Luxury home: Kingly estate has elegant terraces, gardens

The phrase “living like a king” gets tossed around fairly often when describing a luxurious lifestyle, but few people actually get to live in a home that was once occupied by a king. Buyers of the home at 5810 Connecticut Ave. in Chevy Chase will have the unusual privilege of living like royalty since the home once belonged to the late King Hussein of Jordan.

Now on the market for $2,950,000, this palatial villa sits on a 14,000-square-foot lot with multiple landscaped spaces and a hot tub. This elegant home, located in the heart of Chevy Chase Village, offers a refuge from a busy world, a place for entertaining friends and family, and a convenient location within walking distance of shops, restaurants and Metro.

Built in 1928, the exterior of this Mediterranean-style home includes an arched front door flanked by tall windows with a red tile roof, off-street parking for six or more cars and a two-car garage with a loft, currently in use as a two-story artist’s studio. The grounds include brick terraces, extensive garden beds and plenty of privacy.

A beveled-glass front door opens into a dramatic entry hall with inlaid wood floors, hand-tooled moldings and recessed lighting. This hall serves as a reception area for large parties and leads to a custom staircase set under a curved archway.

Beyond the reception hall are two additional rooms designed for entertaining like royalty: an extravagantly large living room with custom moldings, recessed art lighting, a fireplace and French doors leading to an adjacent solarium. The formal dining room includes curved walls and custom moldings. Both rooms have high ceilings.

The solarium features a marble floor, recessed lighting and French doors leading to the living room and to the side patio and gardens for an easy flow during spring and summer parties. Nearby is a library with recessed lighting, built-in bookcases and cabinets, a fireplace and a wet bar that connects this room with the solarium and the rear entrance hall. Hidden storage closets line the rear wall of the entry hall.

The generously sized kitchen has white cabinets, a pantry, double ovens, a three-door refrigerator and separate freezer and two dishwashers. The bright room includes a picture window, space for a breakfast table and exits to the mudroom and rear entrance.

Upstairs, the master suite includes a mirrored wall of closets, a luxury bath and an exercise or dressing room.

The second and third bedrooms share a connecting, updated bath. Currently, the third bedroom functions as a study for the second bedroom. The fourth bedroom includes plantation shutters and has an adjacent full bath.

The finished third level includes a media room. A home office or work space and a half bath complete this level.

The finished lower level includes a guest suite with a living room, a bedroom and a full bath. In addition, there is an au pair suite with a bedroom and a full bath, an office space, a laundry room and a utility room.

The home includes five zones of gas heat and electric air conditioning, a central vacuum system and a total of four finished levels with six bedrooms, five full baths and two half baths.

For more information on this Chevy Chase home, contact Realtors Susan Berger and Ellen Sandler of Evers & Co. Real Estate at 202/364-1700 or visit www.bergersandler.com.