Beer, who also designed the couple’s Mediterranean–style home in Hobe Sound, Fla.—which is accented with old beam ceilings, lots of texture and hand-painted tiles—says he fell in love with the Far Hills project because of its magnificent setting. “It’s absolutely majestic,” he says. “People who come here are totally in awe.” But what pleases him most about the final product is that it’s a direct representation of the homeowners and their passions.

“We live in Florida during winter, so this place is really about coming home to our huge family,” the wife explains. “It’s so awesome, even to us.”