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Spring Real Estate - Current Newspapers
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2016
By LEE CANNONcurrent correspondent
Although many residents envision center-hall Colonials and Federalist row houses when they think of typical Washington archi-
tecture, modern architecture has a surprisingly firm foothold in the District, especially in younger neighborhoods in Northeast and Southwest.
Some of the best modern single-family homes, though, are situated in Northwest D.C., standing alone or in pockets. To uncov-er some of the modern homes hidden in plain sight, and learn about the history of the archi-tectural movement in Northwest, take to the backstreets of Forest Hills, Cleveland Park, Kent and Shaw.
Some of the great names in architecture from the early days of modernism left their fingerprints in Northwest. In a Smithsonian Associates lecture on Feb. 10, G. Martin Moeller Jr., senior curator at the National Building Museum, traced the history of modern archi-tecture and design in Washington — from the earliest examples to more recent work.
“D.C. has a complex relationship with modern architecture, more so than other U.S. cities,” Moeller said. “People often have an eat-your-veggies men-tality about why the public should like Brutalism, but there’s a need for discernment. There’s good and bad in everything. Plus, some D.C. modernism is unorthodox.”
Moeller mentioned the Hugh Newell Jacobsen house known as Four Pavilions on
University Terrace NW in Kent as an illustration: “Modern buildings usually have flat roofs, but this one has peaked roofs. Jacobsen is not commonly considered a
modernist, but I think he is.” Moeller went on to mention more iconic
homes, many of which are located in Northwest. Walter Gropius, one of the found-ers of the Bauhaus movement and leaders of The Architects Collaborative, designed two houses in the 1950s for the Hechinger and England families on Chain Bridge Road NW in Kent — around the corner from the mod-
ern home his students Leon Brown and Thomas Wright later built on Arizona Avenue.
Long admired as among the first “capital-M modern” single-family homes in Washington, this pair of houses uses much of the iconic modern architecture vocabulary, such as plentiful use of glass as walls and railings that divide spaces yet maintain the unity and free flow of inside to outside. The Hechinger house came onto the real estate market for the first time in January of this year, and lasted only five days before going under contract.
Where to find Northwest’s habitable modern houses
above: Photo © Julia Heine / left: Photo © anice Hoachlander Modern architect Mark McInturff favors large open spaces in homes’ interiors, such as the kitchen in the home above. The Spring Valley home at 5063 Overlook Road NW, left, was designed by Robert Gurney.
By MARK LIEBERMANcurrent Staff Writer
Inventory is slowly on the rise across the city after sev-eral years of stagnation — but according to area
Realtors, the market still can’t keep up with high demand. The District saw 1,261 new listings last month, a substantial 27 percent increase over March
2015, according to the Local Market Insight report released last week by RealEstate Business Intelligence. The number of active listings in the city also increased year-over-year, from 1,040 in 2015 to 1,268 last month. However, that’s far below the numbers from five years ago, when more than 2,000 active listings were on the mar-ket. Meanwhile, the average num-
ber of days on the market saw a tiny year-over-year increase, from 43 days to 44; five years ago, the average duration was nearly dou-ble that. “Right now, what I’m seeing, as much as I didn’t think we’d see it, is a really strong market — good houses selling quickly and a lot with multiple offers,” said Brad Rozansky of the Rozansky Group of Long & Foster Real
Estate. The median sales price also inched up 1 percent to $505,511 this year, compared to an even $500,000 in 2015, and now mir-rors the median sales price of five years ago. The overall dollar vol-ume in sales rose at a steeper incline, up 17 percent to nearly $400 million. “We’re still running into multi-ple offers in the majority of prop-
erties. Not every one, but the majority,” said Kevin McDuffie, Dupont/Logan Circle branch vice president of the Coldwell Banker residential brokerage. “It’s very competitive.” Despite the uptick in price, Realtors maintain that the market currently favors sellers due to inventory constraints. “There’s no land left to add
Realtors see market on steady upward trajectory amid tight inventory
Prominent architect’s own home, nestled among Forest Hills trees, now on market
— Page RE3
Brothers foster advisory role with new real estate firm
— Page RE4
Open floor plans are now the norm for Northwest interiors
— Page RE12
D.C. Council bill would ease reuse of vacant properties
— Page RE10
INSIDE
See Market/Page Re6
See Modern/Page Re14
RE 2 Wednesday, april 20, 2016 The CurrenT
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The residence of local mod-ern architect Travis Price at 2805 Chesterfield Place
NW is on the market for $3,399,000, and it’s a home that reinterprets every architectural convention. Price built his resi-dence to respond to the site and
leave as little a footprint as possi-ble — the home does not touch the ground but hangs from a cen-tral mast, balanced by massive counterweights and suspended from enormous steel cables embedded deep in the rock uphill. Gravity and friction prevent the house from leaning forward or back.
To create the design, Price teamed up with an architect who designs suspension bridges. “I was inspired by a poem of a Hindu sadhu who had a dream that he was watching a tree eat a shrine,” Price said. Thus, the house was built to enfold the trees around it, instead of trees being moved, removed or placed around the house. “There is no doubt the most-loved feature is the immediacy of the park and the large touchable trees,” Price said.
Price made a point to reveal all the inner workings, so the cen-tral mast and steel cables are visi-ble from the inside and outside. The side of the house facing its quiet cul-de-sac in Forest Hills is green patina copper, and the side facing Rock Creek Park is entire-ly glass, for the ultimate immer-
sion into the greenery of the park. The house is accessible via a metal bridge from the stone tile walkway to the door, which has a glass panel so visitors can appreciate stepping through space into a floating house.
The entryway opens onto a perpen-dicular hall, so guests have the choice of heading left or right. To the right, the home widens into the living room, where the view of the park through the full-length glass wall immediately absorbs the viewer. The wall facing the neighboring home is a translucent material that allows light while providing privacy. The ceiling and front wall are paneled with spiral-cut plywood that showcases the natu-ral grain.
The unconventional fireplace is a stone tile box with four glass sides; it sits in the middle of the floor, with the exhaust pipe rising straight up into the ceiling, two levels above.
The living room flows back to the left into the long, narrow kitchen with a granite countertop stretching from the breakfast bar, past the gas stove and Gaggenau dishwasher to the sink and pull-out pantry. Translucent drawers and open shelves take the place of heavy cabinetry. Past the oven, microwave and Sub-Zero refrig-erator, the space becomes a din-
ing area. Unobtrusive sliding doors in the glass wall open onto a wooden deck, which runs the length of the main floor.
A full bathroom and storage room complete the circle back to the front door. The staircase is a square spiral surrounded by a translucent plastic material. Down the stairs, the lower level can serve as a bedroom or media room and provides a storage space that hides the heating and cooling system and water heater.
Above the main level, the first upper level offers a cozy bed-room, a loft that overlooks the living room and could serve as a bedroom or office, and two full bathrooms covered floor to ceil-ing with glass tiles. The celadon and yellow colors are paint beneath, which creates a three-dimensional effect. The top level is a single bedroom with win-
dows on all sides, overlooking the park, the neighborhood and the two adjacent rooftop decks, for the ultimate outdoor parties.
“I love the space,” said John Mahshie of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, one of two listing agents for the home.
“There’s a beautiful view; it’s cozy; it responds to every human emotion.” Mahshie’s teammate on the house, agent Ron Mangas Jr., said, “It’s remarkable, an incredible piece of engineering. It’s not invasive of the ground around the house. It’s an example of [Price’s] ecological, organic architecture.”
This floating forest home is perfect for lovers of nature and
modern design. Mahshie said, “Most people looking at Travis’ house want Travis’ unique form of modernism.” Just steps to Rock Creek Park and a short drive to dining, shopping and the Van Ness Metro station, this home is ideal for those working in the city who want to feel a mil-lion miles away at the end of the day.
This four-bedroom, three-bathroom house is listed for $3,399,000 with TTR Sotheby’s International. For details, contact John Mahshie (202-271-3132 , [email protected]) or Ron Mangas Jr. (703-298-2564, [email protected]), or visit contemporarylistings.com.
Forest Hills modern by Travis Price defies all convention
Photos by Ken Wyner This four-bedroom home on Chesterfield Place NW by prominent architect Travis Price is priced at $3,399,000.
ON THE MARKET lee cannon
RE4 WedneSday, april 20, 2016 The CurrenT ■ Spring real eSTaTe guide 2016
By DEIRDRE BANNONcurrent correspondent
When you think of “The Wizard of Oz,” you might not immediately think of real estate. But for Hans and
Steve Wydler, brains, heart, courage — and a little bit of magic — is at the core of Wydler Brothers Real Estate, a new bro-kerage firm the siblings launched in January, with offices in Dupont Circle.
The two started out in real estate about 15 years ago, making the transition from different but complementary careers. Hans had an MBA and helped launch several internet startup companies, including wash-ingtonpost.com. Steve was an attorney who worked at a large firm in the District and was in-house counsel for AOL.
After each participated in the real estate process as buyers, both came away with the feeling that as clients, they wanted more from their brokers.
In Steve’s experience, he realized the important role the agent played — or had the potential to play — when he purchased a home in the area.
“While I liked my agent very much, I don’t think he gave me the value-add that I thought should have been there,” Steve Wydler said. “Meaning, he asked how much I could afford and where I wanted to live, and next thing I knew I was in a car looking at houses.
“But he didn’t sit down with me and say, ‘Tell me about yourself, where are you in your life, what’s your financial situation, why do you want to move, how long have you been at your job,’ all the big questions that someone in that power position should be asking,” he added.
Steve Wydler was confident that he could do better.
“I felt like I was rushed through the
process with no analytical framework to make the decision, and I always felt like that’s how my brother and I built our careers,” he said. “We want to fill that role — we want to be someone’s real estate adviser, similar to how people have family physicians, attorneys, wealth managers and estate planners. We want to be the real estate advisor to our clientele.”
Hans Wydler took the plunge first, land-ing at Long & Foster in 2001. After Steve joined him in 2003, the two built a suc-cessful real estate team there.
The brothers always hoped to start an independent brokerage one day, and thanks to the support and mentorship they received from Long & Foster CEO Wes Foster, who founded the company in 1968, they made the decision to do so this past summer.
Their departure from Long & Foster was remarkably amicable, which is unusu-al for the industry.
“The Fosters, their family and the entire management team have been so supportive of us for 16 years — there’s no way we would ever have been as successful as we are without their support and friendship,” said Hans Wydler. “It was a very hard decision for us to leave, but Wes Foster could not have been more gracious. He looked me in the eye and said, ‘Boys, when I was a younger man, I did the exact same thing you’re doing — you’re going to be successful, and I wish you all the best, and I mean that from my heart.’”
The Wydlers have followed that exam-ple with their management style. There are over 40 people in their new brokerage, and everyone has an ownership interest in the firm.
Before joining the team, the brothers give prospective members what they call the “Dorothy test.”
“Like Dorothy in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ we want people to have really good hearts and care at their core about protecting their clients,” Hans Wydler said. “If they don’t have that, it’s game over. We want them to
be intelligent and have courage to step out-side their comfort zone.”
“You can have all three and still not be successful in real estate,” he added. “So you have to have a little magic, or charis-ma, that makes you successful.”
The firm also emphasizes collaboration among agents and puts a high value on their transparency with clients.
“If you hire one of us, you hire all of us,” Hans said. As part of that philosophy, agents help connect one another with buy-ers and sellers throughout the market.
The firm is also transparent with clients about every step of the process.
“We walk people through the strategy of selling a home,” Steve Wydler said. “There are advantages and disadvantages to various approaches, so we walk people through each option and tailor what we do
Brothers stress advisory role in new realty brokerage
Photo courtesy of Wydler Brothers Real estateHans (left) and Steve Wydler launched a new firm in January, with one of its offices on Connecticut Avenue in Dupont Circle.
By BRADY HOLTcurrent Staff Writer
D.C. real estate agents have long pushed for a reduction in the District’s recordation tax, which now stands at 1.45 percent of a home’s sale price, paid as part of the buyer’s closing costs. A bill before the D.C. Council proposes a step toward that goal: halving the tax rate, to 0.725 per-cent, for buyers who have never before owned property in the District. “The more people that are invested here as homeowners, the more people that are willing to move here and make their home here, are people who are going to pay income taxes in the District of Columbia. It’s just plain and simple,” at-large Council member David Grosso said at a Feb. 10 hearing on the bill. Grosso co-introduced the mea-sure last fall with at-large mem-ber Anita Bonds and Ward 2’s Jack Evans. Numerous real estate profes-sionals testified at the hearing that the tax has a disproportionate impact because it must be paid upfront, adding to the existing challenge of coming up with a high down payment in an expen-sive market. “I often see purchasers and sellers alike scrambling to get enough money together to be able
to come to the table and close,” said R. Bradley Runyan, an attor-ney with the Stewart Title firm in Dupont Circle. “It makes a signif-icant difference if they must wipe out their bank accounts.” Not everyone at the hearing was on board. Elizabeth Falcon, housing advocacy director for the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development, noted the District dedicates a portion of the recordation tax to pay for affordable housing. Evans countered that Mayor Muriel Bowser has committed $100 million annually to afford-able housing, but Falcon said that could change at any time. “It con-cerns us that we would lower the one source for the Housing Production Trust Fund that has been mostly consistent,” Falcon said. Meanwhile, at-large Council member Elissa Silverman said that in other cities, recordation tax reductions haven’t necessarily enticed new buyers as much as benefited those who would have likely bought regardless. And she noted that a down payment of 20 percent is more of a barrier than a tax of 1.45 percent. “Is there a better way to help people get through the down pay-ment?” asked Silverman. “Is there something we could do there that would use our resources more
D.C. Council bill would cut closing costs for new buyers
See Recordation/Page Re15
See Brothers/Page Re15
❝Like Dorothy in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ we want people to have really good hearts and care at their core about protecting their clients.❞
— Hans Wydler
The CurrenT ■ Spring real eSTaTe guide 2016 WedneSday, april 20, 2016 RE5The CurrenT Wednesday, april 20, 2016 RE 11
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RE6 WedneSday, april 20, 2016 The CurrenT ■ Spring real eSTaTe guide 2016
new houses to the market,” said Keene Taylor Jr., principal broker and sales manager for the Taylor Agostino Group at Long & Foster. “Pretty much all you have is teardowns of small houses or subdividing lots, which isn’t going to materially affect the inventory.” The strong demand is partly a result of the lower inventory available in recent years, which has left many prospective buyers searching for a home longer than they’d want. Even so, Taylor said he hasn’t had as many instances of multiple offers as in previous inflationary cycles. But each time a situation like that occurs, the buyer stands to lose, sometimes paying a premium price for a less-than-premium property in an attempt to outbid other interested parties. “Those people are overflowing the marketplace. The number of buyers out there are outstripping the number of new listings,” said Joseph Himali, an associate bro-
ker with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. Himali recently saw a large condominium in Dupont Circle divided into two 900-square-foot units, an “indication of an insane-ly tight marketplace.” Barring major policy changes or a signifi-cant change in unemployment, he doesn’t see any dramatic market shifts immediately on the horizon. Himali thinks sellers should avoid getting “overexcited” and “greedy” when listing homes on the market, at the risk of raising the price so much above the home’s value that they alienate interested buyers. In addition to high prices, indi-vidual buyers also have to con-tend with investors, who are eager to scoop up many of the properties up for sale. According to some area Realtors, “fixer-uppers” and properties in relative-ly poor condition are selling bet-ter than in previous years because a growing niche of buyers would rather purchase something they can upgrade later than make no purchase at all. In some cases,
though, they have no choice. “People who might want to sell need some place to go, some-thing else to buy. They’re finding that there’s nothing for them to buy, so they end up staying put,” said Fred Kendrick of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. “There’s a little bit of a logjam at the moment.” Kendrick said he saw a brief slowdown at the end of last year, but it’s quickly picked back up, with prices increasing at what he argues is an “unhealthy” rate. An overall increase in invento-ry doesn’t tell the full story, he says. Shortages remain common, particularly in neighborhoods with a lot of real estate traffic, such as Mount Pleasant and Capitol Hill. The uptick in demand has gone on for longer than an aver-age “up market,” according to Kendrick. Such increases are often followed by sharp declines, but Kendrick hopes that the mar-ket will level off once this period of increase is over. He’s not sure when that will happen, though,
given that it has already lasted longer than many were expecting. McDuffie is also struggling to predict what will happen next. “We’ve been on a very long stretch of an appreciating mar-ket,” McDuffie said. “That will slowly change, but we don’t know when.” In the meantime, neighbor-hoods across the city continue to pop. Several Realtors mentioned Mount Pleasant, Capitol Hill and upper Northwest areas, like Tenleytown, as particularly hot, in addition to the developing avail-ability at the Southwest Waterfront. McDuffie said he’s seen explosive growth in Bloomingdale and Ivy City, which many hadn’t even heard of until recently. Burleith-based Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage agent Lenore Rubino said that even her neighborhood “has had sort of a renaissance.” She thinks the attraction of many D.C. neighborhoods for baby boomers as well as millennials is proximity to amenities like coffee shops and
restaurants within walking dis-tance. But those luxuries come at a steep price, and Rubino notes that more buyers are relying on family members and loans to get in early and stay competitive. “Buyers have to be really pre-pared and creative with putting their financing packages togeth-er,” Rubino said. The inventory challenges are particularly noticeable in compar-ison to other cities. McDuffie says data from Coldwell Banker’s other offices nationwide suggests that D.C. is among the more aggressive markets in terms of price and days on market. Though that can cause head-aches for buyers, Nora Burke of McEnearney Associates points out that D.C.’s market is more stable than that of many other cit-ies, because many of its biggest employers — universities and the federal government offices — are firmly in place. “We didn’t see the big drops that other parts of the country have seen,” Burke said. “D.C.’s a very consistent good investment.”
MARKET: Realtors continue to see shortage of inventory in high-demand neighborhoodsFrom Page RE1
TheCurrenT Wednesday,april20,2016RE 7
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RE10 WedneSday, april 20, 2016 The CurrenT ■ Spring real eSTaTe guide 2016
By CHLOE JOHNSONcurrent correspondent
A new bill before the D.C. Council could bring some relief in the city’s affordable
housing crisis by helping devel-opers convert vacant properties into new homes for low-income residents.
The Property Rehabilitation for Affordable Housing Act, introduced March 1 by at-large D.C. Council member Anita Bonds, calls for the city to pro-vide loans to developers to rede-velop empty and blighted build-ings, as well as vacant lots, into both rental and for-sale housing for low- and middle-income resi-dents. The measure is scheduled for a May 11 hearing before the Committee on Housing and Community Development.
While 1,731 properties in the District are currently vacant, blighted or condemned according to the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, the bill suggests only tar-geting a few for the beginning of the program.
The legislation specifically focuses on properties that carry tax liens that amount to at least 50 percent of their assessed mar-ket value. Irene Kang, an aide to the council’s housing committee, said between 20 and 30 properties would be targeted at the outset. The mayor would select develop-ment partners for the properties through an application process.
Kang also said several provi-sions of the bill are designed to make rehabilitating properties
easy for developers. “We help you in every way possible so that we get rid of the blight as soon as we can,” she said.
According to David Meadows, chief of staff for Bonds, the bill has the most potential to help economically distressed areas of the city because it would develop properties that have not sold in auctions. Only a small portion of these buildings and lots are locat-ed in Northwest D.C.
“A majority of these properties are in Ward 7 and east of the [Anacostia] River,” Meadows said. “If this is a property in Shaw or U Street, then it would have been snatched up by an investor at a tax auction because they recognize there’s a potential for making a profit, even if it was underwater.”
As of now, the legislation stands a good chance when it reaches the hearing stage next month, given that Bonds chairs the housing committee. The bill also has support from five other council members and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson. Kang said the committee is reaching out to developers, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office and other stake-holders before the hearing.
As currently proposed, the bill uses a tiered system to designate affordable housing. Only 25 per-
cent of the rental units developed could be leased at market rate. The remaining rental properties would be available to different income brackets based on area median income: 25 percent for tenants making 80 percent or less of the median income, 25 percent to tenants making 50 percent or less and the last 25 percent to ten-ants making 30 percent or less. Rental properties would be sub-ject to a 40-year affordability covenant.
Homes for purchase, by con-trast, would only be available to families with a maximum income of 90 percent of area median income. These properties would also be subject to two different affordability covenants: proper-ties outside distressed areas would be under the covenant for 15 years, while properties inside distressed areas would be subject to the covenant for five years.
Kang said that some of these numbers could easily change as the bill evolves. “I know that some larger developers are not completely satisfied with the breakdown because of construc-tion costs,” she said.
The “distressed” and “non-dis-tressed” designation is also in flux — Kang said the housing agency has not yet given these terms official definitions.
Nonprofit developers across the city, the groups most likely to take on these projects, are cur-rently mulling the finer details of the bill. It’s getting close review, for example, by the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development, which consists of close to 140 nonprofits, for-prof-
its and individual professionals, according to executive director Stephen Glaude.
“I wouldn’t take this bill as a statute; I would take it as a mold of clay,” Glaude said. “The eyes and ears and nose still have to be shaped out. The arms have to be pulled out from the body.”
One concern among the coali-tion’s members is whether the income levels described in the bill would exclude some families from accessing housing.
“If there’s going to be seg-mentation in a bill, we want to make sure we get the formula correct,” Glaude said.
He said his group, which is in contact with Bonds’ office, will continue to work on the bill this month.
Manna Inc., one of the most prominent nonprofit developers in the city, is also reviewing the bill’s provisions. Sarah Scruggs, Manna’s director of advocacy and outreach, said she thinks it’s a positive step for the city to try to repurpose properties that have long been burdened by tax debt.
“I definitely do feel like the nonprofit community are better poised to be dealing with the lots that are coming out of this legis-lation than anybody else,” Scruggs said.
Manna, which both develops affordable housing and teaches new homeowners about purchas-ing property, is currently commu-nicating with council staff to ensure the bill will allow home-owners to gain equity from the homes down the road, rather than limiting their value through over-ly restrictive provisions on resale.
Scruggs also said that in order to pay for the development, com-panies may need subsidies from
the Housing Production Trust Fund, a city funding pool devoted to affordable housing. “You don’t make a lot of money off of” these types of projects, she said. “We know that better than anybody else.”
Kang said such subsidies could be included in future revi-sions of the bill.
She also noted that if a multi-family property is located in a more competitive real estate area, such as Northwest, the 25 percent of units rented at market rate should generate enough revenue to pay for upkeep. In other loca-tions, however, the rent generated from the most expensive units may not be much higher than that in the units meant for low- and moderate-income tenants. “These are nonprofit companies, so we can’t have them losing money,” Kang said.
Another concern for profit-seeking companies that might join partnerships is how property size will affect a project’s viabili-ty. Adrian Washington, chief executive officer and founder of the Neighborhood Development Co., said that while the bill is a positive step overall, his compa-ny’s costs for complying with the law would likely preclude him from taking part in a development of a single-family property.
“It does have a lot of complexi-ty to this,” Washington said. “We’ve worked with complexity before, we’re not scared of it, but if you’re doing it for a very small property — there’s a lot of compli-cation for a very small property.”
Developers largely agreed that the bill is a step in the right direc-tion. Washington said that while the program may prove too much of a cost risk in some cases, it’s still “good public policy.”
“It solves two big problems,” he said. “Obviously the lack of affordable housing is a really big
D.C. Council measure would facilitate development of vacant, blighted lots
❝I wouldn’t take this bill as a statute; I would take it as a mold of clay.❞
— Stephen Glaude
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RE12 WedneSday, april 20, 2016 The CurrenT ■ Spring real eSTaTe guide 2016
By LEE CANNONcurrent correspondent
Many older homes in desirable Northwest neighborhoods have seen multiple incar-
nations of their interior decor. The latest styles, according to local Realtors, are decidedly modernist, with open spaces, mid-century color and texture palettes, and a no-fuss approach to interior design coming in favor with today’s buyers.
As local modern architect Mark McInturff noted, “We don’t live a Georgian lifestyle any more, so why live in a Georgian home?”
Gone are frills in favor of clean, straight lines.
Compartmentalization is out, and open plans are simply standard now, with designers and architects now experimenting with just how open a space they can create.
This can extend to an urge to break down the barriers between
outside and inside, providing seamless transitions to nature. “The ability to flow easily from the indoor to the outdoors is [a] big drawing card for potential buyers,” Washington Fine Properties agent Margot Wilson noted. “The outdoor terraces have become the equivalent of another room in many homes, and buyers are increasingly drawn to outside spaces with a hardscape that is equivalent to the interior finish-es.”
Kitchens are also seeing an emphasis on open space and clean design. “Closed-off kitch-ens are done,” said Lee Murphy, also of Washington Fine Properties, with buyers preferring “a kitchen that opens to a larger space where [they] can interface with their children.” She said “a greater emphasis on work/life balance” is driving this style. “People want to come home and spend time with their families.”
Wilson also spoke of the focus on kitchens, describing them as
“really the heart and soul of the house, places for families and friends to gather. And with the open floor plan, people are devot-ing way more attention to kitch-ens than to any other room in the house.” The styles may vary from “sleek and modern to traditional,” she said, “but buyers are drawn to those kitchens that offer great storage, so counters can remain without clutter.”
Susan Brooks of Weichert, Realtors, agreed. “Many kitchens have a minimalist look with appliances tucked behind cabi-nets, and hidden charging stations to keep phones, laptops and iPads ready to go and handy when needed,” she said.
The trend isn’t limited to sin-gle-family homes. “These days, buyers want an open kitchen in a condominium, to show the space in the unit,” said Camille Gemayel of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. “In a sin-
gle-family, they want a nice size kitchen with an impressive center island for breakfast use.”
Beyond the size and commodi-ty of the space for use by multi-ple people at once, Melissa Chen and Andrea Evers of Evers & Co. Real Estate have noticed less and less color in kitchen designs and remodels. “For newly renovated kitchens, we are seeing more white cabinets and lighter-colored stone counters,” Chen said. “Carrara marble counters and tiles are very popular, both in kitchens and bathrooms. Clean lines, more of a mid-century look; definitely nothing ornate.”
Brooks also mentioned that dynamic: “White kitchens and baths are very popular — white Carrara marble counters with gray veining and white subway tile.” Murphy added, “People don’t want Uba Tuba granite,” a previously popular type of black granite for countertops.
TTR Sotheby’s agent Jennifer Knoll noticed: “Most people want kitchens with white cabinets and counters that are granite, but look like Carrara marble.” For exam-ple, a recently constructed home at 4431 Klingle Road NW by Hanlon Design Build features counters made of quartzite, a stone gaining popularity because it has the look of Carrara marble while being harder and sturdier.
Some agents, however, are noting a reverse trend, putting color and natural wood tones back into kitchens, decreasing the amount of white and changing up the marble or quartzite counter-tops for other materials. “In the kitchen, we’re seeing more paint-ed and colored cabinets, as well as thicker slab countertops,” said Mandy Mills of the Mandy and David Team of Compass. “We know one developer doing really interesting work with concrete countertops, too.”
The new-construction Huntress Coal Oil condominiums that the Mandy and David Team listed last fall featured pale countertops but deep walnut cabinetry, as well as colorful bathroom vanities, green in one bathroom, yellow in another.
James Kastner of Coldwell Banker sees history repeating itself in the move to natural woods. “White is falling by the wayside in favor of warm-tone
wood, going back to the 1960s Dutch modern,” he said. “And a lot of the wood is reclaimed wood — warm, unstained and natural. People are moving away from the fake Amish, hand-shaved finish and moving to warm wood because it adds natu-ral interest.”
Colorful cabinetry versus white is one debate, but some designers are even moving toward truncated cabinets, or none at all. “Floating contempo-rary, wall-mounted vanities are popular,” said Chen. This style reflects the fact that cabinetry can be mounted directly on the wall, with no need to touch the floor, creating an interesting mirage as the vanity truly does seem to float, as well as the optical illu-sion that the bathroom is larger.
Kastner corroborated: “Vanities are floating. All finishes are clean and classic. People don’t want overstatement. It’s all about lighting and lines.”
One buying trend that may surprise some, though — espe-cially given the popularity of home renovation television shows — is the movement away from personalizing the finishes of a home. Plenty of buyers simply want a new or newly renovated house that needs no further work.
Kevin Gray of the Trent & Co. group at Compass recently sold a home to a young professional couple. “They were looking for a single-family home that was done and move-in ready. They only wanted to have to paint, if that,” he said.
“Ten years ago, people knew marble brands and cabinet brands,” added Murphy. “These days, there’s less brand recogni-tion. Now, the emphasis is just on having new finishes. Buyers want to have less work to do on a house when they buy it. People don’t even want to paint. They want to preserve time with friends and family, and they’re not willing to make sacrifices in their private lives to get work done. They are willing to sacri-fice in quality in some cases, as long as it’s new.”
Judi Cochran of Long & Foster Real Estate summed up today’s buyers as “looking for clean, simple, bright spaces in excellent condition to provide peacefulness in their busy lives.”
Home interiors trend toward open, modern feel
above: courtesy of compass / left: courtesy of TTR Sotheby’sThe Huntress Coal Oil condos in Shaw, above, emphasize an open floor plan. Realtors also see a spike in white kitchens, such as 2716 Newlands St. NW, left.
TheCurrenT Wednesday,april20,2016RE 13
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RE14 WedneSday, april 20, 2016 The CurrenT ■ Spring real eSTaTe guide 2016
“There is a limited inventory of modern single-family homes in Washington,” said Ron Mangas Jr., a real estate agent with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty who specializes in modern homes, both mid-century and new. “But their history goes back as far as the histo-ry of modernism. There’s been a slow increase in inventory in recent days, but there’s no question there’s growth on the side of buyers who are interested in modern homes.”
Four of the most prominent modern architects working in Washington today — Mark McInturff, Travis Price, David Jameson and Robert Gurney — are leaving their fingerprints to provide inspiration to the next generation of architects, as well as to homebuy-ers. Each is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, heads an eponymous architecture firm and has earned awards and accolades for his designs. While each specializes in residential archi-tecture, all work on a range of proj-ects, from the design of additions and renovations, to single- and multi-family homes, to larger proj-ects.
Mark McInturff, a practicing architect as well as a professor at Catholic University, produces some of the most archetypal modern homes in Washington and the sur-rounding areas. The influence of Frank Lloyd Wright is clearly visi-ble in his work, such as the home he designed in Cleveland Park. The interior features geometric shapes and clean lines. Black outlines con-trast with white walls, which, in turn, set off the rich tones of the wood. The floor plan is as open and spacious as engineering permits.
“I revere the history of Washington architecture and histor-ic houses,” McInturff said. “But many post-World War II houses aren’t very good. The post-war model was a large collection of small rooms; now, it’s a small col-lection of large rooms.” He feels modern architecture has a strong history in the city, and though the movement faded in the 1970s and ’80s, it is back now. “We have good patrons these days; they are well-educated and knowledgeable.”
Travis Price is also a professor at Catholic University, in addition to running his own architecture firm, and he began emphasizing ecologi-cal impact in his designs long before “eco-friendly” and “carbon footprint” were household terms. His own home, adjacent to Rock Creek Park, intrudes minimally on the landscape and makes good use of passive heating and cooling.
These days, he is exploring ways to reuse steel shipping containers in architecture, designing multi-family homes from stacks of sea contain-ers, backyard art galleries with a single container, and spacious com-mercial buildings with a wide row of them. “There are hundreds of thousands of these containers sitting
in ports around the world,” Price said. “But they’re made to with-stand some of the most extreme weather conditions on the planet. They’re watertight and strong.”
Price thinks there is a second modern movement emerging now, moving away from the Bauhaus roots that used the machine as the central metaphor, yet still maintain-ing the idealistic emphasis on mak-ing more with less.
“Great modern architecture fits three criteria,” Price said. “It responds to nature, it makes use of technological prowess, and it has a story, an emotional impact.”
David Jameson traces the lin-eage of modern architecture in Washington to Charles Goodman, who designed whole communities of mid-century modern homes in Hollin Hills, Va., and in Bethesda and Silver Spring, Md. Jameson himself has lived in a Goodman house. Jameson looks to the most well-known modern projects — the I.M. Pei house on Ordway Street NW in Cleveland Park, the Richard Neutra house on Audubon Terrace NW in Forest Hills, the many Charles Goodman houses in the District and surrounding suburbs, Hugh Newell Jacobsen homes — saying, “We want our work to rise to that challenge.”
Last year, Jameson designed a unique row house, to fit into an empty lot between two blocks of row houses on Ontario Place NW. “It was both praised and vilified by the city council,” Jameson said, because of its unique design, with a metal mesh wall designed for creep-ing plants to climb and provide pas-sive heating and cooling. The row house itself is constructed with large amounts of glass and perforated steel, for a look that’s solid but also asymmetrical and airy.
“It was hard to get a start in D.C.,” Gurney said. “We were not designing Colonials [which remain popular in Washington] in architec-ture school; we were responding to the site. There are not a lot of mod-ern houses in D.C. — it’s a little behind the times — but now home
shows and magazines are making people aware. That has spurred the shift to modern. Light-filled spaces and clean lines are the way people want to live.”
Gurney has built a number of homes inside the city, including 5063 Overlook Road NW, which is currently on the market, listed for $3,950,000 with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. He has noticed an upswing in interest in modern architecture, seeing it as a sign of progress in the housing market in Washington. “People don’t want Grandma’s house anymore,” Gurney said.
Mangas, who is the listing agent for 5063 Overlook in Spring Valley, attributes the gradual increase in hunger for modern homes to several factors, one of which is the interna-tional community in Washington. People from other countries, partic-ularly those from Northern Europe, often seek modern architecture because it is a familiar style, being well-suited to the more compact liv-ing spaces in Europe.
The Embassy of Finland is an oft-cited example of European mod-ern design, with glass, steel and wood in abundance. Clever lighting creates the illusion that the floor extends out into Rock Creek Park in the rear of the building, melting into the trees. (Those readers who have not seen inside the building would find it a treat to visit on the upcom-ing Shortcut to Europe: European Union Embassies’ Open House on May 14, for a revelatory experience with the aesthetics of new modern.)
James Kastner of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage recently sold 4550 Broad Branch Road NW, a mid-century home overlooking Rock Creek Park in Forest Hills, notable for its unmis-takable modern design and actual two-story treehouse in the side yard. The use of glass in the house is the most notable modern feature, because the architect included not only entire walls of glass to provide light but also multiple skylights. Open space defines the interior, where even the master closet is a
doorless cove separated from the sleeping area by a bank of bookcas-es. The family room is more a glass house than a room and sits beside the open kitchen and dining areas, with three steps and square pillars providing the only visual hints at division.
Modern multi-family dwellings seem to be popping up everywhere in D.C., designed with the underly-ing principles and aesthetics of the modern architecture movement in mind.
The row house at 978 Florida Ave. NW in the U Street corridor/Shaw neighborhood recently went under contract on the strength of its modern renovation, with a three-story wall of windows on the south-west side, flooding the open-plan interior with light. Interior walls have come down from around all but the bathrooms and closets. Glass, white-painted brick, metal, concrete and wood dominate for a sleek and elemental feel.
Claire Welsh of Compass Real Estate, who listed the home, said, “Construction was done in 2006, so it was before its time and won an AIA award.” Its modern influence is beginning to look more and more in place in the neighborhood, how-ever, as brand-new modern row house renovations and complexes spring up around it.
Michael Shapiro of Long & Foster Real Estate noted, “In the last few years, there has been an
upswing in interest in mid-century modern design.” Shapiro began in a different career field, but became personally interested in modern homes.
“I saw demand for these homes so went into real estate specifically for them,” he said. “These homes are 50 and 60 years old now, and people are taking interest in preserv-ing and restoring them.”
Shapiro went on to say, “The television show ‘Mad Men’ brought about a resurgence of interest in mid-century modern design; people have liked what they have seen. I think it’s a reaction to the ‘McMansionization’ of neighbor-hoods. Builders are putting in same-y homes everywhere; people are reacting to that, and some don’t want a huge house that looks cook-ie-cutter. They realize they don’t need 7,000 and 8,000 square feet, only 2,400. People want more inter-esting and connected-to-nature homes. Modern is for people who want organic architecture, not mas-sive space.”
For additional information about modern homes, visit the websites of Ron Mangas Jr. (contemporarylistings.com) and Michael Shapiro (moderncapitaldc.com), and view the portfolios of the architects featured here at mcinturffarchitects.com, travispricearchitects.com, davidjamesonarchitect.com and robertgurneyarchitect.com.
MODERN: Alternative sensibility on display in areaFrom Page RE1
© Paul WarcholDavid Jameson said this house he designed on Ontario Place NW in Adams Morgan “was both praised and vilified.”
courtesy of Travis Price architects Inc. Travis Price, who focuses on environmentally friendly modern design, was the architect for this Newark Street NW house in Cleveland Park.
The CurrenT ■ Spring real eSTaTe guide 2016 WedneSday, april 20, 2016 RE15
to meet their needs.”The firm’s style is built on a
consultancy model rather than being driven by sales, though that’s also important, the brothers said.
Although their approach to business is serious, the siblings don’t take themselves too serious-
ly, as evidenced by the tongue-in-cheek videos included on their website, wydlerbrothers.com. There you can get a behind-the-scenes look at the dynamic between the two brothers.
The Wydler Brothers offices are in McLean, Va.; Chevy Chase, Md.; and in Dupont Circle at 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW.
BROTHERS: New firm launchesFrom Page RE4
effectively?” Tom Muldoon of Counselors Title said higher costs can drive any type of buyer to another jurisdiction, as he has seen at his firm’s Friendship Heights office. “I think even a slight discount enabling that first-time homebuy-er to be able to consider the other side of Western Avenue would be positive,” he said. Grosso said it would be “shooting ourselves in the foot”
to deny the benefit to more afflu-ent buyers. “We want to have millionaires buying houses in the District of Columbia, just like we’d like to incentivize the mid-dle class to buy houses here in the District of Columbia,” he said. Tom Lipinsky, spokesperson for Evans, said the council mem-ber’s finance committee will like-ly act on the recordation tax bill once the council adopts the fiscal year 2017 budget later this spring.
RECORDATION: Bill proposedFrom Page RE4
problem. And then blighted prop-erties are a nuisance for neighbor-hoods.”
Additionally, Glaude said the legislation’s intent fits well with the values of the nonprofit hous-ing coalition’s members. “Our organizational platform is that we should use an entire toolbox of things to expand the production and preservation of affordable housing,” he said.
Manna is also excited about the legislation, Scruggs said,
because it’s similar to the Homestead Program, a past city measure that also allowed devel-opers to rehabilitate properties. Much of the housing Manna cre-ated through that program is still occupied by the original tenants and owners today, she said.
Scruggs also said this old pro-gram offered lessons for the future; in Homestead, individuals were allowed to pursue develop-ment projects for condemned or vacant spaces, but many found themselves over their heads with the details.
VACANT: Council mulls initiative From Page RE10
RE 16 Wednesday,april20,2016 TheCurrenT
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TheCurrenT Wednesday,april20,201639
WASHINGTON, DC 202.944.5000GEORGETOWN 202.333.3320 LOGAN/DOWNTOWN 202.930.6868 BETHESDA/CHEVY CHASE 301.222.0050POTOMAC 301.983.6400NORTHERN VIRGINIA 703.317.7000MIDDLEBURG, VA 540.687.6395LITTLE WASHINGTON, VA 540.675.1488
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INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS AND OFFICES
WEST END, WASHINGTON, DCStunning upper-level 3BR+Den/3.5BA at 22West, amazing view of Washington Cir. Rooftop pool, 24-hour concierge, 2-car reserved prkg. $3,595,000Patrick Chauvin 202-256-9595Brad House 571-344-0203
SPRING VALLEY, WASHINGTON, DC4BR/3.5BA Colonial home in Spring Valley with beautifully landscaped yards & great rear patios. Recently renovated kitchen opens to breakfast room & features top of the line finishes. $1,795,000Nancy Taylor Bubes 202-256-2164
BETHESDA, MARYLANDNEW LISTING! Gorgeous 4BR/4BA w/pool, ga-zebo, 2 car garage on half acre lot. Beautiful built-ins, 3 fireplaces, & artisan kitchen w/ newer appli-ances. Pyle/Whitman school district. $1,359,000Josh Harrison 301-602-5400
WESLEY HEIGHTS, WASHINGTON, DCStunning 2BR/2FBA renovated condo. Marble en-try foyer, top of the line Venetian plaster gourmet kit. Large LR & separate DR with access to balcony. Pool, tennis, storage & garage parkg! $825,000Nancy Itteilag 202-905-7762
KENT, WASHINGTON, DCNEW PRICE! Gracious six bedroom on spectacu-lar half acre lot of lush parkland. Generous public rooms, gorgeous views, five fireplaces, light-filled lower level, two car garage. $2,995,000Margot Wilson 202-549-2100
AMERICAN UNIVERISTY PK, WASHINGTON, DCNEW LISTING! Sun-filled 2BR, 3.5BA plus den with numerous renovations. Deck, renovated basement, laundry room, family room, and attached bath. Steps to metro. $799,000Josh Harrison 301-602-5400
WOODLEY PARK, WASHINGTON, DCNEW LISTING! Spectacular light-filled & spacious renovated home with high ceilings, 5BR, 3.5BA, 2-car garage. Family room off all-new kitchen. Wraparound porch & flagstone patio. $2,100,000Susie Maguire 202 841-2006
WESLEY HEIGHTS, WASHINGTON, DCMagnificent 2BR/2.5BA duplex in Foxhall Condo. Full renovation; custom built-ins, ample storage, marble floors & patio overlooking pond. Indoor pool, tennis, storage & garage parking! $695,000Nancy Itteilag 202-905-7762
SPRING VALLEY, WASHINGTON, DCExquisitely renovated. Elegant, well-proportioned living + dining rms, light & luminous family rm, lovely landscaped garden. 3BR/3.5BA. $2,095,000Tammy Gale 202-243-1649Heidi Hatfield 202-243-1634
WEST END, WASHINGTON, DCNEW LISTING- Ritz Residences! 2BR, 2.5BA with living & dining room, gourmet kitchen, & amaz-ing family room with private terrace! $1,795,000Ben RothMatthew B. McCormick 202-728-9500
BETHESDA, MARYLANDRecently renovated! 5,500 SF brick colonial on level lot, picture perfect condition, fully finished LL. Minutes to Wildwood Shopping Center, easy access to Grosvenor Metro/I-495! $1,249,000Anne Killeen 301-706-0067
FOXHALL VILLAGE, WASHINGTON, DCNEW LISTING! Semi-detached, sunlight 5BR plus 4BA with spacious and open living and dining rooms, two master suites, two car parking!Matthew B. McCormickEllen Morrell 202-728-9500
INTERNATIONAL OFFERING INTERNATIONAL OFFERING INTERNATIONAL OFFERING INTERNATIONAL OFFERING
40 Wednesday, april 20, 2016 The CurrenT
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Selling The Area’s Finest Properties
Picturesque GemWesley Heights. Fabulous flow & light in this charming
home on quiet cul de sac. Ideal for entertaining. 6 BRs, 4.5
BAs. Family & sun rms, gourmet kit & brkfst rm. Private
terrace & garden. $2,695,000
Lynn Bulmer 202-257-24103
A Perfect 10!Bannockburn Estates. Exquisite 5 BR, 4.5 BA home on almost 1/2 acre lot. Fabulous kit, breakfast & family rooms. Gracious LR, DR & library. Fin. LL. Heated 2 car garage. $1,789,000
Ellen Sandler 202-255-5007 Susan Berger 202-255-5006
Classic CharmChevy Chase, MD. Traditional expanded Colonial w/4-5 BRs, 3.5 BAs. Light filled kit & brkfst rms. Family rm addition opens to beautiful rear yard w/inground pool & gazebo. Near to Metro. $1,295,000
Susan Berger 202-255-5006 Ellen Sandler 202-255-5007
Graceful SpacesBethesda. Prime location at The Crest II only blocks to Metro. Spacious end unit condo TH w/detailed finishes. Remodeled open kit, renov. baths. 2 BRs, 3.5 BAs. Study & LL bonus rm. $799,000
Mary Lynn White 202-309-1100
Elegance & FlairSpring Valley. Stunningly renovated 4 BR, 4.5 BA home
w/large entertaining spaces & gorgeous light throughout.
Mature gardens.2 car garage. $1,800,000
Guy-Didier Godat 202-361-4663
Beautiful SpacesLandon Woods. Stunning new home w/4 levels of quality workmanship. 7 BRs, 5.5 BAs. Superb chef ’s kitchen, fabulous MBath. Family rm, office, built-ins. Expansive LL w/sep entrance. 2 car garage. $1,789,000
Patricia Lore 301-908-1242 Ted Beverley 301-728-4338
Traditional FlairKent. Immaculate Colonial w/3 BRs, 2 BAs & 2 HBAs.
Renovated kitchen & baths. LR w/frpl. Deck off sep.
DR. Walk out LL family rm w/frpl. Lovely, fully fenced
garden. $990,000.
Nancy Hammond 202-262-5374
Bright IdeaBethesda, MD. Light filled, freshly painted brick Colonial. 3 BRs, 2.5 BAs. Den/family rm opens to deck. Fin. LL w/rec rm & craft/office area. Short walk to Ride On bus. $698,000.
Nancy Wilson 202-966-5286
Sophisticated LifestyleChevy Chase, MDs. Storybook residence meticulously restored & expanded. Impressive open spaces inside & out. Gourmet kit, stunning family rm, amazing game rm. 5 BRs, 4.5 BAs. Terraces. Walk to Bethesda & Metro. $1,995,000
Eric Murtagh 301-652-8971
Sensational HomeBethesda, MD. Stunning high end kitchen, fabulous great
room. Open floor plan. 4 BRs, 4 BAs. Amazing location.
Walk to dwntwn Bethesda & Metro. $1,500,000
Eric Murtagh 301-652-8971
Distinctive StyleArlington, VA. The height of luxury at the Turnberry Tower. Two opportunities to move right in. 1 BR + den, 1.5 BA upgraded unit w/balcony $835,000. 1 BR + den, 2 BA, private elevator, balcony. $1,100,000 Deluxe amenities, 1 blk to Metro, Pkng included.
John Coplen 410-591-0911
Urban OasisColumbia Heights. Sunfilled 4 BR, 2 BA home w/inviting
front porch. Modern, open kitchen. Bonus sun rooms.
Hrdwd floors. LL family rm w/access to deck overlooking
long lush garden w/pkg. Close to shops & Metro. $685,900.
Leslie Suarez 202-246-6402
Craftsman AccentsTown of Chevy Chase. Amazing location within a easy
stroll to dwntwn Bethesda & Metro. 5+ BRs, 5.5 BAs on
4 finished levels. Impressive dimension. Att. 2 car garage.
Gorgeous 9,000 sf ft lot. Walk score 95! $1,795,000
Eric Murtagh 301-652-8971
Show StopperPotomac, MD. Custom home on private cul de sac.
Stunning great rm w/soaring ceiling, two story foyer.
Dramatic MBR suite. 5 BRs, 4.5 BAs. Convenient to the
Village & Falls Rd golf course. $1,369,000
Eric Murtagh 301-652-8971
The Total PackageBrightwood. Fabulous renovated 3 BRs, 2 BAs up + LL
in-law suite. Kit w/SS & granite. 1st flr family rm, top flr
study nook & LL rec rm. Inviting front porch, rear deck &
off st parking. $839,000
June Gardner 301-758-3301
Vintage CharmMount Pleasant. City living at its best. Updated Junior
1 BR co-op w/high ceilings & hrdwd floors. Stunning
roof top terrace w/seating, city views. Across from Park,
steps to Zoo. Pet friendly. $298,500
Dorothy Stein 202-230-1081
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