"I think the house fits into the woods perfectly," Yvonne Kovacic said of her family's contemporary home tucked into a treed slope in Highland.
The natural cedar-plank exterior and unpainted decks blend with the trees. The soaring walls of windows and multiple decks use the serene setting to advantage, with views all around. Even straight up through the skylights in the high ceilings, said her husband, Nick.
The couple wants to find a smaller house, as their children are grown.
"We've been here for 20 years," she said. "The only reason we are selling now is that it's just us and the animals."
About the house --The two-level home in Howard County was built in 1979, and has been expanded and modernized, including its redwood entryway and a recently redone kitchen. A floating wall divides the oak-floored living room from the kitchen, with book and display shelving facing the living room and appliances and cabinets on the kitchen side.
The home has five bedrooms, including a master suite and one bedroom on the main floor, and four full bathrooms plus a powder room.
The Kovacics turned a lower-level storage room into a wine cellar and the original garage into a family room that has a separate spiral staircase to the kitchen above it.
In the backyard are two outdoor fireplaces, a pond with a pump, an in-ground pool and a hot tub. There are two garages, one of which has a separate office at its rear.
Address --7450 Mink Hollow Road, Highland, 20777
Asking price --$1,050,000
Taxes --$ 8,986
Size --The 4,400 square-foot house lies on 2.85 acres. There is garage parking for three vehicles, and two sheds are out back.
Features --The recently redone kitchen features granite countertops, upgraded stainless steel appliances and a beverage cooler. Around the wood-burning fireplace in the living room is stacked stone.
The master suite has a wood stove and an outfitted walk-in closet. Its bathroom features a steam shower and two-sink vanity.
Interior glass doors in the main hall lead to a room that is used as an office. Three bedrooms, the laundry room and family room are below. Storage closets line a hallway.
Though much of the backyard is wooded, perennial gardens and ornamental grasses surround the pool and deck. The house has zoned heating, and is on well and septic systems.
Listing agent --Jean Legal, Long & Foster, Columbia. Phone 410-730-3456.
andrea.siegel@baltsun.com
To submit a candidate for Desirable Spaces, send an e-mail with description and photos to homes@baltsun.com. or to Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Real Estate Editor, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278. Questions may be sent to homes@baltsun.com.