Take the square footage of three average sized three-bedroom ranches. Cut and shape with high ceilings, curved walls, multi-levels, a planetarium or any other eclectic design you can dream up. Allow yourself an almost unlimited budget to pick out tile, granite, flooring, fixtures, closet shelving and decorative trim.

 

Finish by coloring the walls in soft, rich hues, then placing your furniture so you can best appreciate a breathtaking view of downtown Springfield and the surrounding river valley.

When you are done, you may feel as Marie Stebbins did after spending her first night in her new townhouse at Wyndhurst on Crescent Hill. "I feel like I'm living in the Ritz-Carlton," she said to developer Leslie Clement.

 

"I love living here. I love the building, the high ceilings, the wide hallways and staircases. I love the openness - the way the rooms all flow into one another. And I love the view.

"I had never even built an addition to a home before this," she added. "But my husband and I have had fun working with Leslie. And it's wonderful to have a beautiful new home that we designed to fit our needs at this stage in our lives."

 

The Queen-Anne Victorian style building that comprises the first phase of Wyndhurst houses nine townhouses. Four have been sold, the other five remain shells.The architecture of the exterior was designed to fit in with the residences on Maple Hill. But the interior of each unit is waiting to be shaped into a dream come true for its owner. "The trussed floor and wall systems allow complete freedom to individually tailor interior designs," said Clement. "Previous buyers have demanded and obtained a wide variety of features ranging from curving walls to artful niches, lofts and laundry chutes."

 

Prospective buyers who visit the luxurious model home will have a chance to see firsthand what can be done with the three floors of space. The front door opens to a state-of-the-art kitchen where the best of the old mixes in with the new.  Reproduction gas light fixtures sit over both a solid oak table in the breakfast area and a rich green Italian granite-topped center island.  A set of oversized, deep cherry cabinets with curio shelves face the front door. The same cabinets line almost an entire wall to the left, interrupted by a backsplash of glowing tile, cooktop with griddle and hand-crafted curved copper kitchen hood.

 

Hidden from view are custom features such as a swing-up mixer shelf, lazy-susan corner cabinets, roll-out drawers and a tilt-out sink drawer face.  Gleaming hardwood floors lead from both sides of the kitchen into a spacious living room with marble faced fireplace.

A tall, gracious picture window flanked by double-hung windows and sets of French doors take up an entire wall here, offering a spectacular view of downtown Springfield.

Soft recessed lighting eliminates the need to structure furniture in a set pattern, while the size of the room lends itself to creating a dining area with plenty of space for a hutch.

 

A small bathroom is situated in a hallway leading to the wide oakstaircase with landings.

Upstairs, the master bedroom is cozy with another fireplace and the panoramic view.

Two doors with raised panels above the fireplace mantle both here and downstairs, have been designed to hide a large TV. Storage space is more than ample, with customized walk-in closets, complete with pull-out drawers and sliding shelves.

 

Another bedroom down the hall is soft, yet dramatic with a blue and rose ribboned Schumacher border edging the top of pale pink walls.  The master bath upstairs is elegant in a grand style, with deep rose-papered walls, whirlpool tub with brass fixtures, spacious glass-doored shower, sink of cultured marble and dark wood cabinets.  Climb another flight of stairs and enter a different world again, this one more reminiscent of the Victorian era. Dark wood paned windows and a cathedral ceiling create a relaxed feeling in a room which seems to cry out for books and a few comfortable reading chairs.  Another room down the hall would lend itself well to quiet office space, where an owner could work uninterrupted for hours on end.

 

The aesthetic details of the model are too numerous to list, but range from inlaid hardwood borders between rooms to unusual brass door fixtures.  This 4125 square foot townhouse, priced at $398,000, includes a double-car garage reached from a special road leading into the building, a balcony and private terrace.

 

Although the beauty of the model home is enough to take the breath away of people accustomed to viewing more standard condominium-style units, the quality workmanship is what set this development above and beyond its peers.  "When we were in the process of building, we brought people through it who knew construction," said Stebbins. "They were very impressed by the quality and methods being used."

 

"Steel beams buried beneath the sheetrock and laminated wood beams and trusses allow for open spanning of the rooms," said Clement. 

 

The openness and workmanship is a fitting tribute to the mansions which once stood on the four acres of the property.  In 1864, George E. Howard built a 36-room Gothic-style estate here. In 1915 his mansion was demolished by the Chapin family, owners of Moore Drop Forge, who built a new Tudor on the site.

The Chapin mansion was torn down in 1940, due to a decline in their fortune, and with the exception of a carriage house, the property was left untouched until Wyndhurst rose from the grounds in December of 1988. 

 

The custom-designed units, developed by Leslie Clement and Kevin McCarthy, have been designed to suit people with exacting taste. They range in price from $350,000 to $575,000.

A second unit with ten more townhouses is currently in the planning stage.

 

To insure that future homeowners are free to spend their time with Clement, who helps with everything from the initial planning of the layout to measuring furniture in their home to see how and where it will best fit their new dwelling, , Wyndhurst developers offer qualifed homeowners a stress-free option. "Buyers who might be worried about the real estate market need not fear if their property will sell if they are buying a Wyndhurst unit," said Clement."They will be assured of a guaranteed equity buyout whereby if their home is not sold by the time their townhouse is completed the developers will purchase the home at a previously agreed upon price."