“Not too many people have the opportunity to live in their dream house, and I did,” said Diane Scola.

The dream house is an 1870 carriage house at 25 Cedar Ave. in Barrington that was extensively renovated between 1988 and 1990 by architect Richard Kuehl. The result is a striking two-bedroom,2 1/2 bath home with beautiful woodwork, lots of French doors, and even its own tower.

The big entry doors were taken from a Long Island estate, while the wood carvings came from a home in Newport. The interior has beautiful maple floors, extensive mahogany cabinetry and off-white walls set off by mahogany trim. There’s subtle, indirect lighting throughout the house.

Scola said she always wanted to live in a carriage house. Carriage houses in the 19th century, she said, generally had stalls for the horses, with very large doors to let the carriages in and out. . (Horseshoes from the carriage-house era were found during the restoration process at 25 Cedar Ave..)

Gallery

Walk through the House of the Week

Scola said her neighborhood in Barrington, not far from the Rhode Island Country Club, was once an area of summer homes. The carriage house at 25 Cedar Ave originally was part of a property owned by John Draper.

The exterior, in green-grey and terra-cotta, combines clapboard siding with distinctive fish-scale shingles. Once through the main doors, the entry has a floor of green marble, carved woodwork above the doors and a small round window that adds a distinctive touch.

Just to the right is the dining room, with mahogany cabinetry along one wall, where horse stalls used to be. There’s a series of small windows above the cabinets, and substantial wooden beams cross the ceiling. A set of French doors at one end of the dining room mirrors another set of doors at the other end of the house, in the living room.

“The idea was that the outside would be in, and the inside would be out,” Scola said.

The cabinetry and beamed ceilings in the dining room continue into the large living room, which has a gas-burning fireplace surrounded in green marble with a mahogany mantle. There are three sets of French doors in the living room, plus a built-in wet bar with green marble counter and cabinets underneath. To the left of the main entry and down two steps is a bright, spacious kitchen with cathedral ceiling, skylights and ceiling fan. The color scheme is mostly white, with a casual dining area, wood-topped central island, and white cabinets. A band of windows, framed in mahogany, is set between the sink area and the glass-fronted cabinets overhead. The washer and dryer are tucked away behind a pair of big white doors. Scola said the kitchen had once been a two-car garage.

There are two sets of French doors in the kitchen, one leading to an outdoor brick patio that overlooks the large lawn. The other goes to a screened-in porch with brick floor, cathedral ceiling with fan, and screened windows and doors framed in eye-catching hunter green. “This is my living room during the summer,” Scola said.

There are two bedrooms on the second floor, both with French doors leading to balconies. There’s also a lovely stained-glass window at the top of the stairs. The guest bedroom has two large closets, and a faux headboard painted on the wall.

The main bedroom features more French doors and big mirrored closets. The headboard — with built-in lamps — and the twin nightstands that flank the bed, are all part of a single piece of furniture.

The master bath continues themes that are found elsewhere in the house, such as the white counters with hardwood trim and the green marble surrounding the tub. Above the tub is a large, arch-shaped window. The bathroom includes a large shower with marble bench and a separate room, with a stained-glass window, for toilet and bidet.

The whimsical tower was added during the renovation of the carriage house. There’s a spiral staircase on the second floor that leads to an octagonal room with lots of windows at the top of the tower, the perfect place to get away from it all.

The house also comes with a sound system, central air conditioning, alarm system, central vacuum and two-car garage.

“I’ve loved living here … It’s a very social house,” Scola said. “I’ve given parties for more than 100 people here. It’s got good circulation. There have been three weddings here. It’s certainly been enjoyed.”

Scola said the house is a little too big for her now, and she’s looking to buy something smaller. “I’ve lived in one dream house, and now I’m going to look for another,” she said.

The house at 25 Cedar Ave. in Barrington is for sale at $875,000. It has two bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, and 2,728 square feet of living space. Real estate taxes are $15,486. The realtor is Bianca Scola, 245-9600, email bscola@residentialproperties.com. There will be an open house Sunday from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

asmith@projo.com