At the back of the house, Maresca employed decorative metalwork on the porch off the master bedroom. Favorite period themes embellish the railings, columns, and eaves.

"What's so beautiful about these houses is that they hold back," he says. "The proportions are right, and there is a delicacy, a sense of reserve that is very luxurious." This is evident in the foyer and hall, where Maresca made the dimensions grand -- 12 feet wide and 45 feet long -- but avoided excess. The marble floor was honed to remove the sheen, and the stair rail has an almost modern simplicity with its black pickets.

Completing the look are light fixtures that Maresca designed. Outside, over the front door, a copper gas lantern, simple from a distance, rewards a closer view with rich Regency filigree. In the foyer and hall, six-sided glass lanterns with delicately worked and gilded frames punctuate the entrances to each room. From plan to the finest detail, a masterful hand is evident here, combining symmetry, grace, and luxurious views.

RESOURCES: Architecture by Maresca & Associates Architects, 843/727-2555; construction by Hanis Fine Home Building, 864/244-4884; The Urban Electric Co. (T).