Surfside Casual Furniture 2024 Summer Show House Opens

Jersey Shore home transformed for casual yet elevated living

The Surfside Casual Furniture 2024 Summer Show House in Linwood.

Fans of show houses and anyone looking for a fun diversion at the Jersey Shore should plan an afternoon at the Surfside Casual Furniture 2024 Summer Show House in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Linwood, near Atlantic City. Nestled among trees with views of Off’s Pond and the Atlantic City skyline, the show house is in a newly renovated 10,000-square-foot home named “Pond of Hope Mansion.”

The show house is presented by Surfside Casual Furniture of Somers Point and Manahawkin and 7Mile Design of Egg Harbor Township and Stone Harbor. It is open for public tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays now through August 11 at 121 Edgewood Avenue in Linwood, adjacent to Off’s Pond. The last entry each day is 3:30 p.m. Admission is $25 per person; for more information about the house and to purchase tickets for the tour, click here.

The living room features views to the backyard and Ott’s Pond.

All proceeds will benefit the Stockton University Foundation, which helps to remove barriers to students’ success by providing more than $1 million in annual scholarship support and funding innovative programs, faculty projects, student groups and other initiatives. Robert Himmelstein, president of Surfside Casual Furniture and owner of the show house, is a 1986 graduate of Stockton University. “While this show house is an amazing collaboration that showcases the immense local talent available for transforming homes into masterpieces, the most important aspect is the opportunity to support the Stockton University Foundation,” he says. “The foundation provides significant opportunities for Stockton University students; in fact, many of our employees are Stockton alumni.”

The plaid Thibaut wallcovering wraps the billiards room with warmth while brass accents add glamour.

Himmelstein and his wife, Stephanie, chose the name Pond of Hope Mansion to reflect their connection to Stockton University. “Giving back to my alma mater, Stockton University, is very important to me,” he says. “Naming the show house ‘Pond of Hope Mansion’ felt fitting because I personally knew the original property owner, Lou Off. Additionally, since the show house is located next to Off’s Pond, which is named after Lou, and the proceeds from the show house are benefiting Stockton University students, the name ‘Pond of Hope Mansion’ seemed very appropriate.”

The great room, a later addition to the home, feels cozy despite its size thanks to a massive stone fireplace wall and wood ceiling.

Dan Nugent, vice president of University Advancement and executive director of the University Foundation, adds: “We are thrilled to partner with Robert and Surfside Casual Furniture. This collaboration not only highlights our remarkable alumni but also contributes directly to the success of our current students. Together, we are building a brighter future for the entire community.”

A second-floor office looks out to the backyard and Off’s Pond, with the Atlantic City skyline in the background.

The show house has six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, butler’s kitchen, office, laundry rooms on both floors, a two-story foyer, three fireplaces, a billiards room, living room, great room, poker room and sunroom. There’s also a guest suite, landscaped grounds, patios and inground pool. The lead designers for the show house were Stephanie Himmelstein and Ed Valentino of Surfside Casual Furniture and 7Mile Design.

Wallpaper is a prominent feature in some of the rooms, including this bedroom.

Creativity solved the challenge of what to do with a chimney stack where a new bathroom is located. The stack now separates a shower and the water closet. The opening to the left leads to a soaking tub.

The History
The family that owned the well-known Wilson Dairy in Atlantic City bought the land where the show house is now located from Lou Off of Brighton Farms in 1957. They reportedly were required to build on the land within two years to retain ownership, and they started construction just in time.

In 1969, Ron and Nancy Glenn bought the home when they relocated from Margate. The home was already notable for its air conditioning and lawn irrigation. They made five major additions with architect Rob Williams, who also built the Smithville Inn. The additions included converting the attic in 1975, building a pool, renovating the kitchen and adding a playroom in 1979, adding a master bedroom and enclosed porch in 1989, and rebuilding the second floor with a new third floor in 1995-1996. The home was named Hollyglen.

The self-contained guest suite — with living room, kitchen, breakfast area and full bathroom — includes a custom entertainment center (at right in photo) that unlatches and pulls down into a bed. In the right foreground is a Ralph Lauren wing chair, left by the previous owner, that was recovered and given a special spot in this updated space.

In 2005, Dr. Richard and Chris Menghetti purchased the home for nearly $1.6 million. Their contribution to the home included hiring architect Stephen Fenwick from Fenwick Architects, turning the house into a Cape Cod Mansion, adding a great room, bar room, first-floor laundry room, pool bathroom and a guest suite with its own mini kitchen over the new three-car garage.

Surfside Casual Furniture acquired the property in 2021. In preparation for the show house, the Himmelsteins made several significant aesthetic and technical upgrades. The enhancements include geothermal and solar energy systems to meet all of the home’s energy needs, smart home controls accessible via iPad, invisible speakers throughout the interior and exterior, and lighting that can be controlled through a phone. They also installed copper on certain sections of the roof and patinated it to match existing sections, chose black asphalt roof shingles elsewhere to blend with the solar panels, installed Western cedar clapboard siding and AZEK trim for durability and painted the red brick on the lower half of the rear façade white to blend with the clapboard.

Sponsors include Amish Designs, Atlantic Coast Alarm, Bassett, Bernhardt, Besser Fuents, Best Buy Premium, Confident Tile LLC, Currey & Co., Dal Tile, Deco TV Frames, East Coast Landscaping, Elegantly Set in Stone, Four Seasons, Frankford Umbrellas, F.W. Webb, Galloway Nursery, Geo Heating and Cooling, Helios Solar Energy LLC, Hooker Furniture, Hunter Douglas, Izzo Network LLC, Kushner Draperies, Peter Lumber, Pitney Painting Co. Inc., Paul Koelling & Associates, Platinum Hardwood Floors, Polywood Furniture, Progressive Fence, RB Drywall LLC, Savannah Brass Co., Sherwin Williams, Sonance, Sonos, Sureline Mechanical, Tempur-Pedic, Tico Construction LLC, Thibaut, TNT Gutters, Universal Supply and Yoos Tree Service.