Fifteen acres, an 18,000-square-foot main house designed by Robert A.M. Stern, a dock and boat lift, a pool with two cedar cabanas, a personal pub, a recording studio–and that’s just the beginning of what you’ll find at Jon Bon Jovi’s incredible Central Jersey mansion. First spotted by Mansion Global, the rocker’s property on the Navesink River in Middletown has just hit the market for $20 million, and as Christie’s listing agent Kathleen Coumou told MG, “He’s looking for the right buyer, someone who will appreciate what he’s done to the house.”
The New Jersey native enlisted famed architect Robert A.M. Stern to design this home for his family in 1999. Known as High Point Estate, the stucco and limestone house is an “elegant French-inspired chateau,” writes the listing. It is “rich in architectural symmetry” and boasts a brick courtyard with a double-wide entrance driveway, oversized windows with French balconies, arched alcove windows, wrought iron accents, and a slate roof.
The home comes with 750 feet of river frontage, which can be enjoyed from the large slate patio, complete with an outdoor fireplace. Off the patio is a French-inspired courtyard that leads to the three-car heated garage.
Under another pergola, you’ll find a second patio, this one overlooking the heated in-ground pool. The area around the pool has two full cedar bath cabanas, a separate kitchen, and a laundry room.
In total, there are four outbuildings on the property. One is a 1910, three-bedroom carriage house. The second is called the “Shoe Inn” Pub and comes complete with a pool table, “a period designed imported bar from France,” and a one-car garage. The original stables have been converted to a recording studio above with a seven double-door garage on the first floor. There’s also a separate stable building with a laundry room, workshop, and storage area.
The 15 acres of professionally landscaped grounds include gardens, open lawns, stone walkways. Another major perk of the property is its private dock and boat lift.
Inside, Bon Jovi’s love of French furniture is on full display. He enlisted internationally acclaimed painter Pierre Finkelstein to take on the entire house, adding realistic wood graining, 18th- and 19th-century patinas, gilding, plaster finishes, custom-cut stenciling, architectural trompe l’oeil (a technique that uses realistic imagery to create 3D illusions), and hand-painted Venetian plaster, which is on display in both the first- and second-floor foyers.
The 50-foot living room has 12-foot ceilings, a marble fireplace, and painted woodwork. There is also a custom-designed movie theater.
Off the living room is “the elegant river view bar,” which has a large French mirror reflecting the water and hand-painted carved wood details done by Pierre. The dining room also has beautiful river views and can fit a table of 18.
The kitchen very well might be the home’s true gem. It’s highlighted by handcrafted brick barrel-vaulted ceilings with hand-painted beams. There is an incredible amount of cabinet space, as well as honed alabaster counters, an enormous center island with a prep sink, and multiple ovens and refrigerators.
Off the kitchen is a charming breakfast room with a vaulted brick ceiling.
More hand-painted ceiling beams are in display in the family room. The fireplace here is the inside of the outdoor fireplace.
Up the curving staircase with a wrought-iron rail is the large second floor. Though not pictured, it consists of two wings–the family wing and the guest/staff wing. The former has four bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms. This includes the master suite, which has a balcony, his-and-hers walk-in closets, a seating area, a private hallway, and a kitchenette. The other wing has a private entrance, two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a kitchen. The house also benefits from an elevator that goes from the basement to second floor.
The Monmouth County location is considered quite exclusive (Bruce Springsteen lived nearby in Rumson for many years). It’s just an hour to Manhattan and close to the SeaStreak Ferry.
A little over two years ago, Bon Jovi sold his West Village duplex for $16 million, soon after he purchased a $19 million condo nearby. We’re not sure why he’s selling this gorgeous property, but we can’t imagine he’ll completely leave the NJ area as he and his wife Dorothea run two nearby locations of JBJ Soul Kitchens, non-profit community restaurants that operate on a cash-only donation model.