February 1, 2012

House of the Day : English Charm on the East Coast

AOL Real Estate / The Huffington Post -- February, 2012 | Krisanne Alcantara

Despite being just a two-hour drive from New York City, this $3.75 million mansion in Chester county, PA looks like it belongs in England’s Cotswolds.

With its elegant fieldstone exterior enhanced by copper roofs and detailing, exposed oak barn beams, and antique fireplaces and chimneys, the 7200-square foot home reminds us a little of the majestic Palace House in Beaulieu Abbey, or an old stone farmhouse in foxhunting country.

The inside, however, is a little more eclectic. The home’s living spaces vary from modern minimalist to warm, Colorado ranch-style. There’s even a studio designed to look like an airplane hangar, decked out with exposed metal beams, gunmetal-grey walls, flourescent lighting, and even an aircraft propeller mounted over a fireplace.

What we love most is the home’s serene hilltop location, offering unobstructed views of hundreds of acres of permanent conservation easements, which protect and preserve the local wildlife and natural surroundings.

Also, it’s built and owned by a legendary director and producer who shall not be named, and is located across the road from the similarly stunning estate of another celebrated director and producer, M. Knight Shamalyan.

Steve DiFrancesco, a broker with Hunter, Reed and Company Luxury Real Estate in Philadelphia has the listing.

— Krisanne Alcantara