Hidden Treasure
PROPERTY PROFILE Coffin Real Estate $2,395,000
You'd never know it was there unless you look very closely. It is marked by a simple mailbox and a cast metal sign, "34R Cliff Road." A gravel walkway gives way to a narrow path of flagstone with tall arborvitae on one side and thick privet on the other. Each square stone brings you one step closer. There's a sense of mystery and awe - like the feeling of anticipation one has when opening a carefully wrapped gift. The walkway leads to a small open space punctuated by boxwoods, a miniature weeping willow and ornamental evergreens. One step up to a small deck brings you to the front door. In the summer, this space is lush and green with perennials in bloom all around. You have arrived. You are home.

You enter your front door and find yourself in a picture-perfect foyer. Not too formal. Not too casual. This 1838 antique, which is evident from the narrow, steep stairs and classic floor plan, was extensively renovated and updated within the past decade and it has been very well maintained ever since. To your right is the study/library. The gasfired stove looks, for all intents and purposes, like a real wood stove. There's an adjacent full bath, which means that this home office can easily double as a guest room if you desire. Straight ahead is a set of steep stairs with a simple runner up the center. To your left is the living room, complete with an inviting fireplace and plenty of sun from windows which overlook the deck and wonderful perennial gardens to the rear of the home.

Further on, one comes to a dining area with room for a large table and chairs. (A trompe l'oeil bookshelf painted on the wall opens to reveal a hidden staircase to the basement.)

Beyond this space is the magnificent kitchen.

The kitchen benefits greatly from expert design and planning, as well as the cathedral ceilings which give the impression of infinite space. At the center of the kitchen is a massive island with two tall stools at one end and a professional-grade, six-burner, gas cooktop on the other. The countertops are black firestone and the cabinets are a rare Burmese teak with a pattern that is reminiscent of delicate eddies in a stream. A simple display ledge and rows of inconspicuous electrical outlets ring the counters for convenience. Around the perimeter of the kitchen, well above one's head are rows of simple square cabinets. These are accessed via a library ladder on a simple black metal rail and they house small, halogen fixtures that provide down-light and up-light. Above the island, suspended by narrow cables, is a similarly styled glass-front cabinet. And to the side of the kitchen, near the rear door is a separate prep area with an additional sink and cabinets.

The back door leads to a wonderful deck and garden that is an explosion of color in the summertime. Around the corner is the feature of the house that often gets "oohs" and "ahs" - a lattice-enclosed circular outdoor shower with an overhead shower head that rains down upon the bather. A treat!

The second floor features three bedrooms, each with its own bath. There is plenty of ingenious built-in storage in these rooms. And each bath features well crafted cabinetry with high-styled antique-like sinks and counter tops made of bleachedblonde tiger maple.

The master suite has its own balcony surrounded by blooming cherries in the springtime, with a view of another hidden gem: Coffin Park. The master bath is resplendent with a make-up vanity, free-standing soaking tub, glass-front shower and separate water closet.

This picture-perfect, hidden, four-bedroom, four-bath home, a short walk to downtown, is offered

at $2,395,000. I