Showcase home 7/31

The home gives an overall impression of perfect design, practicality and creature comfort.

Sunny, cheerful, airy, light and picture-perfect are words that come to mind to describe this stunning brick home atop a hill in the Bent Creek subdivision in Jackson.

The neighborhood is nestled in green rolling hills at the end of a winding path that is a nostalgic country drive all by itself. The light-colored brick exterior with large half-moon windows invites visitors to enter the interior where open spaces continue.

There is nothing confining about the inside of this home. From the first step inside the foyer onto the hardwood floor, the view is immense through the picture windows in the great room. An immaculate lawn with potted flowers and two or three cottonwood trees stretches out behind the house, giving a complete view of the countryside, speckled with unique homes, a lake and trees that display nature's splendor year-around. Fall is just around the corner, and what a spectacular exhibit that promises to be.

The great room has a light cream colored carpet and a blond gas fireplace that will heat the house. One way to enjoy this feature is to place the sofa alternately to face either the fireplace in the winter or the dining room the rest of the year. This room is spacious enough to accommodate entertainment center, bookshelves and the people using them, but not so large it swallows its inhabitants.

Light floods the room through two doors on the back wall of the great room, flanked by two door-sized windows side by side facing out to the deck. On the medium-sized, rectangular, wooden deck, stairs lead down to the right onto the patio below, which is the same size as the deck.

From the patio, doors open into the unfinished walk-out basement, which is the same size as the house, providing great storage space. Through a door there is a "second basement" that would make a great storm shelter.

To the left of the great room is a dining room amenable to formal or informal get-togethers with huge windows and a chandelier over the table. There is room in this area to enlarge the table when company comes. Hardwood floors in excellent condition grace this room with elegance.

Adjacent to the dining room is an elongated kitchen with side-by-side refrigerator and built-in stove, with windowed oak china cabinets above, on either side of the built-in microwave.

The double sandstone sink is deep and flawless and the counter continues the light, sunny theme of the rest of the house. There is another dining area at the end of the kitchen for everyday use. Large windows are on two sides of this area and to the right of it is the laundry room, complete with washer-dryer hook-ups, cabinet space and a deep sink.

Turning right from the foyer are the three bedrooms and two baths. Both baths are complete. The one in the hall has a shower-bath combination and the master bath has a separate shower and a bath with a Jacuzzi. The master bath also has two sinks.

The light-filled master bedroom is roomy with two enormous closets and big windows facing out to beautiful Missouri countryside. The other two bedrooms are medium-sized with plenty of closet space and big windows as well. Either one of them would make a great office or play area for small children.

There are ceiling fans in the great room, the master bedroom and one of the smaller bedrooms, so there is plenty of air circulation throughout the house.

The overall impression of the house and the area reflects perfect design, practicality and creature comfort to suit the most discriminating guest or occupant.