Custom-built Stevenson home charms down to the details

In a clearing off of a wooded lane in Stevenson is a white stucco, Tuscan-style villa with ornate cast-iron window boxes spilling summer vines, looking like the subject of an impressionist painting.

Inside, beyond the driveway and the arched, two-story center bay, the Iliev family Martin and Jessica, their 3-year old son, Max, and a pair of toy poodles, Sophie and Tiger welcome visitors to their newly built home.

In a large, open kitchen dominated by a center island that's topped with a 9-by-6-foot slab of white quartz, the Ilievs, who own Carbiz, recalled purchasing the 4-acre parcel of land. They donated the property's original house to Second Chance, a nonprofit that deconstructs homes and sells the salvaged materials at a discount.

"They came and deconstructed the whole thing," 28-year-old Jessica Iliev said. "Jon [Skarda of Shoreline Construction] built us this very green, geothermal house."

From the beginning, the Ilievs knew they wanted a contemporary, provincial look with the contrast of light and dark found in the alabaster walls and white cabinets against the dark pine trim of the windows and dark oak flooring throughout the first level.

The architecture shines in the details, such as 10-foot ceilings (both coffered and tray) with recessed lighting, bump outs, wide-width baseboards and interior door molding, and decorative uses of paneling.

In the home's first-floor open layout, rooms flow effortlessly into one another through the 50-by-30-foot space, with areas defined by furniture and rug placement. The decor is understated but dramatic.

"For the interior, we don't ascribe ourselves to any certain decor, and prefer a more eclectic mix of styles from new and old," Jessica said. "The common spaces reflect this the most. We've anchored the large spaces with traditional pieces and added color and flavor through accessories."

To balance the weightiness of the kitchen island, the couple chose glazed maple cabinetry with brushed nickel pulls and, for contrast, dark Portuguese soapstone countertops and backsplash.

A formal suite from Restoration Hardware in Baltimore fills the bump-out dining area. Belgian linen-upholstered oak chairs surround the 2-by-10-foot oak dining table. Shoreline constructed a built-in bar/buffet area on one side of the room, opposite a floor-to-ceiling china cabinet with intricate glass panes and the same glazed maple as the kitchen cabinets.

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Custom-built Stevenson home charms down to the details