Southern Exposure

At first glance , you might mistake this new house, with its hipped roof and stone "silo", for a romantic old barn. It sits on the high point of 32 acres, with the property sloping gently down to a meadow on this side and a pond on the other.

A German green stone floor, sheer wool draperies, and an onyx lighting fixture provide casual elegance in the entry gallery.

A tufted-leather desk chair and side chairs mix with an early 19th-century English desk in Bert Meer's cozy library; a glass-topped coffee table is unobtrusive,barely there.

The master bedroom opens out over the great room via louvered doors. " sPaces leak into each other and connect back to the middle,"says Weber. It's modern; traditional houses are chopped up into rooms.

Peaceful colors and simple furniture, including a cherry sleigh bed from Thos. Moser and natural-finish nightstands designed by Hanno Weber, make the master bedroom a serene retreat. The fireplace has a Breccia Pernice marble surround.

In the great room, great ingenuity: A catwalk connects the master bedroom with the girls’ suites; a rolling library ladder enables access to high cabinets. Pullout pantry cabinets provide discreet yet convenient kitchen storage.

In the master bath, glittering tiles of Crema Marfil marble envelop the walls and floor; the same marble is used in solid countertops. Mirrors hide copious cabinets.

Modeled after the verandas of Charleston, South Carolina, this light-filled piazza opens off the great room and has a glorious view of an oak grove and pond. Radiant heat in the stone floors keeps the room snug and warm in winter.