The home on Glasgow Road in Alexandria features authentic contemporary design including flat roof, geometric construction and windows galore, fitting amongst the contemporary neighborhood of Hollin Hills. If this shows the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright, the father of modern architecture. Robin Arnold of McEnearney & Associates is listing it at $1,275,000.
Designer Suzane Reatig used Italian marble, travertine, onyx, cherry wood and stainless steel that gives a modernistic look to the open floor plan and high ceiling atmosphere. There are floor to ceiling Hollin Hills windows in almost every room, flooding the interior with natural light. These windows are associated with the communities contemporary reputation, said homeowner Wendy Clark.
Inside the front door, there is a hall leading down to the master wing, a family room off to the right, and a hall leading to the other bedrooms on the left. The hall closet and sliding door to the right are created with Pentaglas, a translucent material that conveys more natural light. In addition, there is recessed lighting on dimmers throughout the house.
The great room dominates the interior featuring a wall of windows that looks out into the landscaped backyard. Inside this main room, there is a wood burning fireplace that is outfitted for gas as well, and can easily be converted. The flooring is all white Italian marble, and has a heating system of wiring under the floor so in the colder months, the floor heating can be turned on and heat the entire house, said homeowner Stuart Bell. A natural gas heating system accompanies the in-floor system.
The kitchen features stainless steel appliances, and a 17-foot tempered glass breakfast bar and a cooktop with four burners centered around an indoor grill.
The master bedroom overlooks the landscaped backyard which is set in a wooded area. The master bath features dual sinks, a Kohler cast iron jetted tub and separate shower. Clark said that the iron tub keeps the bath water hot longer than conventional tubs. The house features a tankless hot water heater.
Out back there is a large patio, as well as a separate carport out front with lots of storage and a closet that was once used as a workroom.
The community of Hollin Hills, built in the 1950s and 1960s, is dominated by contemporary houses. There was a basic contemporary designed house on this lot until a few years ago when Clark and her husband Stuart Bell had it knocked down, and hired Reatig to design an updated contemporary. This 3500 square foot home was ready in 2006. Reatig is an award winning architect based in Washington, D.C. Past awards include the Dupont Benedictus award in 1998, and 10 American Institute of Archeology awards. Past projects include the Lakeforest Transit Center, the N Street Loft Duplexes, the Sandborn Art Studio and the Metropolitan Community Church.
