“ Soon Hansel and Gretel came to a little cottage. When they got quite near, they saw that the little house was made of bread and roofed with cake. The windows were transparent sugar. There must not have been very strict building codes.” – Charles M. Schulz
If Florenville (D-3350), was covered in gingerbread, icing, sugary sweets and cake, you bet Hansel and Gretel would be drawn into the woods to get to it. For the rest of us, this home, anywhere draws us in with “Old World” charm. From Frank Snodgrass of Living Concepts, this home brings you elements of style in French, English, Italian and Spanish influence. See the diamond-paned windows? English. The materials used? What was local in which areas to build with. The arch above the front porch? French Provincial, Spanish and Mediterranean. Steep pitched roofline? This is necessary for areas where the weather is cold and gets snow. This plan brings you 3,350 square feet in 2 stories with 4 bedrooms and 4 full baths. Regardless of all the little details, the overall look of this home says just that: HOME.
Hors d’oeuvres
From the outside, I hope you’re already planning the flowers for the window box and your borders along the front of the house. The front-facing, wooden garage doors also lend character to the stone and brick exterior. Walk through the arched entrance to your portico and already you are mesmerized.
Amuse Bouche
Your foyer, your pre-course appetizer if you wish, greets you with a stairwell to the second floor. A door on the left leads to a guest suite with a walk-in closet and full bathroom. This bathroom is accessible from the guest room and the foyer. The walls in this welcome center might showcase your favorite photos or paintings. This space is a taste of what is yet to come.
Soup
Think of the hallway you cross to your large family room, like a soup course. It’s warm, it’s comfortable and gets you closer to the main course. This hallway also leads to your master suite and down to the kitchen, laundry area and garage.
Appetizer
Your family room is large and totally full of charm. With coffered ceilings (that could be made with wood beams) and a large fireplace, your nights home alone or gathered with friends and family will be perfect here. Perhaps you have built-in bookshelves flanking the fireplace. Perhaps leather covered benches for storage and seating? Maybe you’ve stacked stunning artwork here too. Whatever your taste, this room is yours to make it best.
Salad
Walk through your double doors, a French inspired look, to your large covered terrace. This terrace might seem ‘plain’ like a salad, but if dressed well, it will make you want to spend more time here. With a corner fireplace, I don’t think you need much convincing. Cool nights outdoors will never be an issue for you now. Wicker seating and a dining table, along with an outdoor kitchen space, there is nothing plain about this comfortable living space.
1st Main Course
Ah, the point that all other courses dance around….let’s talk about the kitchen. Food Central. Party vibes, family meals, your daily cuppa ‘Joe’ starts in here. This space is open, a large island with double sink looks to your gathering room. Add tall barstools to the island because you know where people hang when they come over…..right here. Place a wine fridge or cooling drawers in this space for easy convenience. A fantastic feature to your kitchen is a large butler’s pantry/dirty kitchen walled behind cabinetry and your oven/cooktop. This space is a cook’s dream. With a sink, an additional dishwasher or two, and more storage for entertaining staples, this is useful space for every kitchen need.
Cleanse your Palate
Your laundry room is the perfect cleansing room for your ‘outside’ self. This is on the lower right side of the house. Just inside the house from the garage. There’s also a convenient sliding door between the dirty kitchen/pantry and the laundry room. A small closet for hanging jackets is outside the laundry room as well. Out a door to your garage and you’ll find a utility door to the outside as well as counter space for all the tinkering you might do out here.
2nd Main Course
Go Upstairs. This is another big deal. A lot to take in….another ‘main’ event in your home. Here you’ll find a very large rec room. Office? His/Her space for guys or girls night. Movie watching on a large screen. Library. Your home business central? Yes to all. This is a big space with big expectations and room to fulfill yours.
Cheese
Cheese is a funny thing…..seems people love it and can’t get enough of it, or they don’t. The ‘extra’, the cheese, in this house is the BONUS room. Yes – A BONUS room, besides the large rec room. Office here? This could be a living room/private space for in-laws or grown children. This is extra and the ‘cheese’ can handle it.
There are also 2 suites upstairs, beautiful spaces, like brie. Bedrooms that each have their own walk-in closets and bath. Brie – creamy, warm, versatile cheese. These suites are just like that. Warm and welcoming. Versatile. Make them work for you. Need storage? Put stuff here.
Dessert AND Mignardise
As with all meals, or home plans, save the best for last. Not only do you get dessert in the form of your master bedroom, but you get a pinch-hit treat in mignardise. Dessert is the apple pie. The cheesecake. Mignardise is the cognac and bitter-sweet bite of excellent chocolate. A bonus treat. Unforgettable. That is mignardise. Your master suite has an intricate ceiling detail. Large window facing your backyard. The master bath gives you 2 separate sinks, a large walk-in shower, a luxurious soaking tub and a private ‘throne’ room. Your mignardise. Last, but not least, is your walk-in closet. Party clothes, sweats, jeans and everything else will fit here. There is room for all. Include a small fridge in the closet for champagne, luxury chocolates and your space is ideal all the time.
Gingerbread, icing, sweets and cake or stone, cedar shake, moss, climbing ivy and paned windows are all just ‘window dressing’ for the treats, real filling, food for thought in life – the sustenance, for what is inside this home. Your heart, soul, joys and sorrows live here. All the days that life brings, makes the sweet and spicy, the palate, of your life beautiful.
Make this your own. Welcome Home.