A beautiful 7-acre property with views? A place to entertain and play games with family and friends? A dream home done up in shingle style?
Jared Erb heard those requests, and it was “game on”.
Erb, one of three partners with Quarryville-based Custom Home Group, walked us through this dream home design, from start to finish—and here are all the dreamy details. From the driveway’s curving curb appeal to a gorgeous sunset-splashed backyard, a soaring turret and ginormous kitchen island, plus plenty of space for games galore. We present Susquehanna Style’s 2022 Dream Home.
Setting the Scene
The homeowners found an ideal Lancaster County location: seven acres of gently-sloped, mostly-flat land, surrounded by unobstructed views of pastoral farmland scenery—including sunsets.
Their architectural vision was inspired by a shingle style house the couple had seen in Michigan. Shingle style, Erb describes, is characterized by “very steep rooflines and exaggerated gables that throw cool shadow lines. But we also incorporated arches to soften things up.”
An earthy exterior color palette complements the landscape, while a copper roof atop the front door entry adds a crowning touch of warmth. While the home’s stones are all-natural, sourced from Penn Stone in Lancaster, other elements rely on high-tech innovation. The key to the entire architectural style—the shingles—are entirely manmade.
“They’re meant to look like historic old slate, but because they’re a manmade product, they’re much more durable than asphalt shingles or true slate, which is brittle and hard to replace when it breaks,” says Erb.
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Interior Game Plan
While shingle style reigns on the outside, the home’s interior is more traditional and classic with touches of modern flair. The entire floor plan revolves around one central focal point: a massive game room.
“Entertaining came to the top of the list—the game room was the driving force,” Erb says. “Since all of their friends and family are local, they wanted to have a comfortable house for entertaining.”
And great views await guests stepping inside the front door. To the right, a winding staircase fits inside the octagon-shaped stone turret, leading upstairs. To the left is a home office, tucked conveniently behind glass doors. But straight ahead, through the light-filled house, is a great room featuring a sparkling row of windows.
Fun and Games
The home’s centerpiece is a giant game room. And the pool table, as a focal point, calls the shots. Its position, defined by a faux copper leaf ceiling above, reflects light downward, similar to a spotlight.
Aside the pool table, there’s a comfortable seating area and a bar—with its own mini-kitchen. A game table hosts poker nights, as well as classic card games like pinochle and ten penny. And what would a game room be without a large TV where guests can enjoy catching sports action too?
“This is one of the few houses we’ve done with such an elaborate game room,” says Erb, “But since then, and especially due to covid, we have seen more and more homes with finished basement spaces and game rooms.”
There are several reasons the game room is on the home’s first floor: First, the homeowners wanted it to be prominent and welcoming to all of their guests—not tucked away in the basement. Secondly, as empty nesters with the concept of “aging in place” in mind, they can easily convert the large space into their master bedroom if needed, in the future.
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Fire Feature
Dividing and defining the game room from the kitchen is a two-sided stone fireplace, adding both a homey, welcoming element as well as a dramatic one.
And much like the pool table rules the game room, a massive 13-foot-long island sets the tone in the kitchen. With 10-foot ceilings, shorter “stacker cabinets” were added above the primary kitchen cabinets for an added touch of décor for showcasing collectibles. Additional features include a 36” gas range, a steam oven with built-in warming drawer, and a large L-shaped desk where the homeowners can easily switch between tasks like bill-paying and fun hobbies such as crafts.
The kitchen’s warm colors are inviting, from creamy tones—softer than white—to warm natural wood tones echoed between the hardwood floor, island and range hood.
There’s also an open dining space, for a natural flow between the first floor’s three main areas: the game room, kitchen, and dining space.
“In the last 5 to 10 years, we’ve really eliminated formal dining spaces, because people are living more casually,” Erb says, of the trend.
Conveniently tucked behind the kitchen are two pantries: a walk-in pantry with open shelving, and a second butler’s pantry with finished cabinetry to showcase glassware and special serving pieces.
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Stepping Out
The living and entertaining spaces flow outdoors onto a large patio framed by a stone column fireplace, topped with an outdoor television, aside a cozy seating area. Additional features include a stunning outdoor kitchen and a fire pit where guests can gather and enjoy both the glowing flames, as well as glowing sunsets across a beautiful backyard vista.
And it’s a whole new ball game outdoors—with a bocce ball court, as well as a fascinating large-scale chess set, positioned by precisely-placed pavers in a checkerboard pattern. Checkmate?
But one of the most fascinating features is hidden from sight—ready at the touch of a button: built-in, retractable, motorized screens that easily convert the patio from an open porch to a screened-in patio.
“It makes the space very versatile,” says Erb, “since it can be fully enclosed on all three sides—or you can choose to do one or two sides.”
Upgrades, Upstairs
The home’s primary wall color—a light coffee brown—adds inviting warmth along the curved staircase leading upstairs, where the master suite and two guest suites all feature adjoining full bathrooms (en suites) to set a welcoming tone for guests.
“All of them have double sink vanities with a makeup drawer in between—that’s a big trend—and tiled showers, because the homeowners want guests to feel like they’re in a nice hotel,” Erb explains.
The master bath has an extra surprise—an adjoining built-in sauna room. The walk-in tiled master shower sparkles with natural light thanks to a window—since privacy is not an issue, across the 7-acre grounds. And a balcony off the master suite takes advantage of the second-story view.
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Hidden Details
One of the home’s most important features is hidden deep underground: a geothermal heating system that pulls from the earth’s warmth underground versus taking in outdoor air—and expending more energy—to warm the home.
“It’s definitely an environmentally-friendly heating system,” Erb says.
The garage was also customized to include four car bays. Since two of the bays are extra-deep, the garage can actually hold six cars, total. A large unfinished room over the garage adds storage space—where two additional bedrooms could be added in the future.
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