Hilltop Colonial

Hilltop Colonial is located on 1.35 acres on the North Side of Summit, New Jersey. The master plan included the siting and design of the main house, pavilion, cutting garden, patio and walks, driveway, expansive play lawn and a fountain. The front of the property is steeply sloping from the street with approximately 22 feet of elevation change. The rear of the property is steeply sloping as well and formerly served as a dumping ground for several years for concrete and other debris. The slopes in some cased exceeded 1 to 1. The property is entered from the east where a stone pier with a bronze plaque begins to express the creative use f stone throughout the property. The property begins to unfold as carefully crafted curving terraced walls splay to reveal the natural stone walk to the front door where lush plantings overflow the stone edges. The stately home sits proud atop Essex Road with a series of bi-fold doors opening to the gracious front walls garden.

On the south side is the cutting garden where bluestone is carefully set in a pattern creating diamond shaped lawn panels with lush perennial borders. In the spring, the garden overflows with daffodils and tulips creating a stunning visual display viewed from the adjacent sun room and nearby pavilion. The west end of the garden is the pavilion with several architectural details designed by Rosen Kelly Conway Architecture & Design. The structure serves as the place to relax in front of the fireplace and view the surrounding rear yard landscape. An expansive lawn surrounds the space with the space defined by a gently curving wall with fountain. The granite and bluestone fountain is viewed from all areas and is the focal point from the kitchen, breakfast area and rear patio. Glimpses can be caught as you enter the front door and look through the home. A stone kitchen island anchors the patio space in front the hydrangea drenched and brick and limestone clad garage structure. Sugar maples with an under planting of liriope spicata and spring bulbs follow the gently curving stone wall with holly trees below the wall creating the dark green backdrop that provides privacy from the neighbor’s behind. On the north side of the property is the motor court. The ground plane is carefully designed pattern of concrete panels with exposed decorative cobbles. Reclaimed granite blocks in rows line the space and driveway to the street.