Our Featured Home of the Week

2/22/2008

Imagine the home in which you want to raise your children. It would have room enough for the kids, private space for parents, and plenty of common areas to entertain friends who come to visit. A big backyard would be swing set-ready. And sidewalks, perfect for learning to ride a two-wheeler or taking an evening stroll, would connect the neighborhood.

The neighborhood is Whitehouse Valley in Whitehouse, Ohio, and the home you re dreaming of is at 10650 Thais Lane.

You know it from the moment you drive up. The exterior is low-maintenance brick and vinyl.

A covered porch with wooden rails awaits seasonal decorations.

Inside, the foyer has a quality 3/4 inch solid oak floor. A beautiful light fixture hangs above, descending from the second-floor ceiling.

A staircase to the right climbs to the second floor of the home. To the left is the formal dining room, with a colonial-look chandelier an ideal place for celebrating family occasions like birthday parties, holiday dinners, and other events. Straight ahead is a short hall to the kitchen with a powder room to the left. This powder room is ideally situated in the center of the first floor: guests coming in the front have a place to freshen up; children playing in the back won t have to troop through the house when they need to use the bathroom.

The kitchen is very large, with oak cabinets and high definition countertops. A vinyl tile floor looks like ceramic and cleans up just as easily. In the center of the room, an island provides extra work space and a snack bar. Oversized pendant lights over the island provide a stylish touch. A planning desk is the perfect spot to plug in your laptop and work on the household bills. A window over the kitchen sink is bumped out, with a wide window sill a sunny, warm place for plants. White appliances include a dishwasher, range, and built-in microwave.

The kitchen has a generous space for informal dining, with sliding doors to the poured concrete patio outside. This patio is where you ll want to place your gas grill

fire it up easily adjacent to the kitchen!

Just off the kitchen, down one step, is the family room. A gas fireplace with a marble and wood surround is a focal point of the room. An eyeball light above the wood mantle highlights your artwork or other treasures. One wall boasts three windows, all with beautiful natural woodwork, to let in plenty of sunshine.

A back hall near the family room leads to a laundry room, which has its own sink. A large coast closet, located so close to the door to the garage, makes this an ideal mudroom. Steps to the partial basement are also located here.

Upstairs, the rail to the staircase becomes a balcony overlooking the foyer. A plant ledge just below makes a wonderful place to display an object of art, a plant or both! Turn to the right at the top of the stairs and go to the master suite.

This relaxing room telegraphs instantly that it is the owners private place. A deep, double tray ceiling adds a note of elegance. A small entertainment alcove lets you keep a television in an out of the way place, but still be able to enjoy viewing it from your bed.

The full master bath includes a vanity with a cultured marble top, a private water closet, and a deep walk-in closet. A tile floor here makes it easy to clean up any splashes.

Across the hall from the master suite is another full bath. This is shared by the three secondary bedrooms on this floor, all of which have double closets.

Trellis Homes, developer of Whitehouse Valley, has created homes that are perfect for growing families. In business for more than 30 years, they offer a five-year unlimited warranty on the basement, and a one-year builder s warranty.