Friday Front Porch Feature: A Rustic Escape

LEE, Mass. — Are you looking for a home for a big family with lots of acres to enjoy? Then this is the house for you.

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing a home at 135 East St.

The house was built in 1984 and has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. It is 2,732 square feet on 2.34 acres with an attached two-car garage. It comes with a dishwasher, built-in electric oven, washer, refrigerator, microwave, and dryer.

A long paved driveway leads to the rustic two-story home with a wide front porch, exposed beams and wide-plank paneled walls. It has a three-season room in the back that leads to a deck and pavered patio.

It has a listing price of $875,000.

We spoke to Lisa Kelley with MacCaro Real Estate, the listing agent for the property.

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

The Berkshire market continues to be competitive especially with custom and acreage rich homes. Demand is especially strong for properties combining outdoor space, artistry and functionality. This home was built by a true craftsman and it brings a level of authenticity and quality that is highly prized in the area.

What was your first impression when you walked into this home?

The moment that I stepped through the door, I was immediately greeted by the warmth and character that only a truly custom-built home can offer.

Are there any standout design features or recent renovations?

The home was thoughtfully designed with exposed beams and natural wood finishes, with attention to detail throughout. A custom-designed fourth bedroom was thoughtfully added and designed with flexibility in mind and the space features vaulted ceilings, a charming Juliet balcony. Whether you use it as a private guest suite, expansive primary bedroom or light filled studio, it offers a quiet retreat with elevated design. This home offers spacious standout spaces, whether gathering in the custom kitchen, or sitting on the open front porch, capturing the mountain sunrise, every element reflects quality craftsmanship and design.

What are the unique or custom elements?

There is tons of storage throughout that includes clever use of nooks, alcoves and built-in cabinetry, thoughtful space-saving touches that you don't always see in modern builds. There is a beautiful cozy brick fireplace that is the centerpiece for the living room.

A double set of French doors invites you from the main living area onto the three-season screened-in porch, enhancing flow and function, offering easy access to the outdoor living spaces. Elegant concrete driveway with lighted stone pillars lead to the oversized attached heated two-car garage with a generously sized storage loft provides even more room and was thoughtfully integrated into the home's design, this area adds value and versatility.

Comfort is effortless year-round with central air conditioning and multiple sources of warmth for cooler seasons, including the wood burning fireplace and  a pellet stove that adds charm and efficiency. The home is designed to feel welcoming in every season.

What kind of buyer do you see this home being perfect for?

The beauty of a home like this is that it appeals across multiple buyer types. It is perfectly suited for someone who values craftmanship, nature and space. Whether it is a family seeking room to grow, a couple looking to settle into a peaceful, scenic setting or a remote professional or creative artist who draws inspiration from their surroundings, this home offers the kind of quality and character that's hard to find.

What is the neighborhood like?

It's located in the heart of Lee, often called the "Gateway to the Berkshires." Lee is a town known for its strong sense of community, local pride and welcoming atmosphere. The property has a countryside feel with the convenience of town life just minutes away.  Across the street is a picturesque farm with October Mountain in the backdrop adding to the charm and open feeling of the area, while a quiet cul-de-sac borders the property, enhancing privacy and limiting through traffic.

Cultural gems like Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow and other Berkshire venues are within easy reach, offering access to world-class performances and events year round. Outdoor enthusiasts will love the proximity to hiking trails, lakes, nature preserves and skiing. While commuters and travelers will appreciate the easy access to the Massachusetts Turnpike.

You can find out more about this house on its listing here. 

*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.

Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
05:17AM / Friday, August 21, 2026

 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said.