2720 East Overlook Road (1995)

Built more than 80 years ago, this splendid Colonial Revival home has both Tudor and neo-classical features, notably the parapeted ornamental false timbering on the left front gable and the Corinthian pilasters on both sides of the vestibule door and along the walls of the living room. In 1926 the existing porch at the southeast corner of the house was enclosed to make a sunroom.

The present owners, who have lived here only a year, have restored the house to a shining perfection. All of the brass hardware and wall sconces have been dipped, polished, and lacquered. Missing or damaged sections of woodwork have been replaced with custom millwork. Floors have been refinished, oak woodwork polished to a high degree, painted walls and woodwork meticulously sanded. More prosaically and less visibly, new wiring, plumbing, and heating have been installed and storm windows added. Almost every one of the walk-in closets has a brass light fixture and a window that opens either to the outside or to another room or hallway, thus allowing not only for better lighting but also for increased air circulation.

There are eight fireplaces in the house, all of them worthy of special study. Two are particularly engaging: the one in the living room, flanked by carved lions with massive paws; and the one in the cheerful child's room upstairs, with tiles depicting familiar nursery rhymes.

Throughout the house there are many objects that the owners have brought back from the various places they have lived or traveled. For example, a long-handled pan by the fireplace in the sunroom was used to roast coffee beans in Saudi Arabia. Near it are spears from Africa and a Bedouin "wedding trunk." Other rooms display a boomerang from Australia, African masks, a carved chest from Thailand, and a screen from India.

The basement and third floor are both large and airy, and have been renovated with the same care given to the rest of the home. The outstanding feature of the yard is a lovely little fish pond.