Baltimore Sun Sunday

A natural beauty in Sparks

Open design with lots of glass brings the charm of the outdoors inside

- By Lisa McLean

Horse barns and country living on 6.9 acres meld together nicely with a contempora­ry house in Sparks that is on the market for $995,000.

This two-level midcentury house with three bedrooms and two baths was designed by local architect Jim Grieves. It was designed to let the beauty of the outside be enjoyed on the inside, and the extensive use of glass with an open design gives an air of serenity to the house.

Double entry doors lead to a slate foyer. A nearby sliding glass door gives access to an open atrium with a sunken garden that can be seen from the other rooms in the house. Adjacent to the foyer is the living room featuring a cedar tongue ceiling with beam trusses and triangular lunette windows. These ceilings are repeated in nearly every room of the home.

There are three fireplaces, in the living room, family room and the kitchen. Hardwood floors are found throughout the main level.

The dining room adjoins the living room and has the same vaulted wood ceilings and beams, and doors to the atrium. The kitchen has hardwood cabinets, granite countertop­s and a breakfast bar. A skylight allows for even more outdoor light into the area. The kitchen also has stainless-steel appliances.

A stone chimney features prominentl­y in the family room. Sliding doors lead to an exterior deck. A small den off the foyer has a brick fireplace, as well as a beamed ceiling with a ceiling fan.

The three bedrooms are on the main floor. The master bedroom suite has creamcolor­ed carpeting, a slanted roof, a large picture window and a glazed door to the patio. The bathroom has tile floors, a glass shower door, a heated towel rack and a marble tile wall that separates the shower from the toilet. The two other bedrooms have the wood-beam vaulted ceilings and share a full bathroom.

The lower level has a carpeted recreation room, and a laundry room with washer and dryer.

The property has an in-ground pool designed to look like a natural pond. Boulders and a rock garden surround the pool and features bluestone decking.

“I’ll never forget the first time I saw the pool,” said J.L. Polovoy, listing agent for Hubble Bisbee Group, Christie’s Internatio­nal Real Estate, Long and Foster. “It was a true oasis.”

The landscapin­g is simple but elegant. On the property is a four-stall barn for horses with a tack room, wash stall and a nearby large fenced-in riding ring with a run-in shed, as well as additional pastures and a paddock. Other amenities include a garden and tractor shed and a heated garage bay.

 ?? JASON PONCHERI PHOTOS ?? A fireplace offers comfort in the living room. There are also fireplaces in the family room and kitchen.
JASON PONCHERI PHOTOS A fireplace offers comfort in the living room. There are also fireplaces in the family room and kitchen.
 ??  ?? A four-stall barn includes a tack room and wash stall.
A four-stall barn includes a tack room and wash stall.
 ??  ?? An in-ground pool has been designed to look like a natural pond.
An in-ground pool has been designed to look like a natural pond.

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