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En Suites on Every Floor
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Instead of a second-floor study, this cottage features two primary en suites: one upstairs that allows parents of young children to be near the kids’ rooms; while grandparents or guests can be comfortable on the main level.
A Playful Powder Room
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In this powder room just inside the main entrance, the gentle curves of the mirror and faucet are echoed in the statement light fixture overhead.
Vanity, fixtures, mirror, lighting: Signature Hardware
A Kitchen Equipped for Convenience
In the kitchen, cone-shaped pendants draw the eye to the island, with its workstation sink, easy pulldown faucet, and durable quartz countertop. Upholstered stools make for back-friendly seating. Pale-gray Shaker-style cabinets provide clean-lined storage. A gas cooktop with knobs in the front and stacked wall ovens at waist height offer an ergonomic plus when putting together meals. A powerful-but-quiet range hood silently removes cooking odors and smoke without interrupting the conversation.
Lighting: Generation Lighting, from Chloe Winston Lighting Design; Sink, faucet: Elkay; Cabinetry: Mantra; Range Hood: Panasonic; Appliances: GE Profile, via Aitoro Appliance; Countertop: Caesarstone; Backsplash: Tile America
Open Living Area
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On the first floor, an open-concept kitchen/dining/ living area makes mingling with houseguests easy and comfortable. Light paint colors and abundant sunshine are a boon to aging eyes. Modern casement windows with slim black frames and muntins usher in daylight; the matching sliding door opens to the screened-in porch. A gas fireplace ensures the space is warm and inviting.
Paint: Benjamin Moore; Windows, sliders: Marvin
Built-in Workspace
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The living room’s 10-foot-long built-in holds two desks and a top row of storage cabinets for seldom-used items. The easy-care quartz desktop is convenient for paying bills and answering e-mails.
Cabinetry: Mantra; Countertop: Caesarstone
Serene Screened Porch
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The home’s layout balances openness and connection with private spaces where residents and guests alike can retreat. Off the first-floor living area, the screened-in porch floats above the sloped backyard, offering the feeling of a treehouse. Both the tongue-and-groove flooring and ceiling beadboard are easy-care PVC that resists fading and scratching while standing up to all kinds of weather. Two skylights bring in even more sunlight and views.
Porch flooring, ceiling: Aeratis; Skylight: VELUX (use provided link); Ceiling fan: Modern Forms, from Chloe Winston Lighting Design
Easy-Reach Laundry Room
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A laundry area off the mudroom is accessible from both the garage and the kitchen. Cabinets keep supplies out of view; a metal hanging rod won’t sag under the weight of wet garments.
Cabinetry: Mantra; Appliances: GE Appliances, via Aitoro Appliance
Comfortable First-Floor Living
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The first-floor bedroom and bath offer the option of a private retreat without having to navigate stairs. In the bedroom, which is spacious enough for a king-size bed, a barefoot-friendly woven wool rug, cotton linens, and a gray velvet headboard and bench envelop the space in soft colors and textures. An accent wall covered in a pale blue feather-print wallpaper gives the space a style boost.
Peel & Stick Wallpaper: from NextWall, via Overstock.com
Attractive and Accessible Bath
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The main bath’s double-sink vanity has large, easy-to-grasp bar handles, high-arc faucets, and a stain-resistant quartz top. A bottom shelf offers tidy towel storage. The twin medicine-cabinet mirrors have built-in LED lights along both sides to brighten the space without casting unflattering shadows—as well as built-in wireless speakers and USB ports for charging smartphones and electric toothbrushes.
Vanity, tub, fixtures, mirrors: Signature Hardware
Little Luxuries
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For barrier-free bathing, there’s a wide-open curbless shower with a generous grab bar. “Because there’s a sloped floor and a linear drain along the back wall, you don’t need a glass enclosure,” Sandy points out. A dual-function ventilation fan inside the shower offers additional light and humidity control. Porcelain tiles with a subtle raked texture add a touch of understated luxury. Jet sprays and a rainshower offer a spa-like experience. More-agile residents can relax in the sculptural freestanding acrylic soaking tub.
Fixtures, tub: Signature Hardware; Ventilation: Panasonic; Tile: Tile America
Statement Chandelier
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While the well-lit home has dimmable recessed lighting throughout, dramatic pendant fixtures highlight key areas. In the soaring entry, Sandy chose an iron and gold-leaf chandelier with tiered rings “to soften the angles in the space,” she says.
Chandelier: Generation Lighting, from Chloe Winston Lighting Design
Upstairs Common Space
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Rooms on the second floor can be put to use in a variety of ways by family and friends—whether they’re just visiting or plan to stay for a while.
A den at the top of the stairs can function as a library, a lounge, or an office for an adult child. “That way, they aren’t walking around your living room talking on Zoom calls all day,” Jerry says. Here, a board-and-batten accent wall, painted a sophisticated dark green, adds a handsome backdrop for a stylish desk setup.
Lighting: Generation Lighting, from Chloe Winston Lighting Design; Accent Wall: Site-Built by Matys Carpentry; in Regent Green (#2136-20) by Benjamin Moore
Airy Guest En Suite
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Adjacent to the office and overlooking the scenic woods, this breezy guest bedroom has its own en suite bath.
All About the Accents
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An ocean-inspired hue pops against the teak vanity and gold hardware. Geometric tiles create a unique accent wall in the shower, complemented by sleek, matte black fixtures.
Vanity, fixtures, mirror: Signature Hardware; Paint: Aegean Teal (2136-40) by Benjamin Moore
Shared Spaces
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The upstairs hall is awash with natural daylight, thanks to strategically placed sun tunnel skylights. Two additional bedrooms across the hall share a bath with double sinks and a tub. Another skylight overhead brings much-need daylight into the windowless space.
Skylight, Sun tunnel skylights: VELUX (use provided link); Vanity, fixtures, mirror: Signature Hardware
Hobbyist’s Hideaway
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In the finished basement, a 13-by-13-foot room can be set up as a workspace, a home gym, or a hobby room, like this art studio. The egress window brings in natural light and a landscaped view, thanks to steps that function as planters. Because the room has its own bath, it can also serve as a bonus bedroom.
Egress: The BILCO Company; Vanity, fixtures, mirror, sconces: Signature Hardware