FREEPORT – Many homes have character. An aura? That is a much rarer quality – but it is one that this sophisticated beauty possesses.

Expanded in 2002 (by Fine Lines Construction) and 2010 (by Mark Dorsey) the home is privately sited on 14.51 acres – lush lawns, ornamental trees, stunning gardens, meadow, and woods – that cannot be subdivided, and so it effectively constitutes a nature preserve. The pastoral setting is a haven for songbirds, including Baltimore orioles who come calling to feed on orange slices put out by the homeowner.

Oriented to the southeast, the 4,881-square-foot home is blessed by wonderful light, a quality enhanced by features such as interior transoms, the wall-of-glass second-floor office, and the corner double-windows in several bedrooms and in the downstairs office. But the foremost example is surely the great room, where a crescent array of nine windows overlooks the grounds and ushers in light from the south and the west, as do three skylights above.

The great room also unifies indoors and out in that its brick, wood-burning fireplace, which is tucked into a delightful nook with bench seating, is two-sided and has a back-to counterpart on a patio outside, a wonderful accompaniment to an evening’s entertaining.

The custom, gourmet’s kitchen sits at the base of the approximately semicircular great room and is outfitted with stainless Viking appliances, honed granite counters, and a 12-foot island with seating. Flooring is Southern yellow pine. To one side, a sunny, two-part den/library has walls lined with built-ins, while the “mud” room is gorgeous with an abundance of Douglas fir cabinetry.

A guest suite at the front of the house covers the single-level living option. Upstairs, the master suite has a wing to itself; second and third bedrooms, served by a full bath, are in the opposite wing. Large casement windows, a soaking tub in a bathroom spacious enough to double as a dressing room, and adjacent laundry are among the master’s nice touches.

In addition to plenty of storage, the finished basement provides a cork-floored series of rooms – exercise, family room, entertaining (with bar.) There’s also a cool homework nook with a perimeter of built-in desks.

The highlights continue with the lovely, separate-entrance studio/bonus room, which is above the heated garage, has a full bath and an accessory office, and lends itself to multiple purposes, including home business (it has been an Iyengar yoga studio). Whatever its next role, it represents the ideal complement to a home that fosters creativity and tranquility.

The home at 48 Upper Mast Landing, Freeport, is listed for sale at $1,200,000 by David Banks of RE/MAX By The Bay. For more information or to schedule a viewing, please contact David at 773-2345 or at dbanks@davidbanksteam.com.