Page 23 - 16 North Calvin Road Flipbook

The Story of 16 North Calvin

“Your house is so gorgeous!” I heard these words many times when visitors saw my sister’s home for
the first time. The house is indeed beautiful. But what becomes apparent when you stay for a while,
as I often did, is how embracing this home is. There are inviting nooks throughout in which to curl
up with a book, take an afternoon nap, or write. Yet other spaces encourage the mind and spirit to
expand. This unique combination was no accident. It was my sister’s dream to have a home that
would be both sheltering and inspiring, and she worked hand-in-hand with David Martin, the archi-
tect of 16 North Calvin, to achieve her dream. The result is an aesthetically breathtaking yet lovingly
livable home.

Although it’s certainly not required that a writer or artist live in the house, I can say from experience
that it’s an amazing place for creative work of any sort. I know my sister loved writing down her
thoughts every morning in the lovely office enclave that she designed, and I often was working on
a book or article when visiting. After a wonderful night’s sleep, snug in the deliciously cozy guest
bedroom—it felt like being in a bed and breakfast nestled in the woods-- I’d yawn my way down the
walkway leading to the living room and immediately be refreshed by the sheer beauty of the room,
the views of the sky and woods—and not infrequently, the deer who would come to the back of the
house. I felt as though I was on vacation, even as I sat down to work—that’s the feeling this house
creates.

My sister wanted the house to seamlessly merge with the natural surroundings, to capture the
peace of living in the woods, and every room in the house provides a different viewpoint for this.
It was such a delight to watch the first snow from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room!
The backyard, besides bringing deer and other furry woodland inhabitants within sight, is virtually
a bird sanctuary; we’ve seen mallard ducks, peepers, owls, cardinals, blue jays, 2 different kinds of
woodpeckers, mourning doves, titmice, nuthatches, and wrens. Currently a pair of red-shouldered
hawks have a nest!

You often see the phrase “not a cookie-cutter house” in listings—and in the case of this house, those
words don’t begin to do justice to the distinctiveness of every room--and the design of the house as
a whole. Every area has its own personality. The main floor is contemporary, but with dark, wide-
planked floors and a massive stone fireplace that lends an old-world ambiance and warmth to the
living room. The kitchen has its own small fireplace, for cooking or just for sitting around, chatting,
while breakfast is being prepared. The lower floor is uniquely designed to be the kind of private
retreat one usually finds only in luxury hotels. My sister envisioned that, too, in her planning for the
house, and even included a sauna. On the same floor a doggy door opens onto a large, enclosed
run, big enough for play with the many dogs—from Collies to Havanese—that have been a part of
our families.

The location is wonderful. Nearby is Weston Center, a perfect village grouping that includes a great
market and a wonderful breakfast place, where my sister met every week for Sunday breakfast with
her friends. She knew all the merchants in this charming set of shops, which provide the conve-
nience and warmth of neighborhood stores—but in the country! And of course, it’s a short drive to
the amazing shopping and other attractions of Westport.

If I lived in the area, I would surely want to keep this house for myself, my husband, and our daugh-
ter. It was built with vision and lived in by a wonderful person whose feeling for beauty is evident in
every room. Alas, we live and work in Kentucky, and it’s not possible for us. It helps to imagine the
next owners loving it as much as we all do.