The shingle-style dwellings of Nantucket are at once fanciful and practical, grand yet welcoming. Today, in one of Cleveland’s eastern suburbs, a home named for that historic island strikes the same kind of balance. Rather than fronting a shoreline, this Nantucket sits at the fringe of a forest in Bainbridge’s Canyon Woods. On the outside, everything about this 5,400-square-foot home, which was designed and built by Alexandra Fine Homes, Chesterland, is a tribute to New England. True-to-the-region details include barn-red shake siding, bright-white trim, window boxes, a wrap-around porch and a multi-peaked roofline. Fronting the three-car garage is a stone-faced, turret-like gable that evokes a lighthouse.
Function over formality
Inside, function trumps formality to make a home that truly works for families. It begins in the human-scale, elegantly simple foyer, which is flooded with light from double walls of windows in the adjacent stairway. “We like a bright foyer that offers glimpses of the interior. It invites guests to come in and enjoy the house,” says Nestor Papageorge, president of Alexandra Fine Homes.
Of course, as everyone knows, the entrance used most often is the one from the garage to the mudroom. And in the Nantucket, that space is uncharacteristically pleasant. 
Ample natural light and pretty details, like softly-hued Mexican tile flooring, persuade even the youngest family members to linger long enough to shed their coats, boots and book bags. Roomy, furniture-look lockers and storage benches capture the clutter, while a multi-tasking mail center catches the car keys, charges the cell phones and organizes incoming paper.
In another nod to reality, the Nantucket shuns the rarely used formal dining room in favor of a multifunctional dining area that extends directly from the kitchen. Here, in front of a bread-oven-style fireplace flanked by built-in bookshelves, kids work on school projects, the family sits down to meals, and relatives gather on special occasions.
Warm from the heart
Food, of course, is the nexus of every family function, which is why the kitchen is the centerpiece of the Nantucket. 
This two-story space is made to feel intimate by details like oversized moldings and high-set windows that offer views from the home’s upper level. Warmth exudes from buttery yellow walls, honed granite countertops, mellow brickwork and rustic “barn light” wall sconces. A multilevel island topped with hammered copper is the place to prepare a meal while a sauce simmers on the bistro-style range. Shopping and to-do lists are posted on the chalkboard-fronted pantry doors.
Step down from the kitchen into the sunken great room. 
A cozy, nautical feel emanates from brick-veneered walls and the whitewashed cedar ceiling with exposed, rough-planed rafters. A thoughtfully planned relationship between the stucco-finished fireplace and the high-tech, human-scale entertainment center makes this space equally comfortable for gazing at the fire or watching TV.
Prefer a good read? Slip out one of two archways from the kitchen into the sun parlor, a vaulted-ceiled room made brilliant by three walls of floor-to-ceiling windows with plantation shutters.
Play in a big way
For active family fun, the Nantucket offers two responses.
First is the light-filled, finished basement, where—in distinct yet adjoining areas—poker, pool and a favorite movie can be in simultaneous play. Remote-controlled blackout shades set the stage in the viewing area, which is less like a home theater and more like a family room. “That’s the setup families prefer in the long run,” says Papageorge. Audio control is always at hand via the whole-house sound system.
Second is the four-season backyard entertainment area. A brick-paved patio with a generously scaled fireplace is as welcoming on winter evenings as it is on summer nights. Seating nooks flanking the fireplace and bench-width stair treads on the adjoining deck encourage stargazing and lazy conversation. A fully functional gas and electric range handles ribs, chili and everything in between.
Well-deserved rest and reward
When it’s time to retreat, Nantucket promises sanctuary on its upper level. Behind the double doors of the master suite, a spa-like master bath beckons. 
Slide into the jetted tub, unwind in the multi-spray shower, and savor the tranquil décor. Zen-inspired touches include natural slate tiles with luminous glass insets, a glossy black, open-shelved double vanity, and yin-yang-shaped sink basins.
Comfort comes, too, from knowing that the kids are snug—just down the hall—in a three-bedroom area designed especially for their needs. Two bedrooms are joined by a Jack-and-Jill bath, and one room opens to a bonus area that is ready to grow from a toy room to a teen hideaway. In a hallway alcove, a built-in computer workstation waits for that last-minute homework.
For its artful marriage of looks and livability, the Nantucket has earned critical acclaim, including a 2008 Home of the Year Award from the Home Builders Association of Greater Cleveland. With a hats-off to history and a willing embrace of what’s happening today, the Nantucket feeds the soul and spirit of the American family.
article resources
Designer: Paul Papageorge, Alexandra Fine Homes Inc.;
Architect: Paul Papageorge, Alexandra Fine Homes Inc.;
Builder: Alexandra Fine Homes Inc.;
Flooring: Paul Emery, Emery Tile, Inc., Virginia Tile;
Kitchen cabinetry: Kemper Cabinetry, Mentor Lumber Co.;
Kitchen countertops: Bill Dewer, Stone Solutions;
Backsplash: Paul Emery, Emery Tile, Inc., Virginia Tile;
Kitchen sink(s): Kohler, Welker McKee Plumbing Supply;
Kitchen faucets: Grohe, Welker McKee Plumbing Supply;
Dishwasher: Jenn-Air;
Cooktop: Fratelli Onofri, Bloom Bros. Supply;
Refrigerator: Jenn-Air; Oven: Fratelli Onofri, Bloom Bros. Supply;
Bathroom cabinetry: Kemper;
Bathroom countertops: Stone Solutions;
Bathroom sink: Kohler, Welker McKee Plumbing Supply;
Bathroom faucets: Kohler, Welker McKee Plumbing Supply;
Lighting: Mark Dymidowski, House of Lights;
Wallcovering: Sherwin-Williams;
Furniture: Arhaus Furniture;
Landscaping: Chuck Frate, Frate Landscaping;
Windows: Pam Alexander, Gunton Pella;
Doors: Mentor Lumber;
Window treatments/blinds: Kathleen Timan
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