DISTINCTIVE FEATURES

PAGES 14-15

Owners’ personal specifications mark this two-story brick home with several distinctive features. When they had it built in 2005 at 1416 Ashbury Park Place, they requested private baths for all the bedrooms. They commissioned a walkout lower level that could serve for recreation or as separate living quarters for extended family. And they chose several upgrades.

“We added Mohawk wood flooring with a cherry stain, solid maple cabinets and several closets, all with custom shelving,” said owner/ agent Karen Hogan of Sibcy Cline Inc.

Maintenance and regular updates add to its like-new appearance.

“Last year we re-carpeted the entire upstairs, the steps and the office,” said Hogan. “Exterior trim was painted about three years ago.”

Offering about 5,200 square feet of living space, the home is listed for $559,800.

The cherry finish on the wood flooring in the entry retains its sheen accented by natural light from designer sidelights and a matching glass insert in the fiberglass front door and from the large radial window set high on the front wall.

Centered with a pewterlike designer chandelier, the vaulted ceiling rises above a partially open staircase edged with wrought iron spindles.

A wide opening leads into the formal dining room, where the elongated octagonal tray ceiling is framed with moldings and centered with a smaller version of the entry’s chandelier.

On the opposite side of the

entry, French doors open to the office, which is enhanced with a three-window bay, built-in bookshelves and neutral carpet.

At the end of the entry the great room features a wall of windows dressed with fabric valances and draperies. Granite facing accents the fireplace and hearth, which are framed by a white mantel with fluted posts.

Oversized maple cabinets with upper moldings are nicely contrasted with granite counters in the kitchen. An extra-long work counter holds the gas cooktop under a built-in microwave oven and wraps around the corner to incorporate a tiered counter, which acts as a separation from the breakfast area.

A coffee station/serving counter sits near the entrances to the breakfast area and the dining room. Earth-toned tile backsplashes pick up subtle tones from the grain in the granite. Appliances include a dishwasher, side-by-side refrigerator and stacked wall ovens.

The breakfast area sits in a three-window bay with an angled atrium door to the deck, which has low-maintenance flooring and a matching railing with square posts.

A mudroom area accesses the laundry room and the three-car garage, which has finished walls and windows with mini-blinds.

In the main floor bedroom suite crown moldings trim the ceiling edges and frame the deep tray ceiling, also. An elongated bay window area includes an atrium door for direct access to the deck.

In the adjacent bath the jetted tub is set in large ceramic tile that matches the floor covering. There are two separate vanities. One extends into a makeup station.

In the oversized separate shower, a second shower head is installed above the built-in bench. There are two separate walk-in closets.

Three more bedrooms, all with private baths, are on the upper level. One bedroom has a partially vaulted ceiling. Another has a walk-in closet. All the closets have organizers. All the bathrooms have raised vanities. One has a step-in shower while the other two have tub-andshower combinations.

“The walkout lower level could be separate living quarters for extended family,” Hogan said. “There are so many windows – it is so light and doesn’t feel like a basement.”

On this level is a large fifth bedroom with a walkin closet, a bay window and direct access to the hall bath.

A three-way gas fireplace enhances the open recreation space. One area could be used for dining or for game tables. Another area can extend recreation space or be used as a media room. Triple windows are combined with an atrium door to the covered patio.

The wet bar/kitchenette has a tiered counter for bar seating. It is equipped with a dishwasher and a Frenchdoor refrigerator.

Currently used for exercise, the versatile extra room is finished with carpet and has a double closet.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS BY KATHY TYLER Brick construction, bay windows and a covered entrance framed with an arch and round columns create a stately facade for this two-story brick home in Washington Twp. Landscaping of the front flowerbeds includes a weeping cherry tree, a birch tree and evergreens in varying shapes.

At the end of the entry, the great room features a wall of windows dressed with fabric valances and draperies. Granite facing accents the fireplace and hearth.

PHOTOS BY KATHY TYLER CONTRIBUTED An outdoor staircase connects the lower walkout patio to the upper deck off the main floor. Both overlook the fenced backyard, where a mulched island is landscaped with wispy pine trees and a magnolia bush. Hydrangeas bloom in a side flowerbed, and there are natural stepping stones to a rock garden near the gate to the driveway.

A wide opening leads into the formal dining room, where the elongated octagonal tray ceiling is framed with moldings and centered with a smaller version of the entry’s chandelier.

A 3-way gas fireplace enhances the open recreation space in the walkout lower level. One area could be used for dining or for game tables.

Oversized maple cabinets with upper moldings are nicely contrasted with granite counters in the kitchen.