Photos by Jason Sandy/ Angle Eye Photography
An ophthalmologist enhances an open floor plan in Chateau Country with time-honored craftsmanship.
It’s not surprising that ophthalmologist Greg Hall prioritized sightlines in visualizing a home where he can cook, entertain on a grand scale and enjoy spectacular views of northern Delaware’s Chateau Country.
The owner is an avid cook, and his impressive kitchen—with its 60-inch Wolf range, cookbook library and integrated refrigerator—reflects that.
To transform his wishes into reality, he turned to Scott Porter, founder of Chadds Ford’s Porter Construction, who specializes in meticulously detailed construction and renovation. The tableau for the 6,500-square-foot home is a verdant 5.6-acre parcel that adjoins a conservancy, ensuring plenty of privacy and space. “The view is open farmland forever,” Porter says.
Spaces in the home are defined by groupings of furniture, creating natural zones for cooking, dining and conversation.
Years ago, the owner painstakingly restored a historic farmhouse in Unionville. Incorporating elements of the colonial style, the new custom-built home is a showcase for his collection of art and antiques, with an open floor plan suited to modern living. “You can see from the living room all the way through to the mudroom,” says Porter.
The main living space features seven- and nine-inch character-grade white oak flooring, ripped and quarter-sawn with a mellow custom stain. In the mudroom, a hand-stenciled design highlights the wood floor.
Hall is an avid cook, and his impressive kitchen—with its 60-inch Wolf range, cookbook library and integrated refrigerator—reflects that. To maintain a sense of symmetry, interior designer Inci Porter devised a plan to wrap cabinetry on the opposite side of the sink wall in stainless steel, adding a Sub-Zero handle. For the dining area, she brought in a yacht upholsterer to navigate the exacting curves on the leather banquette nestled in a bay window.
The backbar cabinets were crafted by Blackbird Woodworking using cope-and-stick joinery, a technique embraced by the iconic Colonial Revival architect R. Brognard Okie.
The backbar cabinets were crafted by Blackbird Woodworking using cope-and-stick joinery, a technique embraced by the iconic Colonial Revival architect R. Brognard Okie. On the countertop, an inlaid wood compass pointing true north embodies craftsmanship and technology. “It’s actually a phone charger,” Porter notes.
For the dining area, the interior designer brought in a yacht upholsterer to navigate the exacting curves on the leather banquette nestled in a bay window.
Spaces in the home are defined by groupings of furniture, creating natural zones for cooking, dining and conversation. The uninterrupted sightlines allow the owner to watch television in the gathering space while prepping food in the kitchen. “Mounting an 80-inch TV above the beautiful fireplace would’ve been a travesty,” Porter says.
“You can see from the living room all the way through to the mudroom.”
The artful solution: A lift system that rises into the back of a second-floor closet when the TV isn’t in use. When the screen ascends, an impressive oil painting hanging behind it is revealed. “Now he has a gorgeous piece of art above the mantel to enjoy,” Porter says. “It’s the best of both worlds.”
Porter Construction
129 Center Mill Road, Chadds Ford, (302) 530-6011
Porter Design Group
(919) 637-1988
Related: This Chester County Farmhouse Embraces the Old and the New
