In the attached greenhouse of this hillside beauty, sculptor Isabel McIlvain began what became the statue of President John F. Kennedy that now sits on the State House grounds. But art is not her only passion. With her husband, former publishing and ad industry executive Carl Shedd, McIlvain raised exotic birds, including peacocks, on this nine-acre property, which has direct access to Farm Pond, the watery jewel in Sherborn’s crown.
Peacocks and ponds are interesting, but they don’t lend the same drama as the home’s stunning first-floor master suite. Here, not one inch of drywall blocks the view of the pond and forested property. The ceiling and exterior walls are plates of glass with supports of lightly stained wood. A shower, part of an en suite bath that includes a water closet, is of the same glass-house design. You can also take in the view from the bedroom’s deck.
Advertisement
A sitting area with a closet connects (and separates) the master suite from the home’s main living space, an open floor plan crowned by glass ceilings and walls bestowing pond views. The updated galley kitchen features marinace granite counters and cherry cabinets. The appliances have stainless-steel or cabinet-clad fronts. The second full bath on this level, steps away from the foyer and the greenhouse, also has marinace granite; it covers the walls from floor to ceiling.
The stairwell leading to the second floor passes through an indoor garden. The second floor has a 20-by-7-foot bedroom with a glass ceiling and an 11-by-11-foot bedroom that could be used as a studio.
The fourth bedroom is located on the lower level, which also houses a full bath and a family room that could be used as a bedroom. (The septic system is certified for only four bedrooms, however.) A door leads to a meandering pathway, lined by flowering perennials and man-made fish and frog ponds, that leads to Farm Pond and a small dock. Passive recreation is allowed on the pond.
Advertisement
In 2007, the couple built a separate roughly 800-square-foot, heated studio on the grounds. The property, which includes a detached two-car garage, stretches across the private road, and is a mix of wetlands and gently rising hills.
Nora Lynch Smith of Landmark Residential Inc. in South Natick is the listing broker. For more information, go to www.211farmroad.com.
211 Farm Road, Sherborn
$1,375,000
Style: Contemporary
Year built: 1977
Square feet: 2,542
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 3 full
Sewer/water: Private
Taxes: $22,210 (2015)
John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @JREbosglobe. Send listings to homeoftheweek@globe.com. Please note: We do not feature unfurnished homes and will not respond to submissions we won’t pursue.