“When we first lived here 28 years ago, we called the house Overwood, because the house looked down on the tops of the maple and oak trees that have since grown to shelter it. Some people wonder why we have most of the bedrooms downstairs and the kitchen and living room upstairs. To us, it made common sense. Heat rises, so downstairs bedrooms are cool and comfortable for sleeping even in the summer, and the upstairs is always cozy even in deep winter. I have always loved having the kitchen and living room upstairs. It feels like living in a tree house, especially with the old wooden boards and the field stone, hand-gathered by my husband.
“The retreat room in the attic that opens on to the deck is where I wrote many novels, where I spent time when I needed solitude in the midst of raising a family. Many springs, phoebes would nest under the eaves on the deck. I had the thrill of hearing the first peeps of their young and watching them learn to fly. The deck is wonderful in all seasons. Since it faces south you can sometimes sit outside in the sun even in the winter. In spring you get a close up view of the unfurling leaves and in autumn you can lose yourself in the light of the golden leaves.”
Excerpted from the real estate listing Elizabeth Cunningham wrote for her house in Dutchess County, NY.
