Open Houses Sat & Sun, March 2-3, 2-4 pm. Deadline for offers, Monday March 4th at 2:00 pm. *This charming cape has been transformed from its original 1947 simplicity to a space filled with creative, fun, and functional details. The owners are fans of architect Sarah Susanka's philosophy of "The Not So Big House" and the 2005 and 2015 renovations opened, reconfigured, and cleverly expanded the interior space without expanding the original footprint of the house. There are now 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and washer/dryer upstairs. Primary bedroom features a walk-in closet and en-suite bathroom with shower. The hall bath has a deep soaking tub. The main floor features an open living space with windows on three sides, hardwood floors, a green slate fireplace, and built in cabinets and bookshelves. The kitchen and dining room include abundant, efficient storage and an island for working and eating. The basement features a fully furnished one-bedroom rental/in-law apartment (fully licensed) with a private entrance, full-bath with soaking tub, kitchenette, and washer/dryer; as well as a separate home office/ exercise room with heated tile floors and a private entrance in a wall of south facing glass. Relax on the screened in front porch, 2 new ceiling fans. Sustainability is a thread that runs through the design of the house:
*High-efficiency wood burning insert in the living room fireplace,
*Recycled glass backsplash, recycled wood floors, and countertops made of recycled solid surfacing in the kitchen.
*Living roof, raingarden, dry stream, rain chain, and rain barrels add charm and slow, cool, and clean rainwater before it enters our Chesapeake Bay watershed.
*Hundreds of native trees, shrubs, flowering vines, grasses, and perennials planted throughout the yard designed by the current owner, a professional landscape designer, to offer wildlife value and provide four seasons of beauty. The property received a Certified Wildlife Habitat certification.
*The upstairs bedrooms overlook the living roof which attracts a variety of birds and which changes throughout the seasons –spring blooming bulbs, clouds of pink flowers in the summer, and evergreen succulents that turn shades of red and burgundy in fall and winter. The roof, which was the first residential living roof in Arlington, is well-established after 18 years, and requires little to no care.
* Solar tubes bring bright daylight to the north facing bathrooms and hallways.
*Abundant south facing windows flood the house with autumn, winter, and early spring sunlight.
* Wide roof overhangs on the south shade the interior from summer sun.
* Two sheds: one for bikes, sleds, and car stuff under the front porch and an 8x10 shed in the backyard for additional storage.
*A backyard pond and waterfall that is the home of a thriving family of goldfish (who live happily eating from the plants that grow and flower in the pond and who need no human care)
* A completely fenced yard with a vine-covered arbor entry from the street
The location cannot be beat!
* Back gate opens to the lush, green walking trail portion of Parkhurst Park, an awesome sledding hill, and down the path to the Parkhurst playground.
*Walk the footpath across the street to Cardinal Elementary, Sunday Westover Farmers Market, Westover library, post office and the many shops and restaurants.
* Harrison Street shops, Langston Boulevard, and Swanson Middle School are a 10-minute
walk, and East Falls Church metro and Virginia Hospital are each one mile away.
Updates: 2015 Roof and Hardiplank siding, HVAC 2nd floor, basement apartment, windows, upstairs bathrooms. 2024: interior freshly painted, new light fixtures, ceiling fans.