After 12 years of living in a hundred-year-old house on Doctors’ Row in Delaware County, it was time to move to something smaller than 23 rooms. So the owners of this month’s featured home began their search and headed west to Chester County.

  Leaving a house you love is never easy. Perhaps that’s why the couple visited 121 houses in four months without finding the right fit. Then, lucky number 122 provided amenities in new construction not available in an older home. This lovely traditional Colonial home is a more manageable 4200 square feet, with four bedrooms and three and a half baths.

Traditional Charm/Modern Sensibility

  Set on a level three-acre lot in desirable Birmingham township, this Ann Capron-designed home combines the best of traditional charm and modern sensibility, along with carefree living.

  The property blends a landscaped area surrounding the house with two-plus acres of maintenance-free native grasses, home to wildlife and a variety of birds that visit the feeders viewed through kitchen windows. Specimen trees dot the property, including a majestic sycamore by the front drive. Nearby neighbors include historic Fernbank Farm, Radley Run, and just a bit farther, the Brandywine Battlefield — Chester County at its best.

Classic and Carefree

  From the approach to the front door, the blending of traditional and modern continues. The symmetry of a center door flanked by gas lamps and a classic brick façade are complemented by the convenience of a three-car garage leading to a mudroom, laundry room and kitchen.

  A traditional floor plan positions a living room and dining room around the central foyer, while modern influences are seen in expanded ceiling heights of a soaring two-story entry and cathedral treatments in the family room and adjoining kitchen. Two coat closets and a grand staircase to the second floor complete the foyer.

Formal Side

  Elegant columns beckon you to enter a formal living room (20x15), an oasis of calm with neutral walls and dramatic window treatments. A marble fireplace anchors the far wall, and gas provides the glow for cozy evenings. This light-filled room has large windows, beautiful crown molding, extra dentil moldings echoing details in the mantel, and gleaming hardwood floors, running from living room to foyer to dining room.

  Glass French doors to the adjacent study (15x15) allow light to enter three sides of the living room. Similar doors open off the study to the spacious family room, making the study both private and accessible. Large windows in the study continue the feeling of light and openness, hallmarks of the home’s design.

  Across the foyer is the stately dining room (15x15), perfect for hosting dinner parties and family meals in a room designed around a family curio cabinet from Venice. Crown moldings, chair rails and chandelier add quiet elegance, while a butler’s pantry with sink, dishwasher and wine refrigerator provide the convenience that makes entertaining a pleasure.

  A large hall powder room was thoughtfully designed with separate water closet and vanity.

Family Side

  Formality of the front of the home is balanced by the spacious living area in the rear, where vaulted ceilings and  open floor plan make the family room and adjoining kitchen the heart of the home.

  It’s easy to envision children and parents alike being drawn to the large, step-down family room (15x22), with windows on three sides, and sliding doors to the deck (14x30). Views through sliding doors take in sunsets and a pond at the property’s edge. A wood-burning fireplace, with brick floor-to-ceiling chimney, and convenient wet bar make this a prime gathering place.

  The easy flow through the open-space design from family room through breakfast room to the big, bright kitchen (13 x 30) makes clear that casual entertaining is as easy here as formal entertaining is in the dining room. More sliding doors off the breakfast area make outdoor dining a natural choice for warm months.

  The bright, white kitchen offers modern conveniences — Sub-Zero frig, gas cook-top in the island, built-in oven and dishwasher, double sink and built-in desk. The kitchen design also provides counter space for major buffets and 42-inch cabinets for more storage than you may need! New owners even get to select their choice for granite counters in an upgrade.

Second Floor

  The family-friendly layout continues on the second floor, where front stairs lead to a master suite at one end, and back stairs to a fourth bedroom at the other.

  Providing ample privacy, the master suite is the perfect sanctuary. The large bedroom area (24 x 15) easily accommodates a massive four-poster bed facing the gas fireplace. Windows on three sides flood the room with light and provide a welcoming corner for a sitting area.

  The master bath with soft rose Turkish marble boasts a jetted tub beneath a large arched window, separate water closet with bidet, tiled shower with dual showerheads, and enviable dressing areas. A large dressing table is fit for an old-time Hollywood star, with three large mirrors on “her” side, and a separate sink and vanity on “his.” Another mirror, this one full-length, marks the entrance to two dressing areas — again, his and hers, with enough space and built-ins to assure happy cohabitation.

  Down the hall are more bedrooms. East and a west-facing bedrooms, with large closets, are across the hall from each other, sharing a bath with skylight — perfect for siblings or houseguests.

  At the far end of the hall and down a step is the fourth bedroom, also secluded and private, with its own bath and carpeted bonus room under the eaves for a playroom, band practice or hideout. One can envision many uses for this special space  — for an au pair or teenager. The back stairway gives direct access to garage and kitchen.

  If this weren’t enough space, an unfinished basement the full size of the home’s footprint, with walk-out to the back yard, awaits the plans of the next owners — game room, media room, home gym. Or use the architect’s plans, which the owners will leave behind for you to use as is or make your own.

  This property is offered at $799,900 through Keller Williams and includes design services. For information, contact Geoff Wilkinson, 484-368-9599. -CL-