FALMOUTH FORESIDE – This gracious five-bedroom Colonial has a private entrance to the many tranquil trails of the Falmouth Forest Preserve. Perfect for a family with children, and located on a street with many young families, the home at the end of a quiet cul de sac in the Foreside Woods subdivision is within walking distance of Handy Boat and the Portland Yacht Club.

Matching the seaside architectural flavor of the neighborhood, the house has classic New England clapboard wood siding and a shingle roof. It’s a decorators’ dream, and versatile – grand, or casual, or in between, throughout its 12 high-ceilinged rooms.

Nothing about this 2001 construction is skimpy. Every one of its 4,380 square feet has easy-to-maintain hardwood cherry or tile flooring and high ceilings. Including the finished daylight basement with a gas fireplace, half-bathroom and wet bar, there’s a whopping 5,488 square feet, with even more unfinished basement to spare.

The generous kitchen is not only at the heart of the home but thoroughly up to date with gorgeous granite countertops, cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an island and 9-foot ceilings with recessed lighting. The adjoining breakfast nook with large windows on three sides doubles as a sunroom.

This connects to a great room with a gas fireplace and stately wainscoting and crown molding, and leads to the two-story grand foyer at the front, or “guest,” entrance to the house. On the other side of the foyer is an elegant dining room, an ideal space for dinner parties and holiday dinners.

A grand cherry staircase in the foyer leads to the second floor, where there are five bedrooms and four adjoining full baths and generous walk-in closets. The master bedroom is huge; the suite’s bathroom has an oversized jetted tub and a glassed-in shower, and marble surfaces (as does the first-floor powder room).

The 1.47 acres are meticulously landscaped and have an in-ground irrigation system. There’s a back deck, a fenced-in contoured pool with multiple depths, a playscape and a storage shed. A wide paved driveway leads to a three-car garage with separate automatic door openers.

Entering from the garage entrance, there’s a large mudroom, a half-bathroom and a comfortable laundry room with a utility sink and plenty of storage space. Imagine this as your new home.

The home at 28 Preservation Drive, Falmouth, is listed for sale at $1.1 million by Scott P. Sanford of Scott Sanford Realty. For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact Scott at 207-653-6104 or scottsanford@maine.rr.com.

– Special to Maine Real Estate