MASTER CRAFTSMANSHIP
2-story enhanced with fine millwork, cabinets, flooring.
Traditional architectural styling and handcrafted features are combined with expertise and artistry in the two-story home at 743 Oak Lea Drive in Tipp City.
Agent-owner Jill Barhorst of Coldwell Banker Heritage Realtors said, “It was built by a German Baptist group out of Covington – it’s all two-by-six construction.”
The stone facade mingles straight and angled lines with arches and a gabled rooftop with a turret-like two-story bay area. Cherry, alder and other finely finished woods complement granite, specialty tile and neutral carpet throughout the home, which offers about 6,640 square feet of living space.
Barhorst has listed the home for $745,000.
A tall arch leads into the covered entrance. Keystones accent fluted casings around the archway, nearby arched windows and the arched transom above the front door, which has leadedglass inserts.
From the central foyer, wide archways lead into the dining room and the great room. One example of expert workmanship is the grand staircase, which Barhorst said was “custom made on the spot” with ornamental
wrought-iron spindles and smoothly finished handrails and finials.
Maple flooring enhances the dining room, which is further embellished with faux-painted walls and a scroll motif painted in a border above crown moldings around a backlighted tray ceiling.
Maple flooring borders the inset carpet in the great room, which sits under an 18-foot vaulted ceiling. Large windows of different shapes are boxed together with substantial millwork in a bay area.
The stone fireplace and chimney rise to the ceiling above the railing across the open walkway on the upper level.
A widely arched opening leads into the kitchen, where a semi-circular granitetopped center island offers bar seating above its undercounter cabinets, dishwasher and microwave oven. The raised portion of the island at one end has built-in bookshelves and a wine rack.
Cherry cabinets in staggered heights are topped with moldings on the back wall and incorporated with a granite counter holding a five-burner gas cooktop along with a warmer drawer, stacked wall ovens and a slide-in refrigerator. Varying shapes of glass and stone small tiles accent the backsplash area. Cabinet features include a slide-out spice rack, a cookie sheet cabinet and a pot-and-pan drawer.
Matching cabinets surround the long planning desk on the side wall. Nearby is a walk-in pantry.
The open breakfast area sits beside a wall of windows with a panoramic view of the patio, green space and wooded area at the edge of the back yard. Under a wood-paneled cathedral ceiling, the adjacent screened porch enjoys this nature view, also.
In the main-level bedroom suite the backlighted tray ceiling is centered with a designer paddle fan. A paneled-wood pocket door opens into the bath, which offers a corner jetted tub, a separate shower with two shower heads and a double vanity flanked with tower cabinets. The walk-in closet is installed with organizers and built-in drawers.
Midway off the grand staircase the mezzanine-level office takes an octagonal shape set in the bay-window
space with built-ins on angled walls flanking the double-door entrance.
At the top of the stairs an open walkway leads to three bedrooms and two baths plus a bonus room and a loft area adjacent each other, both with skylights and direct access to the kitchen via the back staircase.
“We wanted the lower level to be actual living space,” said Barhorst.
Open areas offer versatile uses for recreation, including a theater room with surround-sound, an extended recreation/family room with a full wet bar framed in alder wood arched millwork flanked by square fluted columns. Above-ground windows at one end bring the picturesque waterfall and its sounds into the recreation area.
There is an exercise room with a mirrored wall. An extra room is set below the turret/bay area, which takes advantage of the upper space for a semi-circular row of above-ground windows.
“We left a lot of the woods intact so we could be with nature,” Barhorst said.
Extensive landscaping is designed to attract butterflies and birds with wildflowers, ground cover and tall trees.