McLean, Va., home with backyard oasis lists for $3.5 million
Distinguished houses on the market within the D.C. area
The home, which he calls a “cottage within the woods,” was inbuilt 1963 however has been expanded over time. The gabled roofs give it a storybook look.
5 years after shopping for the property, Leo and his spouse, Debbie, undertook a renovation of the home and gardens. They employed McHale Panorama Design for the outside and Akseizer Design Group for the inside.
“What’s good is when you have got folks which can be magnificent however it’s also possible to collaborate with,” Debbie mentioned.
A lot of the outside renovation concerned uncovering and refreshing. Azaleas wrapped across the swimming pool, concealing it. Massive oaks and poplars ringed the property, obscuring a view of the home.
“You couldn’t see the character of the home as a result of there have been so many timber in entrance,” Leo mentioned.
Ten giant timber had been eliminated. The azaleas and different crops had been transplanted to different elements of the backyard. The English gardens had been specified by a extra formal association. Debbie mentioned solely about 40 to 45 % of the crops are new.
The best problem was “attempting to marry the outdated with the brand new,” Anthony Cusat, who’s a senior panorama architect with McHale and led the renovation, informed Dwelling & Design journal. McHale acquired an award of distinction for the challenge in 2019 from the Panorama Contractors Affiliation of Maryland, D.C. and Virginia.
With crops staggered to bloom at totally different occasions, the Brookses have an ever-changing panorama in addition to a secluded oasis.
“It’s very non-public,” Debbie mentioned. “Wherever we may see an adjoining rooftop, we added one other tree.”
McHale additionally put a hearth in a gazebo on the grounds, constructed a big courtyard with a fountain on the aspect of the home, and created what Leo calls his “man cave” — an outside kitchen with a grill, fridge, tv and high-top seating.
Akseizer Design Group helped renovate the kitchen and the proprietor’s suite. The proprietor’s bed room has a hearth and a 15-foot vaulted ceiling with wooden trusses. Glass double doorways open to a coated deck with computerized screens. The toilet is completed in a mode Debbie calls “British formal.” It has a heated flooring, double vainness, separate bathe and soaking tub, a hearth, and a tv. Massive dressing areas have built-in shelving and cabinetry.
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 5,000-square-foot home on slightly below an acre is listed at $3.5 million.
858 Canal Dr., McLean, Va.
- Bedrooms/bogs: 4/4
- Approximate square-footage: 5,000
- Lot measurement: 0.92 acre
- Options: The 1963 home has been expanded over time. The present homeowners renovated the outside and inside, hiring McHale Panorama Design and Akseizer Design Group. The grounds embrace English gardens, a courtyard, heated swimming pool and spa, an outside kitchen, and a gazebo with a hearth. The 2-level home has 4 fireplaces. The three-car storage is connected.
- Itemizing agent: W. Ted Gossett and Joe Kotula, Washington Effective Properties
