With school starting again in September, the kitchen is the heart of the home for housework and homework alike. Theres room to spread out the study supplies on the table, and for grownups helpful presence nearby.
    
In this Braddock Heights house, the newly expanded kitchen seems designed to serve both purposes. Beneath the dramatic slanted ceiling, the blue-pearl granite island stands between the Wolf six-burner stainless-steel gourmet stove and the granite counters, where the cook is most likely to be found preparing an evening meal. 

    
The surroundings are just as inviting. Glass doors lead from the kitchen to the stone patio with the gazebo, waterfall and koi pond beyond, while expansive windows overlook the garden.
    
When study time is over, its an easy trip from the hallway to the front dining room. Pillars divide it from the large living room with its fireplace. Both rooms feature new hardwood floors.     
    
The adjoining front sunroom provides an additional glass door to the patio. The hallway also leads to the powder room, with its glass-tiled walls and marble floors. The rear master suite features a luxury bath with a soaking tub and separate two-person shower. Also in the hallway, the winding wooden stairway leads to the second floor, where four bedrooms share a bath.
    
At the bottom of the stairs, knotty pine walls adorn the recreation room and adjoining fitness center and den, with the powder room nearby. The recreation room also features a fireplace and a flat-screen TV plus a snack kitchen with counters, a refrigerator and a sink to provide family entertainment after the books are put away.

At a Glance

Location: Parkway Terrace, Braddock Heights, 22302
Price: $1,175,000
Taxes: $8,393
Contact: Jennifer Walker, McEnearney Associates, 703-549-9292
Style: Contemporary, brick and siding
Built: 1951, with recent renovations including expanded kitchen
Bedrooms: 5 (1 main floor, 4 upper)
Baths: 2 full (main and upper), 2 half (main and lower) 
Levels: 3
Lot: 1/3 acre
Parking: Long driveway
Fireplaces: 2 (living room, recreation room)
Shopping: Safeway supermarket with pharmacy on King Street 1 mile away
Public schools: Douglas MacArthur elementary, George Washington middle, T.C. Williams high