GATHER AROUND
PROPERTY PROFILE Great Point Properties $5,950,000
Any prospective home buyer who likes having family and friends around need look no further than the home at Five Deacon's Way. Aptly displaying a quarterboard which reads "The Gathering," this house is designed around the idea of coming together. Of sharing. Of being with family and friends.

Deacon's Way is located just off Cliff Road between Madaket Road and Washing Pond Road. The landscape consists of rolling hills created by the leading edge of the glaciers that formed the island. Nearby is Capaum Pond, the site of the original English settlement of Nantucket, which means this neighborhood is steeped in history.

Our tour of Five Deacon's Way begins at the foot of the gently curving shell driveway. This bright white surface stands in contrast to the vibrant green of the manicured lawns. The landscaping is comprised mainly of black pine, natural grasses and well maintained rosa rugosa and hydrangea, with a few hearty deciduous trees thrown in for accent.

As you step up on the front porch and enter the house, the first thing you notice is the wide-open feeling. Here, beyond the main stairway on your right, you encounter the first of several gathering spaces for family and friends - a generously sized media area with room for a large-screen TV and plenty of comfortable seating. There's also an ornately decorated fireplace here to keep you warm on cold fall evenings. Closer to the door is an area for a table and chairs for game playing or eating light meals. To the far right is a wet bar with a small fridge, dishwasher, microwave and ample storage. This saves the movie watchers and game players from climbing the main stairway to the kitchen above.

Beyond the media area through a pair of French doors is the first of the home's two large decks. This one spills out onto a stone patio and the wide-open, yet private, back yard providing a space that is ideal for garden parties for 100 guests or quiet gatherings of three or four.

Also on the first floor are three large bedrooms each with its own full bath.

The east end of the home features a separate, back entrance which is next to a massive outdoor shower sitting on the home's wrap-around porch. From here, it is a few steps to the downstairs bedrooms, or up the back stairway to the kitchen.

The kitchen is a marvel. Not only does it feature a massive prep island with an inset six-burner gas cook-top, but there is also room for several hungry family members at a separate breakfast bar. Both are topped by a thick slab of richly mottled calico marble as are the rest of the kitchen's counters. The appliances are the highest quality stainless steel. The refrigerator is clad in the same cream-colored woodwork as the finely crafted cabinets.

A few steps beyond the kitchen brings you to the large and inviting dining room. There is easily room for a large farm table and ten chairs.

Contiguous to this space is another of the home's wonderful gathering spots, the main living room. This part of the second floor features cathedral ceilings and a ship's ladder that leads to a small balcony and then to the roof walk above and some spectacular views of the water. (The roof walk too, is a good gathering place as there is a large built-in bench.)

The living room features a dramatic fireplace with thick columns that hold up a weighty massing of mantel. A handcarved whale at its center adds a decorative touch. Beyond the living room, through a set of French doors, is the second floor deck and its spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.

The master suite is also on the second floor. This space features a large walk-in closet and a bathroom large enough for a small gathering of its own. The large inset soaking tub, glass shower and dual sinks provide both luxury and functionality. A separate door leads to the upstairs deck.

In addition to the main house there is a second structure with a two-car garage on the first floor and a studio apartment on the second, complete with a full bath and a washer/dryer.

This five bedroom, five bath, two half-bath home in a highly coveted neighborhood is offered furnished at

$5,950,000. I