One Singular Sensation
The front façade at twilight.
One room flows gently into another on the first floor.
The back patio has been the site of many great gatherings over the years.
By Robin Jovanovich
Tucked away on a 1.25-acre parcel of lushly planted property on Grace Church Street, close to town, is one of the most indescribable single-family homes in town. While it has been called a Contemporary Colonial, we’d add Thoughtfully Designed Cottage to the mix.
Light fills every room of the nearly 6,000 square-foot sanctuary that was built in 1983 and has undergone two additions, the most recent was the creation of a master wing, along with space for a home office or gym, in 2015. The owners were way ahead of their time.
This is a house where you can easily raise four kids and still have spaces for the adults to kick up their heels. The floorplan is open, but not too open. There are many quiet corners away from the family room, where you can curl up with a book or just gaze out a window and enjoy nature at play.
The design is a collaboration by architect Manuel Delgado and his daughter Maria, who worked in fashion merchandising and design for many years and bought the house with her husband close to 20 years ago. Maria, like her father, loves mixing high ceilings with sloped ones, antique and new, and the result is warm and textured.
The first thing a visitor enjoys is the front-to-back view from the entry. Even in the dead of winter, you are drawn to the outdoors, the various patios and seating areas, the rock outcroppings that frame the back of the property, the spacious yard in front where the family has enjoyed every activity. At night, the family flips a switch and watches the light dance on the rocks. During the day, they are content to watch birds darting from the trees and conversing at the bird feeders.
For those seeking peace and convenience, it is hard to imagine a more idyllic spot than 265 Grace Church Street.
Susan McDonnell of Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s is the listing agent.