On the Market: Ultra modern Upper Makefield home for $1.59M

On the Market profiles homes for sale in the Philadelphia region.

For Chris and Anne Robertson, Bucks County living is perfect for them. But unlike many of the other homeowenrs in the area, farmhouses are not.

"We're definitely more modern," Chris Robertson said.

In 1999, when the Robertsons were looking to move from Southampton to upgrade and start a family, they were seeking a home with an open layout that they could give a contemporary look.

After an extensive house hunt, the couple found a 5,600-square-foot home in Upper Makefield that seemed perfect. Situated on more than 11 acres on Highland Road, the home was dated, but they liked the look of the space.

"We knew we would never keep it in its current condition," Chris said. "We liked the style of it, it just needed modernization."

The Robertsons, who own a behavioral health care staffing company, purchased the home from the original owners. The prior owners had built the home from scratch in the late 1970s. It was a modern home at the time.

But Chris said the home had not been updated much since it was built, comparing the interior to the "Brady Bunch" house.

Two years after they moved in, they began renovating.

"We changed the entire look of the house," Chris said. "We changed every door, every window, the façade, the roof."

They changed the façade from wood siding to stucco, and made the roof flat; a rare look for a home in the area surrounded by farms.

"Our friends joke around and say the home is Malibu Barbie meets Bucks County," Chris said. "There's nothing like it around."

Inside, the modern look continues. One of the most defining features is the double-helix spiral staircase, which Chris describes as a piece of art.

"It was custom-made for this house by Langhorne-based Gary Steel," Chris said. "It looks like a piece of DNA."

The staircase is located in the first-floor living room. In that same room, the Robertsons removed a bar, and made it one continuous open space from the kitchen to living room.

The Robertsons completely redid the kitchen, installing stainless steel appliances, a commercial grade refrigerator and freezer, and granite countertops.

On the second floor, they updated all of the bedrooms and bathrooms. The home has a total of five bedrooms and five-and-a-half baths.

The couple finished the basement, and converted it to a game room and gym. They also installed radiant-heated floors in the master bedroom and basement.

Outside, there's an inground pool overlooking the grounds.

Now that the couple has two children, ages 12 and 14, they are looking to move somewhere a little more accessible and walkable. They have put the unique Bucks County home on the market for $1.595 million.

"It's a bittersweet thing," Chris said. "We put so much work and so much effort but it's time to move on."

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