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Asbury Park Press APP.COM D1
THURSDAY 09.11.14
ROSE GLOWPRODUCT: David Yurman Buckle Aviator
WHAT MAKES IT FABULOUS: The glasses are crafted with
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WHERE TO GET IT: Gail’s Optical, 2100 Route 35, Sea Girt;
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A Morristown designer, and former musician, is
making the move to Asbury Park — and adding a home
furnishings store at 519 Bangs Ave.
Nancy Leffler Mikulich, principal designer and
owner of the full-service interior design firm NLM De-
sign Interiors of Morristown, is moving to Asbury Park
with her new retail store, Oasis Home.
“I always wanted to do a retail side of design,” says
Mikulich, also a trained violinist and electric violinist.
“I really like it here in Asbury.”
Set to open later this month, Oasis Home will offer
people a fresh mix of home furnishings, accessories,
fine gifts, and other home and lifestyle items, in addi-
tion to full-service design consultancy services. Items
range from antiques, to custom upholstery and case
goods — to create a “sophisticated and invigorating en-
vironment that appeals to the senses,” a news release
states.
“If you’ve ever seen Coco Chanel’s studio ... you felt
like you were in her living room,” says Mikulich, who is
also a member of the American Society of Interior De-
signers. “This store is going to be set up with products
on the floor that are available for sale ... and staged to
have a particular feel or vibe to it.”
The furnishings that Oasis Home will offer will be
scaled for smaller modern beach houses and condos,
and the design services offered will be customized but
at an affordable price, Mikulich says.
FILE PHOTO
Nancy Leffler
Mikulich is
moving to
Asbury Park
with her
new retail
store, Oasis
Home.
AUTUMN ‘OASIS’
Designer finds new home in Asbury Park
By Gina Columbus @ginacolumbusapp
See OASIS, Page D4
A
t some point in their lives, most people
wish they had a time machine.
Last week, I unknowingly stepped
into one.
It was Cobble Close Farm in Middletown.
As I got out of my car and stepped onto the
property, I was immediately swept into the
1920s in Europe: Belgian cobblestone
groundsatmyfeet,caststoneembodyingthe
19,000-square-foot property’s exterior walls
on the several connected buildings, Greco-
Roman statues in various figures perched
throughout the yard and overpowering arch-
es surrounding the property.
I’m in the middle of 13-acre history.
Cobble Close Farm, located at 310 Cooper
Road, is a French country estate built in the
1920sbythelegendaryStrausfamily,owners
BOB BIELK/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Cobble Close Farm in Middletown comprises 13 acres and a very colorful past. Owned by the Straus family, who perished on the Titanic and owned Macy’s department
stores, the property is on the market for just under $11 million.
$10 . 9 M I L L I O N M E M O R I E S
Magic abounds throughout
Middletown ‘Macy’s mansion’
By Gina Columbus @ginacolumbusapp
COURTESY OF JEFFREY MINDHAM
This is the first time the property, which borders the Navesink
Country Club, has ever been on the real estate market.
All 13 acres, including the four homes, are being sold without
a listing agent.
ABOUT THE HOUSE
LIST PRICE: $10.9 million
DATE BUILT: 1920s
SIZE: 19,000 square feet; 28,989 square feet with
12-stall garage, eight-space carport/open archway
shed and pool cabanas
SPECS: 12-stall parking garage, several connected
buildings, maid’s tower with spiral staircase,
livestock-filled pastures, corn crib, unfinished loft,
colonnade
MORE INFO: Contact Jeffrey Mindham
at 732-996-7944 or jeffmindham@gmail.com;
additional information on the property can be
found at www.cobbleclose.com; a two-percent
commission will be offered to a licensed real estate
agent upon closing of title who has successfully
produced the buyer
See COBBLE, Page D4
INSIDE
See pages 4 and 5 for more on Cobble Close Farm
and page 8 for an in-depth photo spread.

2. Co-owner Jeffrey Mindham meets
me near the 12-car garage, and we walk
toward his unit — which in its original
form housed cows and bulls. We walk
across the courtyard, which centers the
four units, a corn crib and more.
Built-in, intricate architecture
adorns the multi-stone cast stone out-
doors. Mindham points out some sculpt-
ed artwork in the arches, such as Red
Riding Hood. Stone cows decorate the
arches of Mindham’s door, as a symbol
of what his home was once used for.
Luscious green ivy, shrubbery and
flowers cover the area, and several of
the cast stone walls.
I see a pair of grazing cows in the
nearby pasture, taking in the early Sep-
tember heat.
I stroll into Mindham’s unit, breath-
ing in the warm decor that screams
FrenchNormanarchitecturewithvault-
ed ceilings, but the home does boast a
more modern feel. A southern African-
themed sitting area, however, has an au-
thentic zebra rug. Three fireplaces are
inside, along with four bedrooms and
three bathrooms.
“We wanted to keep, in keeping with
the French Norman look,” says Mind-
ham. “But most importantly this place, I
have pictures of this place in 1930, it
looks the same.”
Plenty of natural light shines through
entire home. The kitchen features Vik-
ing and Sub-Zero appliances.
In the living room, with a dining table
and sitting area and fireplace, are doors
that lead to a quaint backyard, filled
with growing tomatoes and artichokes,
but also a hot tub.
Theroomsinherearequaintandsim-
ple — not really boasting splashy ameni-
ties — but it’s the detail in the architec-
ture that mentally transports you to this
nearly century-old French Norman
atmosphere.
Cobble Close Farm: Behind closed doors
Multiple points of entry await
By Gina Columbus
@ginacolumbusapp
COURTESY OF JEFFREY MINDHAM
Cobble Close Farm has a 12-car garage.
Page D4 Thursday, September 11, 2014 Asbury Park Press APP.COM
“I feel like this is a fertile ground for
me to kind of expand into,” says Mikul-
ich, adding lines include Hooker Furni-
ture, Interlude Home, Bungalow5 and
Caracole Furniture. “I think that my
style of design (works here) and I just
think it’s a really cool, funky town. It’s
all kind of going in the full circle.”
The above-mentioned lines are used
to provide custom design services and
furniture, Mikulich adds.
Mikulich, who is also a certified Ag-
ing in Place specialist, is celebrating10
years in business. NLM Design Interi-
ors projects range from full-service
residential design and furnishings to
commercial projects. The firm com-
pletedseveralsuperstormSandyresto-
rations of condo lobbies in Hoboken,
Jersey City and other areas.
“I think of so many things when I de-
sign for a customer that I think are fab-
ulous, but they’re not for a job,” says
Mikulich. “(And I) can’t stick them in a
warehouse. I think the most exciting
thing is kind of being able to fulfill be-
ing able to buy a cutting-edge design
product and bring it into the store.”
Oasis Home will operate 11 a.m. to 8
p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
For more information, visit
www.nlmdesigns.com and
www.oasishomedesigns.com.
OASIS
Continued from Page D1
of Macy’s and Bamberger’s.
Today, the estate is a co-op divided
into four luxurious homes — but zoned
for five — with a total of 18 bedrooms
and15bathrooms.Fountains,livestock-
filledpasturesandGreco-Romanstatu-
es fill the one-of-a-kind property, cur-
rently occupied by four families.
“It casts a magical spell,” says co-
owner Fred Century of his home and
Cobble Close Farm. “You’re surround-
ed by such beauty, that works its way
into you.”
This is the first time the property,
which borders the Navesink Country
Club, has ever been on the real estate
market. All13 acres, including the four
homes, are being sold without a listing
agent. If sold, it can be used as one sin-
gle family home or remain a family
compound.
And, its price tag is $10.9 million.
Come back in time with me, as I ex-
plore Cobble Close Farm — a land rich
with history, interesting facts and stun-
ning French Norman architecture in
nearly every nook and cranny.
COBBLE
Continued from Page D1
STAR-STUDDED PAST
FORMER RESIDENTS OR GUESTS AT
COBBLE CLOSE FARM, ACCORDING
TO CO-OWNER FRED CENTURY:
» Elaine Perry, actress, producer and director
» “Nazi Princess” Stephanie Julianne von
Hohenlohe
» Marquesa de Cuñha
» Elaine Stritch, Broadway actress
» Jean Flagler, philanthropist and
granddaughter of tycoon Henry Flagler
» Nadia Gray, known for her coffee table
strip tease in the 1960 Federico Fellini film
“La Dolce Vita”
FUN FACTS
» Cobble Close Farm has been featured in
several commercials, Vogue magazine and
served as the backdrop for a Victoria’s Secret
catalog starring model Gisele Bundchen.
» “The Godfather” makers originally ap-
proached Century and his partner to shoot
scenes from the film outside the estate.
Cobble Close Farm was owned by
Herbert Straus and Therese Kuhn
Straus; Herbert Straus’ parents were
Isadore and Ida Straus, who perished
aboard the Titanic when the ship sank to
the bottom of the sea in 1912, according
to reports.
Ida Straus reportedly refused to
board a lifeboat without her husband,
and the story garnered massive media
attention due to the family’s fame.
The Isadore and Ida Straus memorial
stands at106th Street and Broadway in a
Manhattan park close to where the cou-
ple resided. The words “lovely and
pleasant were they in their lives and in
their death they were not parted” are
emblazoned behind a bronze statue.
But Herbert and Therese Straus —
who came from the a German-Jewish
banking family — were also part of the
Straus family who owned Macy’s and
later acquired Bamberger’s, which was
based in Newark.
Macy’s has been a staple at the Mon-
mouth Mall since1987, when it replaced
Bamberger’s.
Cobble Close, designed by noted ar-
chitect Alfred Hopkins, took eight years
to construct and was such a large pro-
ject that a separate train line was de-
vised to deliver the materials, many of
which were transported from Europe,
according to reports.
Herbert and Therese Straus had
plans to form the compound into a
French country estate, complete with a
French chateau, but the chateau never
materialized. Still, after her husband’s
passingin1933,ThereseStrauslivedina
wood-frame home on the chateau site.
The property, once a working “gen-
tleman’s dairy farm,” has five acres that
are designated as “farm assessed” prop-
erty, explains Fred Century, who has
lived at Cobble Close Farm for roughly
60 years.
Originally, the property included an
orangerie, a large wood-paneled dining
hall, worker’s dormitory, care taker’s
house, cow barns and a 12-stall parking
garage, among many others, according
to the property listing.
With all of its features, the estate
fully engulfs a southern France theme.
According to a 1934 Architecture maga-
zine article written on Cobble Close
Farm, many old farm barns in southern
France had an enclosing wall, with a
large gateway for the farm vehicles and
a small one for the footpath adjoining.
In 1949, the Straus’ auctioned off the
property. The new owners — one of
whom, is Century, 85 — transformed the
buildings into luxury homes.
In the ’50s and ’60s the owners rented
the units “to a colorful cast on New
York’s glitterati which included Euro-
pean royalty, a film star, society dames
and even a woman whose claim to fame
wasthatshebefriendedHitlerandspied
on the Nazis,” the listing states.
Middletown later granted Cobble
Close Farm a co-op status and is said to
betheNortheast’ssolefarmmansionco-
op.
Cobble Close Farm: The backstory
A ‘TITANIC’ CONNECTIONBy Gina Columbus
@ginacolumbusapp
and Shari Puterman
@shariputerman
WIKIPEDIA
Cobble Close Farm was owned by Herbert
Straus and Therese Kuhn Straus; Herbert
Straus’ parents were Isadore and Ida Straus
(pictured), who perished aboard the Titanic
in 1912.
luxury living

3. APP.COM Asbury Park Press Thursday, September 11, 2014 Page D5
TODAY’S ANSWERS
WORD SLEUTH
JUMBLE
TODAY’S CRYPTOQUOTE
SUDOKU
luxury living
After taking a short walk from Jeffrey Mindham’s
door, across more of a cobblestone path, we give a few
rings on the martini bell of the next home.
Fred Century greets us and brings into his home,
which once housed Straus’ servants. It has three bed-
rooms, and three bathrooms.
Instantly, I’m swept into more French decor but mo-
reso drifting into the medieval time period.
The foyer features more cast stone walls, with dim
lighting and a variety of period artwork Century has in-
herited or found in various places, he says. Two medi-
eval knights, mounted into lampshades, frame an
arched doorway, which leads to another room with a
wet bar.
Century takes us into the warm and attractive li-
brary, originally called the servants’ lounge. Candle-
sticks adorn the room, as well as more artwork and
stunning arches. A Savonarola chair, also called an X-
chair, sits in front of one window, a hand-painted green,
Bechstein piano in an opposite corner. A wood burning
fireplace is in here.
Thedoorinthislibraryleadstoasmallterrace,over-
looking a peaceful pond with a built-in fountain. Mind-
ham, who’s lived there for about 20 years, says his chil-
dren actually grew up ice skating on this pond.
Back to the foyer, to the left, is a drawing room
packed with more ornate, colorful furniture, and vi-
brant, captivating pieces of art. Another fireplace is in
this room. In front of it, is a low table with a “traveling
liquor” a small chest filled with a liquor selection.
I eye an 1850 desk, said to be in the style of Charles
Crescent.
In the center of the room, a wooden table has legs
with carved, winged mermaids. It’s topped with glass
figurines such as apples and ducks.
We head into the garden room — a true sanctuary —
also on the first level. Aside from plants, there is a pea-
cock chair, a small fountain by The Erkins Studio and
more art hanging off the walls, including a Fuchs paint-
ing of Elaine Perry, who was once a frequent visitor at
the estate, Century says. A Weso German stove in the
room provides heat in the winter months.
A fiery red dining room is next. One can’t miss the
carved wooden chairs, containing tropical upholstery
with parrots. The same pattern adorns the valence cur-
tains.
The caretaker’s home and more
Thethirdhome,whichoriginallywasthecaretaker’s
home, is also filled with French Norman architecture.
It has a little more of a modern and simple feel, though,
than the other two homes, I note.
It includes four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and
also a sunroom, which carries in more natural light.
This unit is also connected to what was the maid tower.
One of the bedrooms has a sink near the bed, to keep
guests hydrated during the night or in the morning.
Outside in this yard is a chicken coop — filled with
the proper livestock, of course.
There is a fourth connected home, which was origi-
nally used as a horse barn, with four bedrooms — in-
cluding a corn crib — and three bathrooms.
What connects the servants’ dormitory and the care
taker’s home? It’s called the colonnade — or arcade, in
more historical terms — and is a communal space for
allofthehomeownerstounwindintheshadeandappre-
ciate the natural beauty of the property.
Past the units, we head to the green — more space
shared by all of the owners. A flourishing stone foun-
tain sits in the center, with poised statues surrounding
the perimeters.
Of course, one can’t miss these additional highlights
including a 12-stall parking garage, an inground classi-
cal-style pool, and three cabanas.
Cobble Close Farm: Stay awhile
Servants’ quarters
have colorful past
By Gina Columbus
@ginacolumbusapp
COURTESY OF JEFFREY MINDHAM
The fiery red dining room inside one home on the property,
which was once the servants’ quarters.
N
estled in the Cream Ridge section of Upper
Freehold is a majestic beauty waiting to be
owned.
A 200-year-old Federal-style brick home
at 92 Holmes Mill Road has been fully re-
stored, but maintains period details. It’s even eligible
for the National Register of Historic Places.
The farmland preserved property, which is 11
acres, has a horse barn, six other barns and outbuild-
ings and is said to be 15 minutes from the Horse Park
of New Jersey in Allentown.
It also boasts five bedrooms and three full bath-
rooms.
Stroll through and admire the wide plank, chestnut
flooring, six fireplaces, 10-foot ceilings, crown mold-
ings, and a Victorian-era bathroom with a clawfoot
tub.
Modern features include a gourmet kitchen with
Miele appliances and granite countertops, multi-zone
air conditioning, renovated bathrooms — one has a
Whirlpool tub — and solar-powered electric.
A library has built-in cherry bookcases. Plus, there
is even a full basement with a wine room.
More Than a Million
WEIDEL REALTORS
The 200-year-old Federal-style brick home at 92 Holmes Mill Road has been fully restored, but maintains period details.
FEDERAL
FLAIR
$1.2M Cream Ridge estate
boasts 200 years of history
By Gina Columbus
@ginacolumbusapp
ABOUT THE HOUSE
LIST PRICE: $1.19 million
DATE BUILT: 1795
SIZE: 5,000 square feet
SPECS: Walk-up attic, artesian well, Morton pole barn,
oversized two-car garage with heated and air-conditioned
finished room above it, fenced paddocks, stained glass
windows, steam oven and warming drawer, paver terrace,
double-sided corn crib, original outhouse, two run-in sheds
DESIGNATED SCHOOLS: Newell Elementary, Stone Bridge
Middle School, Allentown High School
MORE INFO: MLS 21421946md; Barbara Kizis,
Weidel Realtors: 609-586-1400 ext. 671 (office),
609-462-0072 (cell), bkizis@weidel.com
REALTORS/SELLERS: To submit a home for consideration
into Luxury Living’s “More Than a Million” feature: contact
Gina Columbus at 732-643-4010 or gcolumbus@gannett.com
WEIDEL REALTORS
Stroll through and admire the wide plank, chestnut flooring.
WEIDEL REALTORS
Modern features include a gourmet kitchen.
WEIDEL REALTORS
The home has three full bathrooms.