Just Listed: Expanded Updated Contemporary in Bryn Mawr

A modern spin on a medieval clolister? A deconstructed rancher? Whatever you may want to call this strikingly modern house at 831 Amies Lane, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, we’ll bet that, after checking it out, you will want to call it home. / Photography by Stephen Edwards Photography via Compass

Want to live on the Main Line, but not in a Main Line house?

Then you just might want to live in this Bryn Mawr updated contemporary house for sale.

Built in 1970, it’s thoroughly modern yet takes some of its cues as far as layout and appearance go from medieval cloisters.

But because it sits on a 1.14-acre lot that backs up against the 26-acre Idlewild Farm Preserve, it doesn’t have to be all inward-facing like a cloister. Instead, its rear opens up to its tree-studded backyard via a series of patios and terraces.

Aerial view of house and detached garage

This house’s interior invites the backyard in through large windows and sliding doors that look out and open onto those patios and terraces.

Foyer

Much like you might in a cloister, however, you enter this house through an intimate, narrow hallway that opens onto a lofty foyer that ties the entire main living area together.

Living room

Around this space lit by clerestory windows you will find the living room, a family room and a dining room. The living room has a fireplace and is the only one of the three rooms that does not open out onto the backyard. Instead, it opens onto a separate side patio.

Dining room

The dining room also opens onto the foyer. Sliding glass doors at its opposite end open onto one of the rear patios.

Family room

Family room

So do the doors near the far end of the family room on one side of it. It has a vaulted ceiling with tray lighting and enough space to serve several functions, including a gallery, library or study.

Kitchen

The kitchen connects to the other side of the dining room.

Kitchen

As part of this house’s recent renovation and expansion, it got a modern Bulthaup kitchen with all sorts of storage space, including bins, shelves and racks built into its backsplash and a small-appliance cabinet with a rolldown door. Working at its island, you will enjoy the view of the backyard beyond the kitchen’s bigger patio.

Stairwell

From the kitchen you enter a stairwell with its own entrance. The stairs lead down to a den and up to a bedroom overlooking it.

Bedroom

That en-suite bedroom has panels that can be opened to view the den. The separate entrance also makes it a good candidate for use as an in-law or au pair suite.

Den

The den below has a soaring vaulted ceiling, a tile floor, a fireplace and sliding doors that open out onto the pool area. The stairs that lead down to the den also lead to an unfinished basement where you will find the laundry, plenty of storage spacer and room for a second refrigerator-freezer.

Home office

Returning to the foyer, a turn to the right takes you into the main private living quarters. A home office serves as the bridge between the two parts of the house and also separates the primary bedroom from the other two bedrooms and hall bath. It also opens onto the same side patio as the living room.

Primary bedroom

The skylit primary bedroom also has a vaulted ceiling with tray lighting at its lower end.

Primary bathroom

The attached bathroom has sumptuous finishes and fittings, including a large shower stall, dual vanities and a separate soaking tub. A toilet closet sits off a small nook just before the shower.

Patios and backyard

Pool

Exterior rear

The two patios and pool area together make a great space for entertaining. And since no fence separates your lot from the farm preserve, you can go wandering around the Idlewild property whenever you feel like it.

This Bryn Mawr updated contemporary house for sale sits in the community’s northern reaches, well away from the bustle of Lancaster Avenue and the rail line itself. That also makes it a great choice for anyone who values privacy.

And that, in turn, means that if you buy this house, you will stand out without standing out. How utterly Philadelphian.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 4

BATHS: 3 full, 1 half

SQUARE FEET: 4,699

SALE PRICE: $1,885,000

OTHER STUFF: This house has a pending offer already, and it’s been on the market for only 25 days. That should tell you what a find this is. But since the owner is willing to consider backup offers, I’m sharing it with you today.

831 Amies Lane, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 [Marion Dinofa | Philadwellphia | Compass]