Lisa Kroll is exceptionally bright, has become an expert at everything she’s ever done, and is so peripatetic that as soon as she achieves excellence in one endeavor she becomes immediately focused on the next.

…Her residence in Pound Ridge is her latest masterpiece. Lisa has redeveloped the property to the highest standards, complete with an indoor pool and an outdoor Japanese garden to name just a couple of highlights.

Lisa’s life story is simply fantastic! A little Indiana Jones, part Howard Hughes, and a measure of Georgia O’Keefe - all wrapped into one!

She grew up, daughter of a wealthy textile company owner, in Briarcliff and Scarborough, with a country house in Amenia. She went to Philadelphia Textile and Science and then the Rochester Institute to earn an Engineering degree, but before all that, when she was just 17, she got a job working for an Italian television company that was doing a series on Third World expeditions, and Lisa got to spend time on location and traveling in Afghanistan, Iran, and India. Her tales involve a love affair with the famous director, with places like Persepolis as the backdrop, and a trip by camel to meet a remote tribe in Kirkizi.

“After college, I started out in the design department in my father’s textile business…then got hired by Charlie Bluhdorn, who was the CEO of Gulf & Western, the parent company, to run a turnaround for a competitor,” Lisa recalls. “For more than a year, my father didn’t speak to me and forbade me to see my mother. But I was making millions - when that was very unusual for a woman. I did three turnarounds in the textile industry…and then returned to take over and become CEO at my father’s company.”

“I had a son and a daughter with my first husband, who I left after 20 years, but remain close with,” Lisa recounts. “Manhattan was my home base, but my life has always been about travel. …I’ve ridden horses in Mongolia, and been to the Base Camp at Everest - twice!”

”…And then I got really into horses and riding! I set a goal to ride in the Hampton Classic - and did so within a couple of years. My first horse, Conrad, turned out to be more of a Driving horse than a Dressage performer. My second horse, Moritz, an Olympic Sabine from the Netherlands - we won every time he went into the ring! And then I had a Linden Grey named Mouse - and having horses pass away on me became too emotional.”

“...Then I met a Chinese woman at an Armory in Florida…and became immediately enthralled with the art of pottery and ceramics,” Lisa recalls. “I was fascinated with the glazing process, and collected different chemicals to create different mixes and experimented with firing cycles. I studied the techniques of the European masters. I had a special kiln built, capable of heating to Cone 6. I had a studio in Croton Falls…and, for about eight years, I focused on creating crystalline ceramic works. …And - the sign of a good potter! - I probably took the hammer to ninety percent of my work!” …Although Lisa has never offered her ceramics for sale, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has acquired two of Lisa’s pieces for its permanent collection.

“I got into weaving as a hobby with my father in the 60s, and during covid I decided to get back into it,” Lisa continues, “...and in 2023 I bought this house, sight unseen, because I saw from the plans that it had a room big enough to accommodate my giant tapestry loom…and I knew I could transform the rest of the house and grounds into whatever I imagined!”

“I brought in some real craftspeople to fulfill my vision!” Lisa declares.

“I worked with the renowned Architect, Teo Siguenzia, based in Bedford, to reimagine what was here

… and to turn it into something artful and tasteful with a bit of a ‘wow factor’ to boot,” Lisa smiles, “I think he was pretty amazing.”

“This project was completely collaborative between Lisa and I, totally interactive, and actually really fun to come up with all of the creative elements!” Architect, Teo Siguenzia, shares, “I put my whole heart into every project I do. And Lisa was very open to ideas… she started by saying ‘let’s see what you come up with!’... and we really went from there, using the great room - which was already there - as our starting point, saving whatever made sense, and adding all kinds of new envelopes and elements to the home.”

“Almost every idea I brought to Lisa she went with; she’s the kind of person that comes across a little idea and then runs with it and makes it even bigger and better,” Teo says.

“The kitchen was always going to be black. After doing quite a bit of research I found that Bilotta was the preeminent kitchen designer in the area with the highest capabilities and the most interesting design sensibility. They took my general vision and transformed it into a real focal point of the house. It doesn’t look like every other kitchen around here - and that’s just how I like it,” Lisa grins. Bilotta partnered with Fordham Marble Company, owned by two of Lisa’s Pound Ridge neighbors, Mario and Joyce Sardo, to implement eye-catching black quartzite countertops with white veining. “We hand-selected blocks that would marry nicely and be the most interesting in the room,” Mario says. “Lisa wanted the countertops to have an almost lacquered look, so we suggested using the same material for the backsplash and going all the way up the wall in places without cabinets - you’ll see that the entire back wall of the kitchen has quartzite going up to the ceiling - and we did a fabulous waterfall on the island.”

The mantle in the living room serves as the literal cornerstone of the home, and as the ‘wow’ factor as the book-matched Italian quartzite slabs ascend to the double height wood-paneled, vaulted ceiling - one of the original elements that was saved in the renovation.

Though the house itself, perched atop a stone cliff and set like a treehouse up in the treeline, is extremely impressive… the indoor pool pavilion is the real show-stopper. Nick Larizza owns Bedford Poolscapes and turned Lisa’s vision into a reality, “Lisa had seen this gorgeous indoor pool at the Hôtel de Crillon in France and wanted to replicate many of the elements in an even more exceptional manifestation here in Pound Ridge.” Limestone blocks were sandwashed on the walls to create a spa-like atmosphere, and a single long panel was installed on the ceiling to affect an even and moderated light. Massive matching windows on each side of the pavilion allow the end of the pool to vanish into the abyss of surrounding forest, and a large piece of Nordic equestrian art makes the space feel quite Scandinavian. “It’s definitely one of my favorite projects,” Nick says about the pool, “it’s more than just a recreation facility, the room is a work of art and the way the reflections dance on the water is like a constantly evolving painting to enjoy.”

The outdoor Japanese garden is something that Lisa had dreamed up when she first saw the house… but that was exponentially expanded as the project progressed. It is a place of zen and peace for Lisa - and is rightfully a great source of pride. The white gravel path meanders up the hill in the back yard lined with impressive specimen species of trees with unique patterns and textures. A ‘river’ was later installed down the middle that really completes the vibe and makes the entire garden feel like it’s always been there, despite Lisa having hand-selected each boulder, and carefully monitored the placement of every rock and tree. “I’m not a landscaper… but I definitely had some fun pretending!”