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Georgetown Development Corporation |
With warm wood tones, beautiful Italian marble and authentic gas burning New Orleans lanterns, Rosedale has all the accoutrements for gracious living. Set in the heart of Bethesda, the home is warm, comfortable and friendly.
“The project was our most challenging to date,” says Mel Silicki of Georgetown Development, “the homeowner’s incredible ideas and wishes made us have to constantly think outside the box to be able to build the home of
their dreams.”
As you enter the living room at Rosedale, you are confronted with a luscious two story fireplace with a limestone mantle. Above the mantle hang two working gaslight lanterns from New Orleans. The beams in the living room are wide, hand milled Cypress which add warmth to the room. All the flooring inside is Italian limestone and radiant heat has been used in the flooring inside and out.
The owners have used furniture to define the space and the living room empties into the kitchen where they spend a good amount of time entertaining. Like the living room, the beams in the kitchen are Cypress and the pendant lighting was acquired during the travels of the owners. “The owners have traveled all over the world,” Silicki says, “and they picked up incredible pieces that they wanted incorporated in the house. It made the design process unique and interesting to add these diverse pieces into the home.”
The countertops are concrete and the island is a handmade metal patina with rivets. The metal patina range hood came from Colorado and all the cabinetry hardware is hand forged in Colorado. The windows in the kitchen are Honduran mahogany.
The kitchen has a hand pounded copper sink and Rohl plumbing fixtures. Particularly stunning is the wine cabinet and Viking Range which is chocolate. The sub-zero refrigerator has a beautiful cabinet panel. Right off the kitchen is a screened in porch where you can see the Honduran windows. The ceiling is cedar and the walls are stucco. The screened in porch boasts one of four fireplaces with a river rock face.
An elegant walnut staircase moves you from the first to the second floor. The walnut rails were hand milled on site and the pickets are wrought iron which has been aged to look rustic.
Each bathroom has been designed to give it a spa feeling like the spas in the worldwide travels of the owners. The son’s bathroom is all marble and has marble wainscoting from floor to ceiling. It has a river pebble stone tile floor. Plush towels finish the effect.
In the owner’s suite, the spa-like bathroom has walnut floors and the shower is limestone and marble. The lighting is antique lamps that have been acquired by the owners and re-furbished to work. Likewise, the cabinets for the sink are antiques and have been made to have sinks and faucets to make them functional bathroom cabinets. The sinks are copper pounded sinks and a sealant has been put on the top layer to protect it from water.
The sitting room in the owner’s suite has walnut floors and the bedroom area looks to the stairwell for a nice, open feeling.
The feeling at Rosedale is one of hand milled cypress and lots of rustic type woods used throughout for ceiling detail. Adding to the eclectic feel of the house, the walls upstairs have been covered with grass wallpaper to add space and the walnut rails add character.
On the lower level, there is a game room with an embossed ceiling which is faux painted. The fireplace in the game room goes to the upper level and the floors are slate.
Downstairs, the spa feeling continues as the guest shower doubles as a steam shower with grey slate stone surrounding the shower and individual river rocks on the left side of the shower. Both the floor and ceiling are river stone.
There is a sunken 10 person spa with stone tiling around it and a beautiful gate from an old manor home in England found at a Kensington Antique Dealer.
Inside the garage, which has been converted to an entertainment center, there are four antique doors which create extra storage space. The stove in the garage is La Canache.
The outside of the house is no less impressive with a stucco front and all copper gutters. The pergola and front cover are made of cedar and the roof is cedar. The lighting is gas lanterns specially made in New Orleans. On the walkway, half way down, sits an original wok which is used for a water piece.
Says Silicki, “To call this a home would be wrong, it truly is a piece of art.”
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HOW TO BRING A GARDEN INTO YOUR LOFT OR APARTMENT |
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Any loft or apartment can include a space for plants. All they need is light, water, and attention to their growing requirements. Whether a garden is outdoors, by windows, or under lights, there are many options for bringing nature into an urban home. Here are some ideas for creating your own city garden.
Patios and Balconies
Patios, decks, and even fire escapes are fine places for plants, if they are planted thoughtfully. The amount of light they will get is the first consideration, because sun-loving plants will not do well in shade.
Sunny spaces can be charmingly naive, with old-fashioned flowers like geraniums, sunflowers, and daisies. These plants grow happily in pots or planters, need minimum care, and bloom abundantly. Geraniums covered with a layer of mulch can live through winter, but sunflowers and most kinds of daisies are annuals, replanted every spring. Put glass fishing-floats among the flowers for modern interest, or quirky found objects.
Another option for a sunny spot is an herb garden. Herbs are hardy and easy care. They look handsome, smell beautiful, and can be useful in the kitchen. Choices include Greek oregano, golden or lemon thyme, spiky lavender, and tall ferny dill.
A shady space can become a small woodland. Many varieties of moss work as groundcover. Some hardy ferns can tolerate conditions outdoors. Trees in a woodland garden should really be shrubs, unless the patio is huge. A small tree might make a focal point, or might be the whole garden.
Dwarf Japanese maples provide beautiful color in every season, and intricate leaf form. Another good choice is a spring-blooming miniature quince or a non-fruiting dwarf cherry.
Be sure to plan for seating and lighting. A small storage unit is a good idea too. Alternatively, seating and storage can stay inside, with a comfortable view of the garden.
Window gardens
Another place to grow plants is near a window. Window gardens soften views, and can even quiet city noise. Indoor gardens stay green through winter and their care is relatively quick and simple.
Traditional plants for window gardens include spider plant and string of pearls. Amaryllis and certain orchids will grow happily near a window too, along with countless easy-care varieties of variegated ivy.
Grow lights are not necessary, but some window gardeners conceal them near their plants, on timers set to give them long sunny days.
Light gardens
Adding plant lights can make it possible to grow plants almost anywhere in a loft or apartment. The best sites, though, might be the kitchen, the bath, or a shallow alcove. All sorts of plants grow well under lights.
Cactus thrives indoors. These plants prefer relatively low humidity, as humans do, and can be grouped to suit the most contemporary taste. Some have dramatic spines, while others are ornamented only with soft white fuzz. They come in a wide price range, from thousands for a specimen plant to pennies for each cactus grown from a packet of mixed seed.
Moisture-loving ferns and some tender orchids, on the other hand, will flourish in the bath. Many ferns are annuals, but perennials varieties do exist, and can form charming permanent arrangements. Put a plant bowl on the end of a counter, with miniature ferns and a few pebbles. Or, grow an orchid high in a corner, where you can appreciate its gnarled form when it is not in bloom.
Anyone can start a garden in a loft or apartment. Planning and creating a space for plants is a fascinating challenge, and watching them grow and thrive is a fantastic reward.
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How do you brighten up your home and spruce up your garden for the hot summer months? Read on for some exciting, creative tips that make those projects easy! After the long winter months, your house can look a little frumpy; try these tricks to make it sunny.
If you look outside in the summer, Maryland and Virginia are a lush, verdant green. Try brining the outside in by painting a wall or the back of a bookcase with Benjamin Moore paint Vale Mist or Par Four (www. Benjamin Moore.com) to bring that wonderful green tone inside. If you really want to warm up a space, try Benjamin Moore Hawthorne Yellow.
To make your house summery, light and airy, start in your dining room. Try white or crème slip covers over your wood chairs says Kim Johnson, of Kim Johnson Designs. (
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
).). Target or Bed Bath and Beyond have a great selection which are tied in the back and fit most dining room chairs. Use a beautiful, crisp white dining room table cloth so your dining room will look airy and bright. You can also use sheers and take down your heavy drapes to add light. Use a light table runner for added brightness.
Move upstairs to your bedroom and add white cotton bedding or put sheers over your bedspread. Another place to use sheers is replacing heavy winter drapes to give your windows an airy, crisp feeling. Change your shower curtain and use something light or something with shells. Again, Bed Bath and Beyond have great options.
Edit your space for the summer. Get rid of clutter. See if you can box up a few knick knacks and give your space a cleaner look. It always helps to wash your windows and reflective surfaces. There is nothing as airy as light coming through a clean window.
Pretend you’re European and buy fresh flowers each week. Put them by your nightstand, in the den and kitchen. It only adds $ 10.00 or $ 15.00 a week to your grocery bill and there is nothing as luscious as fresh flowers.
To spruce up your garden, try planting herbs in containers. Rosemary, Basil, Lemon Balm, Chives, Parsley, Oregano and Cilantro are all easy growers. Make sure you use potting mix, not potting soil to give the roots enough air.
For great garden color, you can plant perennials like Russian Sage, Hydrangeas, Moon Beam, Day Lilies, Coral Bells or Peonies.
Annuals are more showy and yield riots of color. Try Petunias, verbena or geraniums. Don’t worry if you haven’t planted yet. Anytime after Mother’s Day is safe. Your local Home Depot can help you with planting details.
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SunQuest Living - Green Basement Remodeling |
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Nearly every home has a basement, so why not finish it? Until recently, basements were primarily utilized for storage and shelter, not for living space. It is because of this history, that most basements are dark, cold and unsuitable for living. However, times have since changed. Today, most homeowners are seeking to transform their basements into a beautiful living area such as a family room, game room, office or spare bedroom. At Sunquest Living, we realize the evolution of basement usage and offer a cost-effective solution through the revolutionary Green Basement Systems product.
A Basement Like No Other
Sunquest Living has reinvented the way basement-finishing systems are manufactured and installed. Often very cold and damp, a basement is a breeding ground for mold and is susceptible to water damage. Therefore, the environmentally friendly Green Basement Finishing System is a waterproof product. Green Basement Systems also feature a raised base track, which offers double protection against any water damage. In addition, our R-18 wall system is installed away from the foundation wall. This allows for increased air circulation so that your walls can continue to breathe.
For further information and details please visit SunQuest Living.
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SunQuest Living - Greenrooms |
What Sets Green Room Systems Apart?
A Green Room Systems room addition is the most unique and efficient method of adding to your home, thanks in part to our exclusive SIPs panel technology. SIPs (structural insulated panels) are engineered and custom manufactured to give you control over every aspect of your project: from design and timelines, to materials and costs, and ultimately, the quality of the finished project. With their versatility, strength, cost effectiveness, and energy efficiency, SIPs are ideal for a wide range of residential and commercial projects.
R-Control SIPs open the door to virtually unlimited design possibilities; putting you in control of your building system, not the other way around. And every SIP is custom made according to your specifications and drawings, so you get exactly what you need for your project.
Is It Better Than Stick Building?
It’s natural to wonder how a GRS room addition could possibly work better than conventional framing, but they do. The advantages of using Green Room System R-Control SIPs include:
• Unlimited Design Possibilities
• Superior Strength
• State-of-the-Art energy efficiency
• Easy to Use, Fast, and Efficient
• Lower Labor Costs
• Reduces Waste
• Eliminates Surprises on Job Site
• Perform Guard® Termite Protection
• Energy Star High Performance Windows
• Warranted System
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