High-style country manor

This isn't your typical hobby farm.

The well-appointed Independence home, designed by local architect Bruce Schmitt, has a gated entrance, cherry wood floors, an elevator, a 900-bottle wine cellar and more than 8,000 square feet of space.

Designed as an equestrian estate, the grounds also include a custom barn equipped with seven stalls and a marble-floored tack room. Horse lovers can ride and train all year long in a heated riding arena, and walking and riding trails run throughout the 27-acre grounds.

Other features:

• The two-story Dutch Colonial house, built in 1995, has five bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

• The formal living room has enameled woodwork and a wood-burning fireplace.

• A recently remodeled gourmet kitchen includes a center island, granite countertops and cherry cabinets.

• A well-equipped mudroom with lockers, a planning desk and an elevator that goes to all three levels.

• The master suite includes a dressing room and bathroom with a whirlpool tub.

• There are three laundry rooms, one on the main floor, one upstairs and one in the barn.

• A lower level has entertainment and exercise rooms.

• A new four-car garage has a second-floor guest quarters with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a study station and laundry room.

LYNN UNDERWOOD