Perched on a rocky hill above five wooded acres in Darien, Connecticut, the white walls of 27 Tory Hole Road seem to snake out of the trees. The curved stucco facade allows for panoramic views of white pines, meadow, and ravine, and a low terrace wall follows the contour of the property, connecting the house to the thick stands of oak and pine surrounding the site. For the current homeowner, who has lived here for the past 22 years, privacy and convenience were key selling points: though secluded, the dwelling is only one mile from the center of town. This architectural wonder, designed by Arthur Cort Holden in 1938, is now on the market for $2,595,000.

In a July 1942 article for Architectural Record, professor emeritus of architecture at Princeton University Jean Labatut waxed poetic about the house’s grand use of space and scale. Its curvature, he pointed out, allowed the viewer to see inside and outside space at once, creating a permeable barrier between the two. The result is a unique communion with the landscape that isn’t readily apparent from photos. “While the mechanical eye of a wide angle camera can make forms and space do all kinds of acrobatics, the human eye cannot,” writes Labatut. “The facade can be seen only in parts and seems to melt into nature.”

The sinuous walls facilitate a fluidity of space on the main floor, and though one room flows into the other, there is still a feeling of separation. “Despite its iconic architectural elements, our house is very livable for a family,” says the seller Bruce Lynn. “It has open space while still permitting a sense of ‘rooms.’” At 4,035 square feet, the house has four bedrooms with ensuite baths, including a master bedroom that opens onto a terrace. The lower level houses a media room and a laundry or utility room for extra space.

For more information on the house, see the listing on the Halstead Property website.

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