A McLean couple found a quick way to get rid of their small 1960s house and make way for their custom-built family dream home on the same lot. They gave the rambler to the Fairfax County fire department, which burned it to the ground as a training drill.
“I must admit it was kind of cool to watch,” the owner said.
Rebuilding on the same lot was all part of their plan, which will someday include, they hope, three children. The wife grew up on the block and her mother and sister still live there. “This was very much a family oriented idea,” said the husband, who grew up in Northern Virginia.
So, who better to get to handle the interiors of the new two-story, five-bed, four-bath home than long-time family friend, designer Cristin Cotton, who had done interiors for the mom and sister and was thrilled to help this offshoot of the family tree set down new roots.
She began at the front door. The foyer features Craftsman-style millwork, with wide baseboards and Mission-style staircase banisters. Even with abundant natural light flooding the foyer, eyes immediately are drawn to an ornate antique bronze chandelier with leaf details. A motorized lift system was installed to lower the fixture, which weighs more than 600 pounds, for cleaning or new bulbs.
Three children’s rooms are aligned across from the master suite. Two share a Jack-and-Jill bath and the third has its own full bath. The couple so far has a 2-year-old son and infant girl.
“The gender of the next kid will decide who gets the room with its own bath,” said the father. “I’m hoping it’s a boy because I think they might be better at sharing a bathroom.”
The boy’s astronaut-themed room has midnight blue walls with spaceships, planets and stars. The baby girl’s room, awash in pink, green and yellow, is filled with butterflies and flowers.
A large window on the landing between the children’s rooms and the master suite offers a long wooden window seat with cubby areas underneath. It’s one of several spaces in the house where the parents envision their children will enjoy reading or relaxing.
“We wanted to make sure the kids have a comfortable environment to grow in,” the father said.
The parents get to retreat to an owner’s suite complete with a spa-quality master bath. A cream-colored vanity stretches the length of the bath. The highlight is a large two-entrance, doorless shower. “I call it the car wash,” the husband joked. “You go in one side dirty and walk out the other side clean.”
Large sparkling graphite-colored tiles form the heated floor and shower walls. Just outside the shower is an elegant Victorian stand-alone tub, manufactured by Ahqua, with gold claw feet.
The kitchen has deep cherry cabinets topped by Giallo river granite with an ogee edge. A massive island, designed to look like stand-alone furniture, accommodates multiple cooks. An adjacent farm-style table in the eating area separates the kitchen from the family room, making the space ideal for family gatherings, said kitchen designer Linda Constantine, of N Time Design. “This kitchen is so open. The whole space is open and people sitting at the table can clearly see everyone in the kitchen.”
Cotten designed the basement for family work and fun. Bright yellow walls are lined with white bookshelves, which hold numerous children’s books. Kid-friendly furniture, toys and stuffed animals make for a pleasant playroom; at least for now.
When the children get older, the father has visions of updating this family dream home with a game room, complete with a poker table and wet bar
Resources
Builder: Birber
biberconstruction.com
Kitchen design: N Time Design
Ntimedesignllc.com
Kitchen: Kemper Cabinets
kempercabinets.com
Chandelier: Dominion Electric
dominionelectric.com
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