Update of Nostalgic Country Cottage

Multipaned windows plus lap and shake-textured siding give the two-story Ellisville the look of a nostalgic country cottage. The fact that the garage isnt built into the house adds to the effect. Instead it is linked via a covered breezeway.

Inside though, the floor plan is totally contemporary. To enter, you step up onto the covered porch, then into an entry area outfitted with a bench. Or, if you parked in the two-car garage, you would walk across the breezeway and step right into the large country kitchen.

People can sit on the entry bench while they remove muddy footgear, then stash the shoes out of sight, underneath. The coat closet, tucked in a nearby niche, is in front of a convenient powder room.

The entry feeds into the dining room. A stairway is on the left and the kitchen is straight ahead. To the right, the dining room flows into a vaulted living room, windowed on three sides.

A pass-through opening in the kitchen allows people to set food or drinks on the counter there for family and friends in the living or dining rooms. This comes in particularly handy when serving up festive meals and clearing away afterwards.

Counters wrap around three sides of the country kitchen, which also has plenty of space for a large table. Laundry appliances are close at hand in a utility room with an adjoining storage closet.

All three of the Ellisville's bedrooms are upstairs. The owners' suite is the largest, boasting a vaulted ceiling, two closets, and a private bathroom with dual vanity. The other two bedrooms share a bathroom with combination tub and shower. Natural light washes into this space through a window over the tub.