730 McNamara Rd, Dorset, VT 05251

Stony Brook is the masterpiece of designer/decorator Barbara Levin who built a Vermont retreat for her family in 1996. Featured in Architectural Digest, this serene home on 12 private acres in Dorset evidences careful thought, humor and craftsmanship. The massive timbers and rough boards of five antique barns were reimagined into a contemporary compound that follows the pools and eddies of the brook that runs through the property. Local craftspeople and artisans brought their imagination to the details, from the dry laid walls to the massive stones of the terraces to materials choices like the rare, unfading red slate of the roof. The gated driveway ribbons through the serene glades to a stone courtyard. The architectural components of the house reflect a lifetime of collecting extraordinary items, such as the antique prison door leading into the master-suite or the hand-made tin chandelier in the dining room. The foyer with its hand-hewn beams is the entrance point to three distinct areas, making for easy flow. The gathering spaces, each room with its own fireplace, include the sophisticated kitchen with an open floor plan, dining room, living room and library. The spacious master wing and three-bedroom guest wing with its own sitting area offer privacy. Many rooms in the house either open to the stone terrace and/or overlook the brook. Dorset is near four golf courses, skiing, the Dorset Theatre, Hildene and the Southern Vermont Arts Center.