A French Normandy style home resonates with the intricate architecture of neighboring houses as it stands on the hilltop of a peninsula open to both Greenwich Cove and the Long Island Sound. A formal façade with seven-part symmetry is the culminating point of a charming alley of pruned oak trees. Centered on the property, the siting creates ample front and rear yards. A tower, steep roofs with swept eaves, and cascading wings cut a strikingly elegant silhouette against the landscape. Rich exterior materials, including oak timbers, reclaimed brick, stucco, cut limestone and slate add to an air of distinction. The variegated granite of the main façade is native to the Greenwich area and prevalent in many neighborhood homes. Inswing-casement windows as well as paneled and glazed exterior doors throughout the house were crafted in Germany by Sorpetaler, experts in performance and energy efficiency. Arch-top French doors lie within the limestone surround marking the main entrance.

In the sunlit entry hall, Negro Marquina marble tile borders large field tile of honed French limestone. The one-of-a-kind curved wrought iron stair railing is capped with a satin bronze handrail. Quarter-sawn oak paneling with a pale finish at the dining room is accented by simple but classic detailing and a solid limestone mantle from Chesney’s, a London-based fabricator of historic stone reproductions. Quarter-sawn oak reveals a tight grain pattern and consistently beautiful surface, which is also carried into the living room. Paneling and beams adorned with very light molding profiles quietly organize the room’s clean - even contemporary - interior architecture. Hardwood floors throughout the home are 4” wide oak. Flooring at the formal rooms boast a rich ebony stain while a pale grey stain designates the more casual kitchen and family areas.

The kitchen features rift-sawn oak lower cabinets with a medium-gray custom stain and a mix of both stained and white-painted upper cabinets. The honed Mountain White marble counters are a durable version of white marble commonly found in a European manor houses, with a crisp, linear vein pattern that reflects the more contemporary color palette of the cabinetry. The cathedral ceiling in the family room, which follows the exterior roofline, defines the space while an unembellished wood mantel and corresponding wall trim lend a casual feel. Wide openings connecting the family room to the kitchen and breakfast nook simplify circulation between the everyday living spaces of the house and allow considerable natural light into each space.

In the master bath, the tile floor is echoed on the walls creating a cohesive look and providing a canvas to showcase a freestanding tub, mosaic tile pattern, and sculptural bath fixtures. The porcelain soaking tub with a polished stainless steel exterior finish is posed under an inswing French casement window and a backdrop wall of thassos and mirrored mosaic tile. Both the larger floor tiles and the smaller tiles of the wainscoting are honed Asian white marble. The master bedroom, with a tall but canted ceiling typical in the upper stories of a French Normandy style home, completes a suite with a sitting room and balcony. Classical cove and crown ceiling mouldings, egg-and-dart panel mouldings, and a hand-carved white marble mantel from Chesney’s adorn the room. The light color palate gives the generous room a certain coziness. The master suite was carefully located to capture the home’s most impressive and sweeping water views.