It's perfect for dinner parties, says Standhardt. We throw a lot of dinner parties. My wife loves to cook Italian food. But the Standhardts are packing up and moving, he says, because it's time to downsize. This fairy tale existence begins on the Victorian-style porch, where the Standhardts often sit on summer evenings with cocktails and coffee, watching people walk by.
Neighbors stop and talk to the contented couple.
Wide planks comprise the floor that winds around the front of the house and which offers exit via two small staircases. A sitting room overlooks the front porch. Green walls and white moldings create a calm, earthy feel, complementing the view through a wide, octagonal window. A wide doorway connects with an intimate dining room. Originally two stories for sophisticated dining, the Standhardts closed off the access and made the second level of the dining room into a third bedroom.