Enticed by the sprawling find
The Harrises weren't looking to move - but they couldn't resist the renovated split-level.
They weren't really looking for a house, Sissy Harris recalls, but her Realtor cousin invited Sissy and her husband to have a look at the brick dwelling with the slate roof anyway.
Before they had finished touring the Greenville, Del., house, Jack Harris was ready to sign on the dotted line.
Jack, a lawyer, is not a man who routinely acts in haste, but the 6,300-square-foot property enticed him, not only because of its open floor plan throughout three levels, but also because it had been renovated by the former owners and was in turnkey condition - serious pluses for a busy couple with two careers, three children, and two dogs.
"Suddenly, we were buying one house and listing another," Sissy says, referring to the Cape Cod they had lived in for eight years. But she, too, liked the feel and look of their sprawling find.
The 1973 split-level sits atop a grassy knoll on two acres in the Wilmington suburb, the longtime home of prominent citizens such as the du Ponts and the Bidens.
"The great thing about living here is that we're on the cusp of both the country and the city. Five minutes, we're in rural Pennsylvania. Fifteen minutes the other way, we're in downtown Wilmington," says Jack, 42, who was raised in central New Jersey and is cofounder of the business-law boutique Berger Harris.
The couple met as law students at Widener University and married in 1998. Sissy, 41, is co-owner of Peter Kate, an upscale women's apparel and shoe store nearby.
Since buying the house in November 2011, the Harrises have imprinted it with their own personal and smart styling: lots of unfussy period pieces passed down from Sissy's relatives, but handsomely blended with contemporary furnishings and authentic artwork.
The breezy flow of rooms sweeps past the foyer, leading first to the den, with floor-to-ceiling bookcases, seagrass wall coverings, and tufted sofas. Just beyond, an inherited two-piece highboy stands proudly over a rich boxwood table in the dining/kitchen area. Cabinets surround a granite island and countertops, where ample space holds decorative bowls and small appliances, like their latest novelty, a Keurig coffeemaker.
"It's so simple," Jack says. "The kids even make hot chocolate in it."
The living room is slightly more ornate, with its cocoa-colored sofa, but it's clearly not a "pinkie-extended area" - dogs Trixie and Honey recline upon the gold tufted chairs.
There are other treasured heirlooms here. An early-1800s chest-on-chest sits on one side of the formal fireplace. A vintage "Lady Liberty" tapestry hangs on the other side, facing a medieval sideboard adorned with family photos and tasteful accessories.
French doors lead out to the yard, which even on a gray winter day is alluring. Many species of plants and trees, a tranquil koi pond, and a saltwater pool with a stone waterfall are the hosting grounds for warm-weather entertaining.
"It's party central during the summer," says Sissy.
Down several steps is the family room, which has the vibe of a hip lounge, with a royal-blue sectional, a 40-inch flat- screen TV, and a Ping- Pong table. Jack's office has ample oak furnishings for books, a computer, and supplies.
Their oldest child, Katie, 13, has a bedroom and a bathroom en suite, a perfect retreat for a teenage girl. Walls are pale pink, and the dust ruffle, headboard, and settee are outfitted in matching black-and-white fabric.
It's all sports in 11-year-old Peter's room, with Babe Ruth and Yankees posters. Through a shared bath is Margot's bedroom, brimming with homespun creations and photos of the 7-year-old.
Sissy's office is framed in a niche outside the elegant master bedroom on the top level. Still hanging in the foreground of the walk-in closet is the Nicole Miller black gown she wore last month to one of the inaugural balls.
The couple have artwork by Mary Page Evans, Jane Piper, and Jamie Wyeth - plus an oil by portraitist Thomas Sully of Sissy's colonial ancestor, John Dorsey, a prominent physician whose steamer trunk Sissy also owns, as well as the Bible of his wife, Maria, which has its own distinct history. On the inside cover, Maria chronicled on May 15, 1817, that she had read the Good Book at least eight or nine times after making a transatlantic trip.
All in all, the house is a balance of cherished keepsakes and new comforts for the Harrises.
"We're in a good place," says Jack. "The home is roomy, modern, and we enjoy every inch of it."