Tuckahoe is cozy, charming

The Tuckahoe's fieldstone chimney and wainscoting are at once nostalgic and attractive. Crafted by the forces of nature, no two stones are alike. Nonetheless, together they provide a cohesive visual framework for an updated Craftsman home with all the charm of its predecessors.

Guest designer Steven Duarte has included a full front porch. It's pleasant to imagine relaxing here on an old-fashioned cushioned porch swing, hung at either end of the porch. The gently sloped gable at center is echoed by a slightly wider gable above.

Inside, soft light washes into the living room, dining room, entry and stairway through slender sidelights and decorative glass in the upper front door panel. The entrance brings you directly into a living room with a fieldstone fireplace flanked by windows.

More windows face the street, and on the other side of the entry their mirror image duo brightens the dining room. These rooms need little artificial light during the day throughout most of the year.

A sunny eating nook with built-in seating nestles into an alcove between the dining room and kitchen. This cozy space invites conversation when shared, but is an equally delightful spot for savoring a cup of something warm, reading a newspaper, or working a crossword puzzle in blissful solitude.

The kitchen is roomy for a small home, and opens into a screened porch, ideal for outdoor dining on warm days.

Access to the screened porch is also possible through double doors in the Tuckahoe's master bedroom. This space boasts two closets, one of them a large walk-in.

On the upper floor, light spills into a wide loft through a parade of windows. Two more bedrooms share a bathroom.