Cedarwood updates Craftsman style

Everything about the Cedarwood puts the viewer in mind of the Craftsman homes so popular in the early 1900s. Guest designer Steve Duarte is a master at creating contemporary Craftsman updates.

Telling details include: triangular braces accenting the front and side gables; a full-width covered porch with tapered square supports atop stone pedestals that extend to the ground; and windows with the distinctive multipaned upper sash over a single-paned lower one.

Inside, the floor plan is traditional in dividing the gathering spaces into separate rooms, and having no attached garage.

But contemporary features also abound. Nothing more than an eating bar divides the kitchen and dining room. The kitchen has built-in appliances, and the utility room is right through a door at the rear. This room is also handy for drying muddy paws and shucking messy foot gear.

A boxed-out window seat expands the dining room, creating a delightful place to curl up with a good book, or relax with needlework. In the living room, the masonry fireplace could be faced with stone or brick. Glass doors on either side open into a huge screened porch.

The master suite is on the ground floor, well away from the secondary bedrooms. Amenities here include a walk-in closet and direct access to the first-floor bathroom as well as the screened porch.

Each of the Cedarwood's upper bedrooms has a wide closet and its own built-in desk. Both are joined to a window-rich shared study nestled under the front-facing gabled dormer.

The left-hand bedroom is a bit larger and boasts a private balcony plus direct access to the bathroom, while the other bedroom has its own wash basin.