CHAPEL HILL - CHAPEL HILL -- When David Wagner saw the slate on the high roof lines, the cedar shakes trimming the wood siding, and the stone foundation walls on the house at 297 Highview Drive seven years ago, he was reminded of homes he had always admired growing up as a boy in the Northeast.

His father, Henry Wagner, had worked as a stone mason and contractor while raising three sons.

"I grew up in the construction business in Bergen County, New Jersey, near the George Washington Bridge to New York City," Wagner said. "My brothers are still working in the construction business."

Trained as a geologist, Wagner said he longed to get his hands dirty building something when the couple moved to Chapel Hill in December 2001. When he saw the lay of the land upon which the house was built, he knew he could terrace it with stone to create wonderful outdoor living spaces.

And the house, itself, although built in 1987, was an architectural gem, with antique stained-glass windows and brass fixtures, and a mix of heart pine flooring and trim salvaged from houses built in 1832 and the 1920s.

This was a home with seemingly endless possibilities. In 2002, Wagner and his wife, Maryellen Dugan, met with a designer from Kitchen & Bath Galleries, headquartered in Raleigh, to remodel the main-floor master bath and kitchen. They retained architectural details of the original owners, but used light colors of the French country style to banish dark Victorian finishes on walls and cabinets.

The couple decided in 2005 to open their kitchen by adding a new family room. During the process, Wagner formed a close working relationship with Goldstandard Construction's Kevin Kelly, the general contractor for the French country-inspired family room.

It's hard to say what is more beautiful in this room -- the wall of windows, hardwood floors, limestone fireplace, or the cabinets flanking it which were painted in the French country style by Renee Boyette of Renee Boyette Designs.

"Renee was wonderful," Dugan said. "She spent five days painting the cabinets."

"I think the colors and the design were good choices because the cabinets catch your eye as soon as you walk in the room without looking out of place," Boyette said. "I chose a design reminiscent of Pennsylvania furniture from the 1800s, because the family had just moved from Pennsylvania and the house was filled with antiques from the 1800s.

The entire time the couple was working on the house, they were also landscaping the gently rolling property.

"We spent almost every weekend for two years buying perennials and conifers from Reba & Roses," Maryellen said. "Through trial and error, we found out what perennials loved our yard."

Now the asymmetrical English country garden has something blooming almost year-round. And the three sets of stone steps meandering up the terraced hill and into the woods are magical.

Wagner not only built the stacked stone walls outlining the garden, he also took a playground kit and some railroad ties and made a kids' delight under the pines in the backyard.

"We can enjoy the gardens and woods from the bank of windows in the family room or from decks and porches outside," Dugan said. "It's a great place for entertaining. We've had parties of 70 people and the house didn't seem crowded at all. We also have friends over for dinner often -- and although it is a large house, the spaces within it are warm and inviting. Guests don't feel overwhelmed."

"This is a great house," Wagner said. "Working on it has inspired me to go back into construction."

ABOUT THE HOUSE Address: 297 Highview Drive Size: 4,167 square feet Price: $675,000 Open House: Today from 1 to 4 p.m.

Layout: 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 3 fireplaces,2 garages, mother-in-law suite in walk-out basement

Schools: Creekside Elementary, Githens Middle School, Jordan High School