SPECIAL FEATURES: With its wealth of Colonial homes, Alexandria is always celebrating its historical heritage, during its birthday and at every other time. This Quaker Lane house follows the 18th century style with its symmetrical brick exterior beneath dormer windows.

Like so many luxury homes, it blends a classic, formal, Colonial front with an informal family area in the rear. The traditional portion was constructed in 1928, when the flourishing Neocolonial Revival demanded authentic 18th century design. The contemporary open, flowing floor plan was added 56 years later, in the modern spirit of indoor-outdoor living.

PRICE: $1,449,000

CONTACT: Sue Goodhart, McEnearney Associates, 703-549-9292

STYLE: Brick Colonial

BUILT: 1928 with contemporary rear addition in 1984

LOT: .73 acres

STORIES: 4

BEDROOMS: 6

BATHS: 5.5

PARKING: Two-car garage plus large driveway

FIREPLACES: 3

MAIN FLOOR: Beyond the red-brick front patio, the entrance hall stands between the living and dining rooms with glass French doors in the standard Colonial style.

The foyer also provides an expansive view of the wooded rear lot, through the walls of windows in the open, flowing, contemporary family room and breakfast area. This follows an additional contemporary theme of indoor-outdoor living.

Adjoining the living room, an office includes a bay window with another wooded view. The rear lot features magnolias, holly, azaleas and boxwood fauna and flora near the patio, pond and fountain.
The foyer, living and dining rooms are united by their Colonial dentil molding and hardwood floors. The parlor also features a brick mantel, plus a French door leading back to the modern family room. Across the hall, the dining room is graced by corner cabinets and wainscoting, echoing the Colonial theme. The powder room stands nearby.

The formal dining room adjoins the rear kitchen. Above its hardwood floors, the granite work counter faces the wall of windows in the breakfast area, which is open to the casual family room. Both feature marble floors. They are heated in the breakfast room, which also displays a brick hearth.

SECOND FLOOR: Hardwood floors continue on the second and third levels. The second story includes two bedrooms with a full bath between them. The vessel bowl sink sounds another Colonial note. One bedroom features built-in bookshelves plus a glass door leading to the balcony, where the hot tub will remain with the home once sold.

Across the hall, the master suite displays a brick fireplace. The dual sinks stand in a Colonial-style wooden cabinet near the old-fashioned clawfoot tub. A contemporary note sounds in the glass-enclosed steam shower, the heated tile floors and the Tiffany-style chandelier that will stay with the home. Another door leads from the bedroom to the balcony with wrought-iron railings, overlooking the yard. The upper landing features built-in bookcases.

THIRD FLOOR: A clawfoot tub stands near the fifth and sixth bedrooms, beneath the dormer windows.

LOWER LEVEL: A brick rear stairway meets the matching brick floors in the lower level recreation room. The two-car garage is located on the left.

Framed by a brick archway, the recreation rooms wall of windows provides another memorable wooded view, with an opening onto a brick patio. A hallway leads to a carpeted bedroom with a kitchenette, a full bath and another expansive window overlooking the rear lot.