This English Tudor Style home is a picture of both warmth and elegance featured in an open floor plan. This home was the 1983 “Idea House” which was a showplace to display all the best ideas in design and architecture of the time. The entire house takes advantage of passive solar energy and the rooms are well lit with an abundance of southwest facing windows. Additional spotlights and accent lighting help to accentuate the various design elements throughout the home.
The impressive qualities of this home begin at the foyer with marble tile that continues into the hallway, laundry room and bath. The foyer has a floor to ceiling feature of a hand-carved, etched glass panel with accent lighting. A skylight brings additional light into this area. Another prominent feature is the vaulted ceiling in most of the main floor rooms, which is made of solid chestnut paneling that was imported from France.
The formal living and dining room area features a massive bricked fireplace wall with a beautiful built-in stained glass window. There is an 8-foot sliding door that leads to a 16x11 deck overlooking the beautifully landscaped back yard and pond. The dining area has a bay window.
The kitchen features authentic pegged wood floors. The cabinetry, with leaded glass doors, was designed to look like built-in furniture. There is accent lighting above and below the upper cabinets, and also around the center island. The kitchen was updated in 2010 with Cambria countertops and Electrolux appliances. The informal dining area of the kitchen overlooks the stunning 2-story atrium that drops to the lower level in a half octagon shape.
The family room is open to the kitchen, and features a wood-burning fireplace in a beautiful brick wall, which features a rough-hewn wood beam mantle. The family room has access to the screened porch.
The large screened porch boasts a vaulted ceiling of beaded west coast Douglas fir, a ceiling fan, and redwood flooring. From the porch you can go out to the redwood deck, which is a great spot to enjoy treetop views of the pond.
The owner’s suite takes up one entire end of the first floor starting with the bedroom, which has a brick wood-burning fireplace. The next area is a dressing room, bathroom, spa suite with a walk-in closet, separate shower/rest room, his and hers vanities, and an elevated, sunken Kohler spa tub with ceramic tile surround. An Anderson garden window finishes off the tub area. From the owner’s bath, you can go out to the porch to relax and enjoy views of the pond.
At the other end of the main floor is a flexible use room with crown molding, a built-in desk, and cabinetry. This space could be used as a home office, den, bedroom or guest room. Located just outside of this room is a ¾ bath.
Finishing off the first floor is the laundry/mudroom located at the garage entrance, featuring a front-loading Electrolux washer and dryer set. For convenience, there is a coat closet, another closet with shelving for additional pantry storage, a storage bench, upper and lower cabinetry, and a sink with counter space. The windows in this room overlook the front yard of the home.
The lower level is also very impressive, starting with a huge amusement room and the lower level of the 2-story atrium. Set in the corner of this area is a cozy sunken conversation pit with a gas fireplace and built-in seating. From the amusement room you can head out to the patio and enjoy the hot tub. On the opposite side of this level is the billiard room with a drop down boxed-light feature with beveled glass over the pool table. Situated in the middle of these 3 areas is the bar/kitchenette that has countertop seating available for both rooms, and includes a sink, and under counter microwave and refrigerator. A neon light over the bar is another custom feature. This entire area has crown molding. Down the hallway from the amusement room we have 3 additional bedrooms with ample closet space, and a full bath.
The outside of the home was designed with the same attention to detail. A cedar shake roof sets this home apart. The 3-car garage has built-in cabinetry, plenty of windows for natural lighting, and a finished floor. The driveway and circle turnaround are designed with interlocking brick pavers. Washed aggregate adds a unique look to the sidewalks and steps. The retaining walls and outdoor lighting enhance the landscaping elements, which boast a variety of plants for seasonal color variations. The focal point of the back yard is the scenic pond, which stays aerated to keep its lovely appearance.
The home is in the prestigious neighborhood of River Bluff Estates, located near the Minnesota Valley Country Club in West Bloomington.
No comments:
Post a Comment