Casual Reinterpretation Circa-1937 Colonial Revival in Central Gardens. by JOHN GRIFFIN This bracketed portico with deeply curved underside is just unforgettable. The house is, otherwise, a predictable Colonial Revival. A symmetrical facade with paired windows in the public rooms, small-paned upper window sash and shutters all fit the mold. Colonial Revival front doors were normally accentuated with a fancy pediment or even a small porch or portico supported by columns. The more elegant examples had either a fanlight over the door or an arched underside to the porch. This portico has the elegance of the deeply curved underside but is delightfully overscaled and supported by wooden brackets rather than columns. It is also a bit lower than expected (probably because a full window was desired above), and as a result, it has an almost child-like scale that suggests a playhouse or the entry to Santaland at Christmas. The inside has benefited from more of the same casual reinterpretation of the rules. The dining room and the original small kitchen behind have been joined to form a much more livable, workable space. The kitchen now opens to the dining room, with a large center island putting the cook in the action. The current owners added a rear sunroom with vaulted ceiling overlooking the backyard. This is a quiet retreat that could function as a formal dining room (if you've just got to have one) or a great multipurpose entertaining room. It's well-connected to the backyard, which has had the weekend chore of grass cutting eliminated. Shady trees would make a lawn thin, but here a two-level deck fills the center of the yard supplanting the lawn. The perimeter has been partially filled with azaleas and a Japanese maple, but a few more of the same are all that's required to thicken up the area between the privacy fencing and the deck. A big living room, running from front to back, occupies the other half of downstairs. Bookcases and window seat fill one end, balanced by more bookcases and fireplace at the other. It's spacious, easy to arrange, and immediately cozy a perfect winter complement to the sunroom out back. A pine wainscoted office and downstairs powder room have been created from part of the carport. They're handily placed off the living room, and the carport is still big enough to house one car comfortably. Upstairs, two bedrooms fill one side, and the other half is a master bedroom and bath. The rooms have lots of light, with windows on two sides, and the master suite has a whole wall of closets, providing ample storage. The bath has ceramic tile floor and pedestal sink. It's a comfortable layout that has been added on to and opened up to make it eminently livable. You can e-mail John Griffin at letters@memphisflyer.com. 1992 Harbert Avenue Approximately 1,850 square feet, 3 Bedrooms. 1 1/2 Baths; $149,900, Realtor: French & Co., 767-0020, Agent: Mary Sharp, 758-4318