Main Line Monday: A Midcentury Modern Masterpiece in Strafford

356 Pugh Rd., Strafford, Pa. 19087 | Photos: Jon Biddle for HomeJab via Keller Williams Luxury Homes International

You’ve seen photos of homes like these in places like Southern California and the Oakland hills.

If you’re the sort of person who hyperventilates at these photos, there’s good news: you now have a chance to live in one without having to move across the country.

Several noted Philadelphia architects also designed homes in the contemporary style we now label as “midcentury modern.” One of the best was Robert McElroy, who produced this beautiful, low-slung home on a one-acre wooded sloping lot on Strafford’s northern fringe. We can also give credit to the architect who owns this home now, for he gave it a top-to-bottom rebuild that updated all of its features and systems while respecting its heritage and style.

The home takes advantage of its site to the fullest. Floor-to-ceiling windows define its downhill side, offering splendid views of the surrounding woods, and terraces on both levels and a wraparound Trex deck let you enjoy those surroundings al fresco. The first of those terraces is paved in flagstone and serves as the forecourt of the main entrance to the home.

The upstairs main living area follows a classic open plan, with living and dining rooms that flow seamlessly into each other. The vaulted ceiling with its central beam unites the two spaces, while a metal fireplace provides a stylish accent to the living area and a light sculpture does the same for the dining room.

On the other side of the wall that makes these two rooms an L shape is the kitchen, which has been upgraded with lacquered wood and aluminum-framed glass cabinetry, quartz and tempered glass countertops, Sub-Zero and Dacor appliances and peninsula bar seating that also unites the kitchen with the family room next to it. The bath off the family room is clad in limestone with Kalista fixtures.

On the other side of the main living area from the family room and kitchen is the spacious master suite. Its bathroom, accessed by a new barn door, is clad in marble and features a dual vanity, jetted tub and oversized two-person shower.

Down the restored original staircase, the lower level has a second family room as its focal point. Surrounding the family room are three additional bedrooms, two of which open onto the downstairs terrace, a separate laundry room, and a full bath done in Carrara marble with a frameless glass shower enclosure.

Other upgrades to this home include new solid doors, a new climate control system, custom lighting with Lutron dimmers and new gas service. A new driveway leads to a separate two-car garage next to the home.

Whether you work in Center City, King of Prussia, Chesterbrook or on the Main Line itself, this home offers you an easy commute: you’re close to Route 202 in one direction and SEPTA’s Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail line in the other. Wayne’s charming, lively town center is also close at hand, as are the shopping and dining mecca that is King of Prussia.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 4

BATHS: 3

SQUARE FEET: 2,554

SALE PRICE: $695,000

356 Pugh Rd., Strafford, Pa. 19087  [Paul Lipowicz | Keller Williams Luxury Homes | Keller Williams Center City]