Overview

Looking for something different in Douglas Manor! This property is one of the most unusual in the neighborhood and is known as The Chalet. This is probably one of the most unique Arts and Crafts houses in the historic section of Douglas Manor built by Norwegian decorative artist, Trygve Hammer. His work includes the bas-relief sculptures that adorned the old Bonwitt Teller facade on Fifth Avenue and the Waldorff Astoria Hotel dining room. Hammer and his wife emigrated to New York in 1902 and built the first part of the house, the story and half high living room in 1916. In 1922 the Hammer’s expanded it to its current configuration adding the three bedrooms on a second story. The allusion to the mountain chalet is no accident. Hammer modeled his design on a stue, a 17th century farmhouse style indigenous to Setesdal, Norway. Upon entering the front door you’ll find an eat-in kitchen with hand crafted cabinets on the right side with a half bathroom to your left. Walking straight ahead you enter a unique parlor with French doors that lead to a balcony overlooking the garden. To your right you’ll find a pair of matching doors that Hammer painted in 1926 in rosemaling, a type of colorful Norwegian folk painting. There’s a cozy sitting room with a wood burning fireplace off the parlor which leads to a formal dining room with a door that leads to the backyard. Take three steps up and you enter the very large living room, which was Hammer’s original studio. Soaring ceilings with timbers, a large window, a skylight and a large wood burning fireplace finishes off this great entertainment space. There is also a full bathroom off the living room. At the top of the steps on the second floor to your left you’ll find the main bedroom with a cathedral ceiling, a large window overlooking the garden and built-in shelving. There are two other bedrooms and a full bath on the second floor. There are plenty of closets and unique storage spaces throughout the rooms. Walking through the house you’ll see Hammer’s stained-glass windows and many of his Arts and Crafts touches in the rooms. The basement features a studio apartment with a kitchenette and full bathroom. There’s also a one-car garage with a large storage room next to it. Hammer surrounded the house with seven Norway spruces to remind him of his native country. The exterior includes darkly stained board and batten siding, a copper roof over the studio and a slate roof over the rest of the house. The focal point of the house is hand carved bargeboards that accent the roofline and vertical corners at the main gable, and the carved decoration at the peak of the house. The house has steam heating and central air conditioning. Over the studio are of the house is copper roofing with slate covering the rest of the house. The Chalet has only had three owners with the current owner purchasing it in 1955. The previous owner was famed commercial illustrator, Earl Oliver.