2228
Harcourt Drive (2001)
It is obvious that the current owners of
this spacious home are enjoying every square inch. Built in 1917, this home's grand and gracious features are a
perfect backdrop for the couple's collection of antiques and vintage pieces
(mostly garnered by savvy purchases at house sales years ago). Each one of the many rooms has been
thoughtfully decorated by the owners themselves for personal style, comfort and
use -- in entertaining, relaxing and pursuing various hobbies and interests.
Stepping inside the front door, one
immediately sees a long, curved antique hunt table with family photographs in
the foyer, and a powder room featuring a leather pedimented door, gold oriental
wallpaper and marble vanity. Another
step reveals the living room, which features an enormous carved stone
fireplace, many interesting pieces of furniture, and oil paintings of the
husband's children painted by the artist Gloria Plevin. An antique tapestry hangs here as well; its
motif is duplicated in the stained glass on the window.
The deep red dining room features the home's
original chandelier made of glass beads.
In one of those amusing quirks of older homes, a switch on one wall
illuminates one part of the chandelier, and another switch on the opposite wall
illuminates the rest! The remainder of
the first floor includes a comfortable television room with leaded windows and
tile floor, a morning room with a handpainted ceiling, and a new kitchen just
completed this year. The adjoining bar
features vintage labels on the walls and a mysterious window.
A beautifully carved staircase, with a
built-in sconce shelf at the top, leads to the second floor, which includes
lovely master and guest bedrooms and other rooms being used to pursue the
owners' special interests. In the study
off the master bedroom (which may originally have been a sewing room) there are
Moravian Star light fixtures, original paneling and a beamed ceiling.
Walking out to the back yard is a feast for
the senses. A large screened porch was
added to the home (probably in the twenties) and provides airy space for dining
and relaxing, as well as views of the beautiful gardens. The brick of what was originally an exterior
wall lends an interesting textural quality.
The owners have also worked their personal charm on the outdoor spaces,
designing and maintaining the plantings all around the house themselves. They feature trees, shrubs, perennials,
annuals and bulbs. Special accents in the back garden include a pair of stone
benches original to the home.