A cozy nest
By Hannah Hager
Take a left off busy Route 7 west onto Canby Road just outside Leesburg and you won't believe your eyes. Rub them and look again -- this home is where you belong.Mature trees and acres of green grass create a cushion that blocks this home from the hustle of the outside world.
At the front of the home, the double-door entryway leads you into the large main foyer. The intricate stairway leads your eyes up to the second level and an architectural niche. Look up to see another architectural addition, a medallion surrounding the drop-down chandelier that shines light through the second-story window.
Hardwood floors in the entryway lead to the formal living room with several stand-out features -- shadow-box chair rails, floor-to-ceiling windows with exquisite plantation shutters and crown molding with corner accents. The formal living room leads to the sunroom through French doors. Some characteristics of the room include a built-in bookcases, a tile floor, three curved transom windows and a Palladian window at the end of the room giving views of the vast property. Access to the screened-in front porch also is through the sunroom.
Returning to the foyer, to the left of the entrance is the formal dining room, which shares the same features as the formal living room across the hall.
The dining room leads to the breakfast area at the back of the house. Windows usher in streams of sunlight, and a glass door leads to an arbor and the back deck.
The kitchen features a huge pantry, black granite countertops with stainless steel appliances including a Miele double oven and a side-by-side Miele refrigerator -- perfect for the chef hoping to boast about their kitchen. The stainless steel hood hangs over the cooktop in the middle of the room.
A mud area gives access to the two-bay garage and a separate walk-out to the driveway. It also has a laundry room with a sink and cabinetry. A large storage closet – just right for storing wet umbrellas or muddy shoes -- finishes off the area.
Back through the breakfast area, a half bathroom is to the left. The family room is a bit down the hallway from the side-door entry, but once you get there, you'll find it's truly a cozy nest worth settling in. A stone mantel stretches from the floor to the ceiling, surrounding the gas fireplace. Curved transom windows bring in light from all four corners of the back side of the room.
The office, connected to the family room, has recessed lighting and French doors.
The lower level features a large au paire suite with views of the backyard through several large windows. A full kitchen -- with cabinetry, a sink and tile floors -- faces the family room area, complete with a fireplace. The bedroom down the hall has a full bathroom. A separate recreational room in the lower level is large enough for entertaining.
On the upper level, two bedrooms to the right of the staircase share a buddy bathroom with separate entrances – each having a private vanity.
Down the hall, another bedroom has its own full bathroom.
The master suite is large enough to span one side of the home. A large sitting room is sectioned off from the bedroom by architectural pillars sitting on top of a built-in staircase. The bedroom has a tray ceiling and plenty of windows. The master bathroom is truly a delight. Two separate vanities with individual mirrors are on one side of the room, and between the two vanities, an opening leads to the stand-up shower on the right and the toilet on the left. A soak tub and a large window overlooking the property are on the other side of the bathroom.
When you get home, take off your shoes and dunk your feet in the soak tub – the water is warm.
Contact the writer at hhager@timespapers.com