This million contemporary mansion, for sale in McLean for $3.995 million, comes with eight bedrooms, a pool, tennis courts — and some great cocktail party stories.
The contemporary house has seen more than its share of parties and high-profile guests since it was built in 1981.
When the Embassy of Qatar was being remodeled back in the 1990s, the ambassador from Qatar — and his nine wives — took up residence here.
Bill Clinton partied here. The U.S. ambassador to the South Pacific nations, Muhammad Osman Siddique, and his wife hosted a fundraiser for the president in 1999, making use of the expansive ballroom and interior courtyard.
Famed architect Joe Boggs was the visionary behind the 14,000-square-feet house. He won the contract to design Wolf Trap shortly after completing the residential project and you’ll see similarities to the style of Wolf Trap, such as the wooden beams in the high ceilings, throughout the house.
“It’s a house for entertaining,” said George Torres, the home’s realtor.
Truly. The house lends itself to entertainment with its sprawling, high-ceilinged, open floor plan.
The formal first floor includes a large kitchen, dining room, living room and sitting area, as well as several spacious bedrooms (there is a room off the main master bathroom designed especially for a masseuse to do her work). The first floor is perfect for cocktail parties, formal dinner parties and hosting overnight guests.
But it’s the ground floor that houses the 25-by-80-feet ballroom. With marble floors, a roaring fireplace and a catering kitchen just steps away, the space is a black tie-ready venue for Washington’s elite.
In the summer, the opulent interior courtyard has been the stage for plenty of parties, too. The home’s current owner shipped in 27 tons of white sand to give the vast pool (complete with cascading waterfalls, dolphin fountains and a Jacuzzi) a true tropical feel. He imports palm trees and hibiscus flowers once the weather turns warm to make his guests feel like they’ve left McLean for the Maldives.
The craftsmanship in the house is a standout as well. With Boggs at the helm, no design detail was left out. The foyer features floor-to-ceiling windows with an intricate, hand-carved nature scene featuring a peacock and a tiger. The glasswork was so involved, in fact, that Boggs had the artist live at the house for six months while he completed the project.
The soaring ceilings throughout the house — in some rooms they stretch 26 feet high, in others as much as 40 feet — feature beams made of imported Philippine mahogany that underscore the clean, contemporary design with a slightly rustic touch. Marble floors throughout much of the house add to its formality.
Torres said several high-profile Washingtonians have already toured the house, including Redskin Clinton Portis.
Whoever buys this contemporary cabin in the McLean woods is sure to add to the home’s great cocktail party story list.
“It’s a house for entertainment,” said Torres. “This house is a true one of a kind.”
