On the Market: French Colonial in Villanova

2188 N. Stoneridge Lane, Villanova, Pa. 19085 | Bright MLS images via Coldwell Banker Preferred

Whether it was a remodeling project, a paper you were writing, or a presentation for a meeting you were working on, I’ll bet that at some point, some friend, mentor, contractor or advisor told you to KISS whatever it was you were doing.

Of course, that stands for “Keep It Simple, Stupid.”

Which is exactly what the owners of this handsome 1970 French Colonial house for sale in Villanova did when they gave the place a refresh recently.

And they probably did it because the house told them to.

Living room

This isn’t one of those Main Line houses that drip with ornament and detail. It strips Colonial and French style down to their elements.

Family room

And when the owners updated the place, they chose to let those elements speak for themselves.

Dining room

The rooms get their personality primarily from the use of color and furniture — and in that latter department, these owners also clearly agreed with Mies van der Rohe that less is more too.*

Kitchen

One of the few places where they clearly didn’t follow that maxim is in the kitchen. There, they loaded it full of high-end appliances, granite counters and custom cabinetry.

Master bedroom

The other place they ignored this advice is in the master suite.

Master bathrooom

The bedroom itself remains simply outfitted, but the master bathroom got several nice extras, like granite vanity tops, marble floors and a dual shower with both regular and rain shower heads.

Deck

Pool

The next nicest extras fill this house’s backyard. A huge deck accessed from sliding glass doors in the kitchen’s breakfast area overlooks a sloping landscaped lot with an attractive saltwater pool. Both stairs from the deck and sliding doors from the walkout basement lead to the pathway to the pool.

This simply tasteful house for sale sits on a one-acre lot that’s convenient to several nearby locations: it’s about equidistant from Wayne, Conshohocken and King of Prussia.

Should you decide to buy this house — a simple decision, I’d say — you could make it as fancy as you want. But why would you want to?

*There is the possibility that I may have read too much into the relatively sparse furnishings; for instance, the owners could have departed for greener pastures already and opted to have the house (very) minimally staged.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 5

BATHS: 3 full, 1 half

SQUARE FEET: 3,766

SALE PRICE: $830,000

2188 N. Stoneridge Lane, Villanova, Pa. 19085 [Stephen Dougherty | Dougherty Group Real Estate | Coldwell Banker Preferred]