When the owners of the home at 2776 N. Quebec St. in Arlington wake up each morning, it must take a few minutes to realize they have not been transported overnight into a magical forest. With nine balconies and decks, nearly every room in this home has immediate access to the outdoors, where towering trees and native plants fill the grounds.
While spring greenery and the blossoms on countless azaleas provide the most colorful palette for this home, the views in every season are worthy of attention. In winter, the spires of Washington National Cathedral can be seen from the front windows, and the lush leaves of summer create a serene, green atmosphere during the warmer months. Autumn’s transformation fills the half-acre property with leaves in every hue, which then drift across the meandering paths and stone walls built by the original owner.
Now on the market for $998,000, this contemporary-style home boasts brick, wood, stone and glass features that sometimes blur the distinction between the woods and the home. Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors to the multiple balconies and decks create a sensation of walking among the treetops when strolling indoors.
Built in 1968, this home was landscaped originally by local landscape architects Oehme, van Sweden & Associates, and the first owner, who found laying stones for walls and pathways was the best way to relax after a stressful workday. The grounds include mountain laurel and more than 50 azaleas and native grasses set into swirling patterns. The landscapers and builders saved as many trees as possible, even designing the deck to surround the trunks of two tall trees.
The home was designed by the late architect Chloethiel Woodard Smith, best known for her design work at Harbour Square in Southwest Washington, Waterview Town Houses in Reston and the National Airport Metro station. Smith was one of the founders of the National Building Museum.
This home includes some of her distinctive architectural features, such as an open wood staircase, soaring cathedral ceilings constructed of cedar and the myriad balconies, decks and windows.
The owners have added their own touches, including replacing many of the windows and glass doors with triple-pane, low-E versions; adding a teak floor in the living and dining room, bordered by the original herringbone-patterned parquet flooring; replacing the stone steps in the front and back of the home; and adding a flagstone patio to the backyard.
The backyard, which has been enhanced with extra deck space, professional landscaping and a new stone retaining wall, has been fully fenced. The owners replaced the roof, added a covered carport and hired an architect to design a covered front walkway with a barrel-vaulted skylight. Other improvements include remodeling the kitchen and replacing the ceramic tile flooring in many rooms as well as renovating the baths and waterproofing the unfinished basement.
Environmentally friendly elements to this home include the passive solar design and strong natural light from every direction, passive cooling from the tree cover and large overhangs and native plant landscaping for low water use. The property is a certified wildlife habitat refuge. In recent years, in addition to the low-E windows and doors, the owners added a high-efficiency furnace with dual-zone heating and cooling, Energy Star appliances and an Ecostar recycled tile slate roof for the carport.
Double doors with glass inserts open into the two-story vestibule, which has a second set of glass doors leading to the lower level, a mirrored double-door closet and open wood stairs to the upper level, which is the main living level. The spacious open living and dining room has three sets of sliding glass doors to balconies, a two-story cedar cathedral ceiling and accent lighting for art display. This room features the unusual teak floor with its parquet border.
Pocket doors link the living and dining room with the kitchen and breakfast area, which has another set of sliding glass doors to the upper-level deck. The kitchen also features a cedar cathedral ceiling and has new ceramic tile flooring.
This room has a wood-burning fireplace set at waist height and surrounded by tiles. The original Royal Copenhagen tiles around the fireplace have been interspersed around the fireplace and the rest of the tile-covered kitchen walls as accents. The kitchen renovation includes the addition of a pantry, Silex counters and stainless steel appliances.
The main living level also includes two bedrooms and a full bath. The front bedroom, with parquet flooring, includes sliding glass doors to a private balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the trees. The back bedroom, currently used as the master bedroom, has sliding glass doors to a private balcony. Both bedrooms have pocket doors that open into a shared walk-in closet with the storage space of several closets. The master bath includes a double-sink vanity, a soaking tub and a separate, multihead shower. The two bedrooms combined can function as a master suite with a separate sitting room or a home office in addition to the bedroom and bath.
The above-ground lower level features a family room that is a replica of the living and dining room upstairs, with three sliding glass doors to balconies and the front garden. This level has two more bedrooms. The back bedroom includes sliding glass doors to the rear deck, while the front room has five floor-to-ceiling windows.
One of the most practical and often-used rooms in this home is the laundry room, which has new ceramic tile flooring and a sliding glass door to the deck. Relaxing on the deck may be the best part of doing laundry in this home. The owners refer to this room as the “party room,” because it includes a kitchenette with plenty of cabinets and counter space that come in handy when grilling outdoors and entertaining.
The unfinished lower level has expansive storage space and a workroom or hobby room to accommodate interests such as gardening or woodworking.
While residents may prefer to wander along their own private backyard paths, they also can walk easily to Potomac Overlook Regional Park, Windy Run Park, Fort C.F. Smith Park, the W.&O.D. hiking and biking trail, the Woodmont Community Center, neighborhood parks, the Donaldson Run Recreation Association neighborhood pool and the Cherrydale Public Library.
Shops and restaurants in local shopping areas, Georgetown and downtown Washington are all easily accessible by car or by the ART or Metro bus.
Details:
Address: 2776 N. Quebec St., Arlington VA 22207
Community: Dover-Balmoral-Riverwood
Age: Built in 1968
Price: $998,000
Size: Approximately 3,144 finished square feet on a half-acre lot
Taxes: $7,698 in 2009
Homeowners association fee: None
Exterior features: Contemporary-style single-family home with mature trees and professional landscaping, including meandering paths, stone walls and native plantings in fully fenced yard; detached carport for two cars, plus additional off-street parking in drive; covered front walkway with skylight
Interior features: Four bedrooms; three full baths; vestibule entrance with closet and glass doors to lower level; open wood staircase; wood floors; cedar cathedral ceilings; open living and dining room with teak floor; new kitchen with Silex counters, ceramic tile flooring, tile walls, stainless steel appliances and breakfast area; two bedrooms on main living level share a walk-in closet and full bath with separate shower and soaking tub; family room on lower level; laundry room/kitchenette with sliding door to deck, two bedrooms and two full baths on lower level.
Amenities: Nine balconies and decks, flagstone patio, wood-burning fireplace, dual-zone gas heating and central air conditioning, gas water heater, triple-pane low-E windows and doors.
Close by: Walk to ART bus stop or Metro bus stop, parks, neighborhood pool, Cherrydale Public Library; minutes from several shopping centers, Georgetown, Interstate 66, the Pentagon, Tysons Corner and downtown Washington.
Schools: Taylor Elementary, Williamsburg Middle, Yorktown High
Open house: By appointment
Contact: Realtors Carol McEwen, Jerry McEwen or Jinx McEwen Lunger of Long & Foster Realtors at 703/622-4441
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