When Bruce Willis and wife Emma were looking for a place to raise their two young daughters, they knew they wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. The couple chose instead the community of Bedford, New York. Step inside their beautiful country estate and see for yourself why it won their hearts.
The Estate
The estate sits on two connected lots comprising a total of over 22 acres. It has panoramic views of the Croton Reservoir and beyond. It contains four separate houses, two garages, a saltwater pool, a pool house, and a tennis court set among lush landscaping. In a 2017 feature in Elle Decor, the couple expressed their desire to raise their children with more space than nearby New York City could provide. They also desired to avoid the paparazzi and give their two young daughters as normal of a childhood as possible. The estate in Belford provided the family with all of those things and the intimate community they wanted. Even more, it is located within an easy drive of New York City.
We are both East Coast people. Bruce is from New Jersey; I’ve worked as a model in New York since 1999. We love the East Coast. We knew New York was where we would end up and ultimately want to raise our kids. But we also have a love/hate relationship with the city. It’s busy, and the spaces can be small. We wanted our kids to be able to have more room and a yard to run in. I also wanted to keep the kids as sheltered as we could from the paparazzi, and that scene is still very prevalent in L.A.; it’s not bad in New York, and it’s zero up where we live, so that played a big part in our decision-making too. The beauty of where we live is that it’s close to the city, so we get the best of both worlds. Nature, space, and privacy in Bedford, but the culture of the city, which is only an hour away. -Emma Willis
The Houses
The main house on Willis’s estate is a tasteful Craftsman-style 8959 square foot home. As one expect for a family with two young children, Bruce and Emma Willis decorated their home in a relaxed, yet tasteful style. It is equipped with state of the art video, sound, lighting and security systems. The spaces within the main home are bright and airy with expansive windows to capture the views of the surrounding countryside. The kitchen has a working fireplace and easy access to the home’s private, temperature-controlled 1500 bottle wine cellar. The main home holds five bedrooms, while the other three homes on the property add an additional seven bedrooms. The other homes on the property include a 3-bedroom, 3166 square foot updated antique farmhouse, a 3-bedroom home, and a 1-bedroom, 660 square foot house with 3-car garage below. The extra homes serve to host guests, property staff, and as office space for Emma Willis.
Property Features
Surrounding the main house is every feature one would desire. The home has a heated 50-foot saltwater pool surrounded by lush hydrangea plantings and a wisteria-draped arbor. A glass-paneled pool house completes the area. Bruce designed and oversaw construction of the onsite vegetable and herb garden himself. It is perfect for providing the family with fresh organic vegetables and farm-to-table living in the kitchen. “I’ll never forget the girls proudly bringing in their first harvest of organic vegetables from our beautiful enclosed garden,” Mr. Willis said. The nearby tennis court also allows also allows for plenty of activity on the grounds.
Unfortunately, the family is relocating to the west coast and Willis recently chose to list the estate with storied real estate firm Douglas Elliman Real Estate. Whoever purchases the Willis family’s stunning estate is sure to find it easy to make themselves at home. For more inspiring properties, explore A Private Estate on the Westside with Views of the Pacific.
