By Gretchen A. Peck

In January, Pam Johnstone—broker-owner of PJ Residential real estate brokerage—introduced 263 N. Main Street, Stonington to the market.

Welcome Home spoke with the homeowner, Ann Freeman and Peter Freeman, who custom-built the house in 1980.

The couple was living in Stonington Borough when the 1.66-acre lot came to market.

“We liked that it was still close to town, that we can see the water, and still be within walking distance into the village. We wanted to be able to walk into town to get our newspaper and go to a club that we belonged to. It met all those requirements,” Mr. Freeman said.

From the property, the homeowners could look out across North Main Street to the calm waters of Quanaduck Cove.

The Freemans enlisted a local builder and architect to bring their dream home to life, blending contemporary and classic colonial architecture. The nearly 2,000-square-feet of interior space affords traditional design, with hardwood floors, a brick-surround fireplace and details like a corner-cabinet built-in in the formal dining room.

“We get a lot of passive solar from the skylights and south-facing windows in the living room and bedroom. We get a good boost of heat when the sun’s out, and we save quite a bit on heating,” Mr. Freeman said.

To make the home cozy and comfortable during the coldest winter months, they added a gas stove insert to the fireplace.

“We use it every day during the winter,” Mr. Freeman said. “We fire it up late in the afternoon and keep it going through the evening.”

They designed the kitchen with plenty of storage space and added a center island with a butcher-block top and drop-down leaf. Extended, it adds casual seating for two to the space. The rest of the countertops are clad in a durable laminate.

“The laminate is far more forgiving than granite, we’ve found,” Mr. Freeman said.

Mr. Freeman is a fine artist. Needing a place to paint, they added a studio to the house.

“That was one of the best things we did,” he reflected. “It was a great place to have my own space to do my painting and for extra storage.” A buyer may find it a useful space for perhaps a home office or playroom.

One of three bedrooms, the primary bedroom is a suite, with wall-to-wall carpeting, a walk-in closet and a bath that was updated with a new freestanding tub and separate shower in 2016.

The house is complemented by a detached, oversized garage. “It has two bays—one with quite a bit of extra space. I had my framing shop for my paintings there. I had a bit work table and plenty of space I needed for framing,” he said.

There’s also a small shed on the property, which could use some repairs, the couple noted. They kept lawn and gardening tools there, which freed up space in the garage.

The lot has iconic stacked-stone walls, woodlands, rock outcroppings and natural meadows that could be cleared for gardens or an expanse of recreational lawn.

“This land used to be farmland, so it’s good for planting,” Mrs. Freeman said.

Asked about the quality of life here, the Freemans spoke about Stonington’s appeal and friendly community.

They’ve enjoyed dining at the well-regarded restaurants and walking to the docks to buy Bombster scallops and fish from the year-round Sea Well Seafood kiosk.

“We’ve seen such a change since we’ve lived here, from a small fishing village to what is now an upscale small fishing village,” Mr. Freeman said. “The town hasn’t changed all that much. It’s still got the small New England town feeling.”

Property: 263 N. Main St., Stonington

Bedrooms: 3

Baths: 3

Square Footage: 1,968

Acreage: 1.66

Asking Price: $1.1 million

Listing Agent: Pam Johnstone, PJ Residential, PLLC; Mobile: (860) 857-6684; pamjohnstone@pjresidential.com