Realty Check: Traders Point

After years of saving money by living modestly in a two-bedroom house, Chris and Rosi Jones decided to skip the middle-home stage and went straight into planning the dwelling of their dreams. Looking for both “old-school craftsmanship” and high-end luxury, they chose Leonard Watson of Artisan Homes, whose clients included Scott Jones and Stephen Hilbert. After a year and a half devoted to design, the home took two years to build.

Though stately, the exterior is relatively unassuming in its pastoral Eagle Creek setting. Its irregular bricks, called Mohawk Clinkers, add unique curb appeal. Boulders were sourced from the Wisconsin Dells to build up the landscape and give the appearance of the house growing out of the hill. Two acres of forest served as an ideal playground for the family’s three children, who called it Terabithia.

The entrance goes from understated to awe-inspiring as you pass through the front door, with woodwork that looks like it was chiseled by a Victorian carpenter. “The entryway and library are each two stories of solid mahogany, naturally sealed and unstained so that the wood developed a forest’s natural patina,” Chris says. A spiral staircase and rolling ladder are some of the delights in the sumptuous library, where one bookcase swings open to a bedroom.

Even with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, and more than 10,000 square feet of living space, the home feels accessible and welcoming—a deliberate design choice. “There are 22 steel beams in the house so that the spaces are open and communicate,” he says.

With their children now adults, the Joneses have moved on. Though it can be tricky to toe the line between high-end finishes and familial comfort, this Eagle Creek residence does just that in a beautiful balancing act. “Some houses may be haunted or cursed,” Chris says. “This one is blessed.”

WANT TO BUY IT?
Address
7946 Mill Stream Circle
Price
$1,390,000
Agent
Noelle Hans-Daniels, Encore Sotheby’s International, 317-506-7090

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