Country comfort

Tucked away on 7.29 wooded acres, this property has an outstanding number of living areas. The buzz of traffic can't be heard, though the home is just yards from Highway 177 in Cape Girardeau, close to Southeast Missouri State University.

The original owner named the place "Flint Hill" for all the Indian arrowheads found in the vicinity.

The main house has four bedrooms, four bathrooms and three fireplaces. There are two log cabins, one with a half bath, and a carriage house with three-car garage and two apartments, each finished tastefully and move-in ready.

Flagstone defines much of the outdoor grounds including a spot at the rear screened porch near a wading pool.

The screened porch accesses the family room, which has a maintenance-free oiled cherry hardwood floor and many windows with views of the wooded surroundings. A fireplace creates country comfort, and the full window seat with storage aids relaxation. Areas of detail include hand-painted depictions of nature on the ceramic tile around the fireplace, a marble hearth area and a custom recessed bookshelf.

The nearby kitchen has travertine flooring, Maytag appliances, Pella windows and cabinets of maple and cherry hardwood. Track lighting above the sink adds interest. The adjoining breakfast nook is perfectly designed for wildlife viewing. Two large picture windows meet at the corner for no interruption in viewing. A decorative ceiling adds interest.

The next room, a bedroom, has an adjoining bath with ceramic walls, floor and refurbished tub.

The living room has walnut parquet flooring, tongue-and-groove knotty pine walls and scalloped trim molding. A gas fireplace encased in stone and the original hand-pressed sand-finish plaster ceiling help define the house. This was the original structure built in the mid-1930s to which the rest of the house was eventually added.

The living room leads to a carport and another bedroom with an adjoining bath with ceramic tile and flooring and a round stained-glass window above the refurbished tub.

The master bedroom has custom shelving and cabinets and recessed lighting along the wall. The adjoining master bath has mirrored French doors, a tile floor, a glass-enclosed shower with partial glass-block wall, bidet, oversized Jacuzzi, track lighting, cedar walls and twin sinks.

The dining room has a vaulted celing, custom shelves with decorative storage above and cabinets below. Wainscoted walls and a mock fireplace add character to the room.

A small music room is accessed through the dining room.

The upstairs loft has a large cedar closet and lots of cubbyholes suitable for children's play. Behind-the-wall storage and a deck overlooking a seating area below are bonus areas in this bedroom large enough for two or more.

The lower level, accessed at the family room, has a large open room with pine tongue and groove walls and stamped concrete flooring. It accesses the laundry room, an office and a bathroom. A wall of windows in the open room offers great views of the wading pool.

The office, which has potential for other uses, has a wood-burning fireplace, maple flooring and cedar tongue-and-groove walls and a closet.

A root cellar is also on this level.

Outside, the path to the first cabin is paved in flagstone and accented by wrought-iron fencing. The wood-burning fireplace, flanked by floor-to-ceiling shelves and cabinets, together with a vaulted ceiling and walls of log, is charming. The half bath is spacious and has shelving.

The second cabin, similar with its flagstone walk and fireplace, has a large room with pine walls and ceiling and a concrete floor. A ramped entry at this area is large enough for lawn equipment storage.

The third area, the carriage house, has an outside patio, fire pit and waterfall. Inside the quaint brick building are two apartments and a three-car garage.

The rear apartment has an indoor spa that runs on cistern water. The hot tub is cedar and sits below a stained-glass window. A spacious wood deck surrounded by windows is inviting. A stacked washer and dryer with storage closet is steps away.

The spa apartment is well defined by texture. The arched door, rebuilt from the original, opens onto an area for sleeping or relaxing. The kitchen is adjacent to this room. A space-saving island with built-in refrigerator is handy. A dining area is beside the kitchen. Counters are enhanced by a slate backsplash, and pop-up doors on the cabinets are an unusual feature.

The nearby bath includes split-face stone walls, pocket doors and the illusion of an above-the-counter mounted sink.

The apartment on the reverse side of the carriage house has an eye-catching wood ceiling inlay in the sleeping area. A complete kitchen with apartment-sized appliances and door to the backyard is on the lower level of the apartment.

cpagano@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 133