Tag Archives: ground pool

Colonial on Millis’ Orchard Street comes gift-wrapped with perks

Posted on by

sometimes you just want to put a ribbon around it. Picture perfect from every angle, the property located at 64 Orchard St. in Millis should come gift-wrapped.

“Between this home’s new geothermal heating system, the pristine maintenance and wonderful amenities, like the in-ground pool, there’s really nothing for a buyer to do but move in and enjoy,” said Realtor Debbie Lane-Lesbirel of Prudential Page Realty.

her point expands to perks such as a fresh neutral paint palette, noted from the front door forward. the traditional Colonial foyer also features white tile flooring with the large greeting area complemented by a three-piece light panel front door. right off the foyer is a true two-story family room with dual sets of double hung windows. Accentuating the eye-catching vignette is a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace. Hardwood flooring is found underfoot with a wide balcony overhang enhancing overall sightlines.

A 24-by-12 kitchen offers excellent prep space in addition to good square footage for entertaining. Newer green-veined granite brings a sophisticated edge to the work area, an upscale choice to typical stone hues. A beveled edged granite slab tops the island, which offers an overhang for breakfast bar seating. Complementing the motif is new stainless steel appliances, including a dishwasher, solid surface range and built-in microwave. Oak cabinetry surrounds the space, offering ample storage with a pantry unit and a built-in desk. the kitchen opens to a large casual dining area with the overall space boasting recessed lighting and coordinating decorative fixtures. An updated half bath is located off the kitchen. the rear hall continues, opening to a large mudroom where the washer and dryer are located. A two-car garage can be accessed from here, as well as the very private backyard and in-ground pool with wide patio apron.

As a traditional Colonial dictates, formal rooms are a part of the first-floor footprint. A 15-by-11 dining room and 17-by-13 formal living room both feature hardwood flooring and deep bay windows. the bay windows are an elegant touch, one of many hallmark elements of builder John Toth. Both rooms feature crown molding while the dining room is also trimmed in chair rail. Off-white paint is a clean canvas, perfect for those who prefer an understated look. It’s also an excellent neutral placeholder for the buyer who wants to make his or her own color statement.

sometimes you just want to put a ribbon around it. Picture perfect from every angle, the property located at 64 Orchard St. in Millis should come gift-wrapped.

“Between this home’s new geothermal heating system, the pristine maintenance and wonderful amenities, like the in-ground pool, there’s really nothing for a buyer to do but move in and enjoy,” said Realtor Debbie Lane-Lesbirel of Prudential Page Realty.

her point expands to perks such as a fresh neutral paint palette, noted from the front door forward. the traditional Colonial foyer also features white tile flooring with the large greeting area complemented by a three-piece light panel front door. right off the foyer is a true two-story family room with dual sets of double hung windows. Accentuating the eye-catching vignette is a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace. Hardwood flooring is found underfoot with a wide balcony overhang enhancing overall sightlines.

A 24-by-12 kitchen offers excellent prep space in addition to good square footage for entertaining. Newer green-veined granite brings a sophisticated edge to the work area, an upscale choice to typical stone hues. A beveled edged granite slab tops the island, which offers an overhang for breakfast bar seating. Complementing the motif is new stainless steel appliances, including a dishwasher, solid surface range and built-in microwave. Oak cabinetry surrounds the space, offering ample storage with a pantry unit and a built-in desk. the kitchen opens to a large casual dining area with the overall space boasting recessed lighting and coordinating decorative fixtures. An updated half bath is located off the kitchen. the rear hall continues, opening to a large mudroom where the washer and dryer are located. A two-car garage can be accessed from here, as well as the very private backyard and in-ground pool with wide patio apron.

As a traditional Colonial dictates, formal rooms are a part of the first-floor footprint. A 15-by-11 dining room and 17-by-13 formal living room both feature hardwood flooring and deep bay windows. the bay windows are an elegant touch, one of many hallmark elements of builder John Toth. Both rooms feature crown molding while the dining room is also trimmed in chair rail. Off-white paint is a clean canvas, perfect for those who prefer an understated look. It’s also an excellent neutral placeholder for the buyer who wants to make his or her own color statement.

Second-story amenities begin on the balcony, which serves as a gateway to the master suite. It affords the master bedroom extra privacy while not putting it too far from the spare bedrooms. It’s an impressive 23-by-24 space where highlights include a cathedral ceiling with architectural niche, built-in shelving and a fireplace with millwork mantel. In-demand perks continue with a large walk-in closet and sitting area that could also accommodate a dressing table. the spacious master bath boasts a vaulted ceiling with skylight, large spa tub, dual sink vanity and separate stall shower. the floor plan also includes three spacious spares, two measuring 13 by 15. the spare bedrooms also feature newer wall-to-wall carpet. An oversized full bath with dual sinks and Kohler tub accommodates the spare bedrooms.

A finished third floor is a terrific bonus. It’s particularly useful in that access is via the hall and not through a bedroom. the 20-by-20 room offers a popped cathedral ceiling, skylight and extra-wide staircase. A guestroom, computer room or playroom, the space will work well for any number of buyer needs.

A stroll through the private backyard shows off numerous flowering perennials, dedicated garden area and fruit trees. the in-ground pool naturally lends itself to entertaining and lazy summer Sundays. Other amenities include a geothermal heating and cooling system. Prior to the installation of the $45,000 system, a bank appraisal estimated the property value as close to the current list price of $594,900.

For more information, contact Realtor Debbie Lane-Lesbirel of Prudential Page Realty, 508-250-3623. She will be hosting an open house on Sunday, June 10 from 1-3 p.m.  

64 Orchard St., Millis

DETAILS:

Home size: 3,360 square feet

Rooms: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths

Lot size: 1.44 acres

Year built: 1997

Annual taxes: $7,312

Asking price: $594,900

Open house: Sunday, June 10th, 1-3 p.m.

          

        

Colonial on Millis’ Orchard Street comes gift-wrapped with perks

Remodeled New Bedford home full of pleasantries

Posted on by

By CHRISTINA HICKMAN May 26, 2012 12:00 AM

Living area: 2,432 square feet

Listing agent: Nelia Pacheco, EXIT Realty Advisors, 508-998-6466

Open house: Sunday, May 27, 1-2:30 p.m.

Built in 1922

Remodeled in 2005

Open plan main floor

Above-ground pool with wraparound deck

Master bedroom with balcony

Open space and careful attention to detail. these are two considerations made during the 2005 remodel of our Home of the Week.

Located in a comfortable neighborhood in new Bedford’s North End, this home at 1135 Chaffee St. is sure to please the artistic eye.

Even the exterior of the home is aesthetically pleasing. a walkway leads up to a covered slate front porch. The new vinyl siding, which gives the appearance of clapboard, blends beautifully with the white split-faced brick.

The extra-wide ornate front door opens onto an impressive entryway, which listing agent Nelia Pacheco of EXIT Realty Advisors points out is given a grand feeling because the staircase is not located right in front of the door, but rather set back in the middle of the room.

This setback staircase coupled with tray ceilings creates an open and airy feeling space. to the left of the entry is the living room, which features three large double windows and a gas fireplace. The fireplace is accented by a kitty-cornered gray granite tiled wall, which runs from floor to ceiling, giving the home a contemporary feel upon first glance.

To the right of the entry is the dining area. Beyond that, a built-in table for eat-in dining demarcates the kitchen space. to the left of the table is the updated, u-shaped kitchen with white custom cabinetry.

Recessed lighting is also found throughout this floor. Hardwood floors run in the entire house.

A wide hallway right before the kitchen leads to the first-floor full bathroom. Here, the artistic touches become even more apparent. The current owners had a mural of the Greek goddess Venus hand painted on the walls to give a luxurious feel to the space. The walls even have gold leafing. There is a walk-in stand-up shower and Jacuzzi tub with window to provide nice views of the house’s pool.

A door under the staircase leads to a full, unfinished basement, which provides walkout access to the side yard and driveway. The large driveway can accommodate four cars.

Just beyond the kitchen are French doors that open on to the sunroom addition. Light floods the room though three sides of Anderson windows and two skylights, providing views to the outside space. The tiled floor gives the room a comfortable feel. Sliding doors at the rear of the room lead outside.

The outdoor space of this home lends itself to a perfect summertime retreat. After exiting the sliding doors, there is decking to the right, which the current owners use as a dining and grilling area. From here, there is a staircase leading down to the house’s side yard, which is the only piece of land that will need to be maintained. Vinyl fencing encloses the yard.

To the left, the above-ground pool is encompassed by the large deck, creating the ideal place to both throw a summer barbeque for guests and relax after a long day. Another set of stairs leads to a gate that opens to the driveway.

A 2005 remodel of the home included framing, electric and insulation, as well as the building out of the second floor, which has three bedrooms and an additional full bath.

The staircase leading up to the second floor of the home continues the grand feeling of the entry. The landing’s high ceilings combined with two skylights provide light and space.

At the top of the stairs is a bathroom with stand-up shower, dual vanity and a walk-in closet.

The floor has two large secondary bedrooms, each with a walk-in closet.

The master bedroom is at the front and runs the length of the home. The room has a hotel penthouse feel. Steps lead up to a corner sunken Jacuzzi tub. The room features a shoe closet and a large walk-in closet. Sliding doors lead out to a private balcony, truly the finishing touch to a relaxing bedroom retreat.

The second floor of the home has central air conditioning.

Ads by Google

Remodeled New Bedford home full of pleasantries

A post-Katrina pool and pavilion near Covington have a beautiful backdrop

Posted on by

A small black-and-gold plaque epitomizes what a pavilion and adjacent free-form pool have become for retired couple Greg and Betsy Sterck: It reads “Laissez le bons temps rouler.” “We had a great Super Bowl party here, and our son has had several get-togethers,” Greg said of the space, whose construction was completed only last summer. “There have been lots of good times here already.”

A change of mind

An organic design that mirrored the flow of the nearby waterway is what the Stercks always envisioned for their in-ground pool.

They were about to embark on construction just before Hurricane Katrina. Plans had been drawn, details had been discussed, and designer Matthew Voelkel had started preparing the project proposal on which contractors would bid. but after the hurricane, high construction costs and Greg’s busy work schedule put everything on hold. It also gave the couple more time to ponder the addition, and they ended up greatly altering the design of the entertainment area, turning it into an open-air pavilion that echoes the architecture of their home near Covington.

Voelkel said the first design featured “an enclosed interior space with a full-fledged kitchen, steam room and bathroom. It was going to be that media-type room.”

“It’s now all really just outdoor living space,” he said of the pavilion that took David and Brandon Noggerath, the father and son team at Brandon Construction co., about five months to build.

The structure follows a cruciform plan, Voelkel said, with brick parapet walls anchoring the kitchen and bathroom areas on one end. Eight thick Tuscan columns anchor the colonnade containing the dining and sitting areas between the pool and side yard.

Voelkel also repeated in the design some formal details from the main house, which the Stercks bought in 1994.

“We really wanted it to match the house,” Greg said.

The home has a high-pitched roof typical of its former Tudor style, although previous owners had renovated it to a more French Provencial style with a stucco facade and painted brick.

“I think that the house has such presence that the outbuilding couldn’t just be looked at as a little casual piece in the yard,” Voelkel said. “It had to have substance, weight and scale.

“To me, a successful project is one that looks like it was always there. I think that’s kind of important on any project,” he added.

The pavilion mimics the house most noticeably in its high-roof pitch, but repeated details include the louvered vents and the painted brick walls. Arches over the gazebo’s kitchen area match the one over the French doors that lead from the house’s living room out to the side yard.

A natural approach

Natural flagstone flooring laid out in a random pattern links the rigid structure of the pavilion to the pond-like design of the pool, which was constructed by Greg’s Pools and Spas.

The curving pool, which sits on a bluff overlooking the nearby waterway, varies greatly from the rectilinear pools Voelkel usually designs.

He initially urged the couple to go with a more classic look, but in the end he is happy with the result.

“It became almost classic in a natural way,” he added. “Because it is on the water’s edge and because it has that beautiful backdrop.”

The pool and the pavilion sit several yards from the house in a clearing among camellia bushes and pine and Sasanqua trees. A winding brick path leads to the house.

“We spent a lot of time to site it in the right spot,” said Greg, who credits his sister, Mary Anne O’Neil, with helping him and Betsy with the pavilion’s location and design.

O’Neil worked as an interior designer in new Orleans until recently retiring.

“She helped me to think about placement and its relationship to the house and the water,” Greg said. “Also, how we would use the pool house and pool: where would people congregate, where they would walk, etc. Bottom line, she got us to think about usage.”

Betsy worked with the team of Robin Hurston and Kelly Vinti to create landscaping around the pool that complements the existing trees. Large biot jars and urns placed around the pavilion are filled with seasonal flowers for color.

While the couple wanted the pool to feel like a lagoon, they also wanted it to be functional.

“We both like to swim,” Betsy said. “Although the pool curves, there is a straight shot for laps.”

That straight shot totals 44 feet, and its deepest depth is 6 feet. Thanks to a heater, the couple said they are able to use it for exercise for most of the year.

Other features make the pool good for relaxing when the weather reaches its hottest temperatures. Swimmers enter the pool at one end from a flagstone wading ledge, which is large enough to hold lounge chairs and even has a built-in umbrella stand.

At the other end, the couple and their guests can sit on a smaller flagstone ledge below the cascading waterfall, constructed with natural stones.

A circular, stone fire pit sits along the path to the pool. It can be turned on with the same controls as the pool’s features, Greg said.

With the push of a button, he and Betsy can clean or heat the pool, turn on its LED lights or its waterfall, and set the temperature or add bubbles in the circular hot tub.

It’s in the details

But that device isn’t the only thing that makes it easy for the Stercks to enjoy their outdoor space.

The pavilion features a large space for relaxing in the wicker settee and recliners or watching a favorite show on the ceiling-mounted television. Guests can enjoy a meal at the large wood dining table for 10, or at the kitchen’s bar, which features six greige-finished wood stools that complement the finish on the dining furniture.

Betsy relied on Jennifer DiCerbo at the French Mix, a home and children’s boutique in Covington, to help with selecting these items. the living-area furniture was chosen for its weather-resistant materials, and DiCerbo applied an outdoor, anti-mildew sealant to the dining table to increase its durability.

The pavilion’s kitchen contains everything needed for outdoor meals — a Jenn-Air gas grill, a large stainless-steel sink, a small refrigerator and an ice-maker. the appliances are surrounded by cypress, self-closing cabinets, which were chosen for their durability against the weather.

“We wanted something for casual dinners,” Betsy said.

The countertop is made of a honed gray limestone that picks up on the paint color of the pavilion and main house. Details in a large custom-made Bevolo gas lantern hint at the arch in the kitchen walls.

Weather-resistant materials and details for convenience also are found in the bathroom, where walls are covered in horizontal cypress planks. An open-shelf vanity is topped with the same gray honed limestone, and contains a white vessel sink and modern faucet.

A mirror framed in strips of bone also brings in a modern touch, and three self-closing cabinets give the Stercks more storage for towels and pool supplies.

Ten pegs along one wall create an easy place for hanging wet towels and bathing suits, although they don’t need to hang there long. A utility room beside the bathroom contains a stackable washer and dryer, as well as shelves for storing pool equipment.

The pavilion also has an outdoor shower and a built-in stereo system. Lights can be dimmed, and two ceiling fans are operated by remote control.

Recessed lighting in the trussed ceiling is on dimmers, and the entire pavilion is equipped with numerous security devices because of its location on the property’s four acres.

Voelkel said the pool and pavilion ultimately are “form and function working together.”

The couple said they’re happier with this space than what they had in mind before Katrina.

“I had a completely different vision before Katrina,” Greg said. “But the project got put on the back burner. I started to think about it more, and we like this much better.”

A post-Katrina pool and pavilion near Covington have a beautiful backdrop