VIP Home Tour: Castle On The Hill

castle ON THE HILL

FEATURING MICHAEL NASH, BUILD & HOMES

A great deal can change within a family in the space of ten years. Family members grow—and grow up—and the needs of the individuals change with it, making the home that was once perfect—well, not so perfect anymore. Such was the case with one family living in the suburbs of Fairfax. With two doctors in the family, life is naturally hectic. Add to that the demanding schedules of their kids’ school and extracurricular activities, and the way their home functioned for them wasn’t quite meeting their needs. The pandemic highlighted the dysfunction of the home, bringing its size and various features into high relief. During this time, their relatives spent more time over, which inspired the desire for the kitchen and the main level of the home to be larger and more accommodating. They also realized the imminent need for an enlarged mudroom, laundry room and pantry. “We made a ten-foot addition to the back of the house by removing a load-bearing wall and installing a structural steel beam as well as removing a load-bearing partition wall between the kitchen and adjacent family room,” says Sonny Nazemian, Master Designer of Kitchen/Bath at Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes. “This created a seamless connection between the new kitchen and the rest of the house.”

Where once a disused screened-in porch was attached to the old kitchen, the space was reconstructed to create a new butler’s pantry, mudroom space and laundry room. “We installed a number of tall casement windows, a French door and picture windows all around the spaces to maximize the daylight inside this first level,” Nazemian observes. To accommodate the expanded needs of the family, the kitchen was relocated into the new addition and kitted with top-end, professional grade appliances. A massive center island is crowned with waterfall quartzite and equipped with a dishwasher, prep sink, warming drawer and microwave. “The color ways of the space are made cohesive with contrasting blue glass backsplash tile that ties into the color of the quartzite countertop and beautifully accentuates the blue cabinetry,” Nazemian says. With so many changes to the home, the flooring was naturally updated, as well. Running throughout the entire home is distressed solid wood plank flooring, giving all spaces cohesion. The two windows flanking each side of the family room fireplace were converted to French doors leading to a newly created screened-in porch with a vaulted ceiling. The old gas fireplace was upgraded and covered with 2’x4’ marble stone running from floor to ceiling to modernize it from its old brick façade. In the office, old bookcases were redone and painted, while the powder room was enlarged and fitted with luxurious new fixtures.

Giving the outside of the home a new look, an all-glass front door and sidelight were installed with a flagstone walkway and upgraded landscaping to heighten curb appeal. In the backyard, an outdoor living space was created after excavating and removing large trees that were in the path of the newly designed space. The new outdoor living area features a flagstone patio along with an L-shaped stone bench and firepit, an outdoor kitchenette with a large grill and beverage center covered with a gorgeous granite top. “You can hear the singalongs and giggling from miles away when this family gathers around the firepit,” Nazemian says. “They never imagined that their older home could turn into this beautiful castle and they love spending every minute together enjoying the new space.”

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