By J.S. Marcus

Once a seaside summer getaway for 19(th) -century New Yorkers, Rumson, New Jersey is now a 21(st) -century New York City suburb. But summer is still very much on the minds of a young family with growing children, who are spending these warmer months breaking in their new pool house.

The couple -- a pair of distillers, now in their 40s -- paid $3.65 million in 2023 for a 6-bedroom spec house, sitting on an undeveloped half-acre lot. After spending $600,000 to customize the home, they quickly upgraded the backyard with a new $525,000 pool and a $675,000 pool house, finished in fall 2024. Brooklyn designer Leigh Iglehart said her clients wanted to stay traditional in the 5,715-square-foot home, which has a Modern Farmhouse feel, but they let her "do my thing" in the 900-square-foot pool house, which comes with a cathedral ceiling, a double-sided fireplace, funky upholstery and sculptural lighting fixtures.

The pool house has a kitchen suitable for entertaining, but not for cooking, with major appliances limited to a dishwasher and refrigerator. No big deal since Iglehart says there is a giant wraparound outdoor kitchen and a kitchen "the size of Texas in the main house."

Extravagant add-ons in the pool house include contemporary Italian art and a white-marble bathroom. A discreet Murphy bed means the space can go from pool house to guesthouse.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 26, 2025 09:00 ET (13:00 GMT)

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