Cole Porter once rented this Sea Cliff house

 Sea Cliff has long attracted creative types, so it's not surprising composer-lyricist Cole Porter rented this elegant estate -- referred to as Westways -- in the early 1930s.

  “He rented the home for a summer from the McAdam family, who were  the original owners,” says Michael Stanco of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, who with Milla Stanco, is marketing the manse for $3.189 million.

“He entertained his guests playing the piano and singing in the living room .?.?. He was known for having lavish parties full of life and characters.” What is surprising, though, is finding an English Cotswold-style house on about 1½ acres in Sea Cliff, an area dominated by vintage Victorians that often occupy less than a half-acre.

About 6,800 square feet, the house was hand-built with concrete and steel around 1913. Although it is completely refurbished and offers contemporary amenities, vintage charm abounds, with such features as egg-dart plaster molding, handcrafted wood paneling and wood floors.

Other details include four fireplaces, high ceilings and 64 windows that are strategically placed to maximize cross-ventilation. There’s a reception foyer outfitted with wood paneled walls and a fireplace, an unusual solarium with stone walls and a brick floor, and a library with built-in shelves.

The second floor landing has a built-in window seat. The third floor contains, in part, two of six bedrooms and one of seven bathrooms. (There also are another two half-baths.)

Newly remodeled, the kitchen and breakfast area are designed with a radiant-heat floor and coffered ceiling, a copper sink and a seven-burner gas stovetop. The butler’s pantry features copper countertops.

Exterior features include a driveway lined by lampposts, terraces, a garden, an in-ground pool and a cabana. Above the two-car garage is a studio. -- Lisa Doll Bruno

AN ALL-SEASON ROOM. Not only does this Brookville ranch sit on a sprawling two acres, but the property also comes with a conservatory that allows residents to enjoy the view.

Listed for $3,888,888, the house has seven bedrooms, five full baths and two half-baths. The heated and air-conditioned conservatory has stone floors and walls of glass, plus doors and windows that face the property’s grassy backyard, says listing agent Lois Kirshenbaum of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty.

From colorful falling leaves to blossoming spring flowers, the room is ideal for all seasons, Kirshenbaum says. The pool, which comes with a waterfall, is also visible to the left of the conservatory. “If you open all the windows and doors, you feel like you’re outside,” Kirshenbaum says. “It brings the outside in.”

The house also has wood flooring throughout, two libraries and a large grand foyer. The two-story great room comes with cathedral wood panel ceilings and a stone fireplace that extends to the ceiling.

Outside, a patio surrounds the pool, and the master bedroom has its own deck. -- Elizabeth Gyori