Bear House

Built in 1981, this stylish contemporary is nestled in a gorgeous community, surrounded by Whitehall and Ridout creeks. The neighborhood has its own waterfront parks, wooded walking trails, and acres of farmland. According to Zillow, the home was purchased for $40K and has not been sold since.

I found this area a couple of years ago while taking my 1971 Beetle convertible on a Sunday drive. The entrance looks like a service road off a main drag. But the curvy entrance winds behind beautiful open fields. It looks like most of the homes were built in the 1980s. Contemporaries are mixed with more traditional family homes, but each one is meticulously cared for and landscaped. It’s one of my favorite places to take our son for a drive. We always encounter joggers or folks walking their dogs, and are greeted with a friendly wave.

This home is across the street from the water and sits on a huge corner lot. There is a two-car garage and plenty of storage from a large shed. While this is a relatively dark neighborhood, most of it was once forest; there are plenty of windows on all sides to welcome the light.

One of the most attractive aspects to this home is the stonework fence and stairs. This is my favorite style of stone landscaping…. so much more attractive than red brick.

The front door still sports contemporary lighting fixtures. In our own home, we spent a great deal of time finding just the right cylinder lamps to replace the traditional night-lights. Curiously, the homeowners sport a large wooden bear at this front entrance. He poses in front of a grass-etched window. Sure it’s no Bertoia sculpture, but the bear has attitude and adds to the personality of this house. Grrrrr.

-K