DESIGN NOTEBOOK When a couple marries, merging styles presents an opportunity to create separate suites. BY DANIE DUNN Special to The Star

BY DANIE DUNN

Updated: 2012-02-19T01:16:07Z

When a couple get married, both tastes can be merged into a cohesive and cozy whole.

This Country Club Plaza estate has been a favorite design project of mine. When my client came into my studio a decade ago, we began our relationship with re-upholstery work for her home, containing charming Victorian furniture.

When she married and moved into a home with her husband, we had the opportunity to merge two distinct styles. We started the process by delegating his large brown leather “bachelor” furniture to the lower level for his man cave with a poker area, pool area and cigar room. Her antique furnishings, being more delicate, went to a bedroom suite for his daughters.Then we began the transformation of the master suite. The bedroom contains a mix of their tastes. The furniture contains deep walnut tones and is more masculine. More feminine design elements include silk draperies that frame the bed, tapestry pillows, an accordion-pleated dust skirt and damask-covered bench. The addition of a crystal chandelier adds to the splendor of the space. Other highlights include intricate parquetry, neoclassical pediments and flowing serpentine fronts combined with cabriole legs. The suite also contains a marble fireplace with a chaise lounge and a lamp to create a cozy place to read.But the other four rooms in the suite, not pictured, reflect the pair’s separate tastes and interests. I find that when married couples have the space in their home to do so, separate bathrooms and dressing rooms can be a blessing. The halves will most certainly get along better to create a happier whole.We converted a seldom-used sunroom into a gentleman’s area, a combination office and closet. The built-in closets resemble furniture. A leather chair and desk complete the room.Her bath includes the original opulent hardware, decorative molding and sconces . She personalized her dressing area space by adding wallpaper and window treatments.

Reach Danie Dunn, owner of Danie Dunn Designs, 1801 Westport Road, at daniedunndesign@yahoo.com.

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Design Notebook | Married life is easier with separate suite spaces

2/16/2012 - West Side Leader
     

By Maria Lindsay BARBERTON — The Village at Anna Dean is a one-and-a-half-year-old senior lifestyle community set on the historic site of Anna Dean Farm at 33 Third St. S.E.

According to Manager Diane Miller, the independent living facility is designed for ages 55 years and older. There is no on-site medical staff.

Miller said the complex has 36 one-bedroom apartments measuring 680 to 756 square feet and 24 two-bedroom apartments measuring 870 to 1,135 square feet. They include individually controlled furnaces, air-conditioners and hot water heaters, she said. Each also has a full kitchen with a refrigerator, electric stove, dishwasher and garbage disposal. The bathrooms have walk-in showers and grab bars, and each unit comes with a free emergency response system.

The Village at Anna Dean also has six common areas that include: a fitness room; game room; computer/library/craft room; great room with a fireplace and large-screen TV; a greenhouse; and a bocce court. In addition, there is a sunroom and outdoor patio. A private dining room also is available, but there is no on-site meal service, she said.

There is also a laundry room on each floor, elevators and controlled-access entry doors and keyless entry system entrances, Miller said. The facility offers van transportation for groups of residents wishing to travel to stores or restaurants, according to Miller.

Miller added that rent fees for the apartments range from $425 to $875 per month, which includes all utilities except for phones, cable and Internet service.

“Our office staff is happy to assist residents with finding local services for meals and home health agencies,” said Miller. “It addition, we schedule health and educational talks and social activities.”

Social activities include bingo, movie and game days, Saturday morning coffee talks and potluck meals, she said.

For information about available apartments or a tour, call 330-745-7040 or email info@annadeanonline.com.

For more information about the Village at Anna Dean, visit http://www.annadeanonline.com.

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Village at Anna Dean offering senior lifestyle living

With sun-drenched rooms and open spaces, the home at 8905 Transue Drive in Bethesda’s Charred Oak Estates community is not your typical 1960s split level.

The four-bedroom, three bath house, which sits on a quiet cul-de-sac, underwent a major makeover that included removing interior walls, adding state-of-the-art appliances and repainting its brick exterior white.

It is on the market for $999,999.

This home’s exterior can be deceiving, as it is much larger on the inside than it appears at first glance. A long driveway past the well-manicured lawn leads to the home’s entrance.

An eye-catching mahogany-and-glass front entry door was custom-designed by Art in Glass and lets guests know they are entering a richly unique residence.

The door opens to reveal a large, dramatic open space that combines the kitchen, dining room and living room. Thanks to the removal of interior walls in this portion of the home, these three spaces blend together, creating an open, inviting main level.

To the right of the entry is an impressive gourmet kitchen that features high-end appliances, including a Viking professional range and stainless steel hood, and a side-by-side refrigerator, dishwasher and wine chiller.

The stainless steel appliances are highlighted by the surrounding maple cabinetry along with marble countertops and a marble backsplash. While recessed lights keep the kitchen and adjoining rooms bright in the evening, two large skylights and ample windows help light up the space during the day.

The cook in the home will appreciate not being left out of conversations because the open floor plan allows for easy interaction among family members and company when entertaining. There’s also a breakfast bar for casual meals.

A long center island is all that divides that kitchen from the nearby living and dining areas. Adding to the sophisticated feel of the home, all of the rooms share new hardwood flooring and have walls painted in a fresh, neutral color.

The kitchen has windows facing the front yard, and the living and dining areas face the rear yard. The private yard is fenced and has a double-sided gate. In the living room, a French door with full-view glass doors opens directly onto a new deck with built-in seating.

There are double French doors in the dining area that lead into a sunroom, which is one of two additions that were built about 12 years ago. This sun-filled room is the ideal retreat and helps bring the outdoors inside year-round.

The sunroom has three walls of windows and sliding glass doors that offer a scenic, panoramic view. Ceramic tile floors and a wood ceiling with skylights add to the outdoorsy feel. The room is made cozy by a fireplace on one of the walls.

On the opposite end of the home is a the second addition, a bright and lavish two-story great room with black tile floors and a wood-burning fireplace. There are several Palladian windows and three sets of French doors in the room that open into the rear yard.

This great room is perfect for entertaining guests or relaxing after a long day’s work. There are two walls of built-ins and a black spiral staircase that leads to the second floor.

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Resale of the week:Opened-up Bethesda split level

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In today's tough economy, home values have plummeted. Our home has suffered the same fate. My wife and I have no intention of moving, so we have found ways to improve our home's comfort and value. Since 2005, we have gradually completed a number of projects that have improved our home's financial value and made it even more comfortable for us to enjoy. In addition, some of the projects have helped us save money on our monthly bills.

Changing back porch to sunroom

We had our first project completed in 2005. We had a run-down screened-in porch in back of the house. The screens had begun to tear, and the floor would flood up to the house level during every heavy rain. In addition, our small house was cluttered and we needed more space. At the time, we could afford only monthly financing, but we had the porch converted into a Florida sunroom with double-insulated glass. We added extra square footage and later had the windows tinted to give extra protection from the summer sun's heat. The room cost us nearly $20,000 thousand, but the new appraisal upon our 2006 refinancing showed that it increased our property value by approximately $40,000 compared to the appraisal we had just before the transformation. We now use that sunroom as much as any other room in the house.

Installing a water conditioner

My parents both passed on in the summer of 2009. We saved some of the inheritance and used some to pay off debt (including the sunroom), but we used part of it to improve our home even more. In 2010 we had an electric water conditioner installed. We paid $1,600 cash for the system, but we do not have monthly payments for the product or the service. The water system removes impurities from our hard water, and it keeps our water-using appliances running more efficiently, saving us on utility bills. Our pipes are cleaner, and they also run more efficiently. We save approximately $5-$10 each month on water use.

Installing new windows and gutters

Later in 2010 I finally decided to replace the worn-out gutters. We now have more attractive gutters that keep the water from leaking onto our front walkway. They look much more attractive, and the backyard gutters go into the ground. The gutters cost us $600, but they are easier to clean and require very little maintenance.

In 2011 we replaced the old windows. Our heating and cooling costs had risen drastically. An analysis showed that our windows had only a single pane of glass, and the seals had worn down. This let cool air out and the heat in during the summer. In winter, our heat escaped, making us run the heater much more. We installed energy-efficient argon-filled windows that block heat far better. The new seals aid in the blocking. We reduced our cooling costs by as much as 25% per month. We spent approximately $2,100 to complete the project, but the savings of $50 per month will continue.

Improvements are investments

We have completed other smaller projects as well. In all, we spent many thousands of dollars. However, the increase in our home's value of over $40,000 has made the investments worthwhile. Should we one day decide to sell, we will receive far more than if we had not made the improvements. Until then, we enjoy the lower monthly utility bills that these projects allow us to have. More importantly, the projects have helped us feel more comfortable and turned our house into a home.

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First Person: We've Added at Least $40,000 Worth of Home Improvement Value in 7 Years

sydnia yu From Friday's Globe and Mail Published Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012 6:34PM EST Last updated Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012 6:36PM EST

31 HOLLOWAY RD., TORONTO

ASKING PRICE $1,099,000

SELLING PRICE $1,075,000

PREVIOUS SELLING PRICE $621,000 (2003); $412,000 (1996)

TAXES $4,888 (2011)

DAYS ON THE MARKET seven

LISTING AGENT Barbara Polson, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd.

THE ACTION: About 20 buyers secured private showings for this two-storey, storybook house in Etobicoke, while nearly three dozen couples were comfortable waiting for impromptu tours at two open houses.

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WHAT THEY GOT: Several different owners renovated this more than 70 year-old residence, so it provides much more space than expected, including a living room and separate dining and family rooms with fireplaces, as well as a new sunroom addition and an eat-in kitchen with walkouts to the patio and manicured, south-facing garden.

There is a more casual feel in the basement, which was recently finished with an open recreation area with wood floors and halogen lights.

Skylights illuminate in the second floor office and two out of three bedrooms, which each have access to a private or semi-private bathroom. The master suite also has a walk-in closet with built-in storage.

Conveniences include a total of four full bathrooms, interior access to the garage and a shed for equipment to maintain the 50- by 160-foot grounds.

THE AGENT’S TAKE: “It was totally updated and very charming,” says agent Barbara Polson, who cities decorative details like rich wood trims and wainscoting. “What was unique is [the sellers] had done a new Florida room for summer lifestyle living with a wood burning fireplace and a TV.”

The choice of high-calibre changes was also a sign that the previous owner intended to staying longer in the home and community. “It’s part of the old Islington Village, so it’s very quaint with lots of tall trees,” Ms. Polson adds.

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Expanded Etobicoke house catches buyers' eyes

sydnia yu From Friday's Globe and Mail Published Thursday, Feb. 09, 2012 11:00AM EST Last updated Thursday, Feb. 09, 2012 11:02AM EST

188 SNOWDON AVE., TORONTO

ASKING PRICE $899,000

SELLING PRICE $1,051,000

TAXES $5,572 (2011)

DAYS ON THE MARKET Eleven

LISTING AGENTS Jim Burtnick and Andy Taylor, Sotheby’s International Realty Canada

The Action: Right after this detached house hit the market, arrangements were made for 40 private showings and two open houses to accommodate more than 80 parties.

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Within the first few days, three buyers submitted offers, but they were turned away until a pre-determined presentation date. That day, there was a bidding war between a dozen shoppers.

What They Got: A large part of a 30-foot by 125-foot lot is occupied by a 75-year-old brick house, surrounded by a manicured lawn, fenced backyard and surface parking.

Various activities can take place inside where there is a fireside living room, formal dining area and kitchen with access to a sunroom addition with a patio exit, plus a partially finished basement with a separate entrance.

For more privacy, there are four sleeping quarters and a single bathroom on the second floor.

The Agent’s Take: “It’s a very family-friendly area, so we had a lot of demand from families and builders alike,” says agent Jim Burtnick, who grew up playing ball hockey and hide-and-seek on the quiet street. “It’s in a good school catchment [area], it’s close to parks and has good TTC access.”

What gives this property more distinction from others is its 30-foot wide frontage. “Most of the houses on the street that are detached have 25-foot lots, so what the 30-foot lot allows is a private driveway,” says Mr. Burtnick. “A lot [of the other houses] have mutual driveways or have no driveway and put in parking pads.”

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Early offers for Bedford Park home turned away - bidding war ensues

While visitors to Reston may head straight to Reston Town Center to restaurants, shops, the movie theater, the ice-skating rink in winter or an outdoor concert in summer, residents know one of the joys of living in this planned community is walking on its paths to admire the woods or one of the lakes.

Village centers offer local shops and restaurants within walking distance of many of the homes, and the community is dotted with swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball courts, soccer fields and miles of trails. Two community centers offer classes and space for dance and art studios.

Great Falls Crossing, a cluster of elegant single-family homes near Route 7 and Baron Cameron Avenue, has its own swimming pool, a tennis court, a clubhouse, a basketball court, a tot lot and walking trails. The community has a Fourth of July parade, a Halloween party, summer movie nights and adult social events in the clubhouse.

The home at 1307 Murray Downs Way in Reston, on a corner lot in Great Falls Crossing, is on the market for $773,900. This Colonial-style home includes a sunroom addition, five bedrooms, a fenced yard and more than 4,000 finished square feet on three levels.

An abundance of oversized windows visible from the front of the house offer a hint of the natural light found inside. The owners have added distinctive decorative accents throughout the home that will convey to buyers, including custom-designed window treatments and designer light fixtures.

The home includes a lawn that wraps around the front, side and back of the house, with mature trees and shrubs. The fenced backyard includes a stone patio accessible from the walk-out lower level and a wood deck off the sunroom on the main level.

Inside, guests are welcomed in a grand two-story foyer with an arched window above the wood front door. The main and second levels feature gleaming hardwood flooring, and the foyer includes a hardwood staircase with graceful wrought-iron railings.

To the left of the foyer is the formal dining room, which has crown molding, a bay window and columns that separate it from the foyer. The dining room has crown and chair-rail molding, a double window framing a view of the backyard and a contemporary-style light fixture that matches the living room’s fixture.

The back of the home has an open floor plan, including the center-island kitchen, a breakfast area, a sunroom and a two-story family room with a stone wood-burning fireplace and two skylights. The family room has a triple window facing the backyard, and the sunroom is wrapped in windows on two sides, with a glass door leading to the deck.

The kitchen includes a breakfast bar at the center island, granite counters, stainless steel appliances, white cabinets, a pantry and recessed and pendant lighting.

Near the kitchen is a first-floor study with built-in bookcases and cabinets. The main level also has a mudroom with stone flooring and built-in shelving and cabinets, and a custom-designed powder room with stone flooring and a vessel sink.

Double doors open off the hardwood hall on the upper level into the master suite, a generously proportioned bedroom with a cathedral ceiling and a ceiling fan. Double doors open from the bedroom into the luxurious master bath, which has a deep soaking tub set under a picture window, a cathedral ceiling, two vanities and a separate shower with a glass door. The master suite also has two walk-in closets with built-in shelving.

The upper level has three additional bedrooms that share a full bath off the hall. The bath has a double-sink vanity and a combination tub and shower. The second bedroom, which faces the backyard, has a double window, a double-door closet, a pink-and-white chandelier and charming decorative painting. The third bedroom, at the front of the house, has wainscoting, a double-door closet and two windows.

The fourth bedroom has been converted to use as a dressing room, with a built-in vanity and walls of clothing rods, a shoe rack and shelving in addition to a double-door closet. The room easily can be converted back to a bedroom.

The finished lower level has recessed lighting and includes a billiard table under a Tiffany-style lamp, both of which convey to the buyers. One wall of this game area includes a wet bar with a granite counter and multiple cabinets and wine racks. The game area has glass doors opening onto the patio.

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Resale of the week: Reston Colonial with hardwood on 2 levels

Written by Amy England    Thursday, 09 February 2012 14:25

The Steelville Therapy Center at Gibbs Care Center is now complete. The 6,000 square foot wing provides private rooms, a beautiful new sunroom and a whirlpool bath and shower area in addition to a new lounge at the end of the east wing for residents to enjoy. An Open House will be held on Sunday, February 19 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Ribbon cutting ceremonies will take place at 1:30 p.m. and tours of the new wing will be offered.

    The new $1.5 million wing, constructed between the north and east wings of the center, provides the opportunity to receive comprehensive short-term rehabilitation services close to home. It includes state-of-the-art equipment and access to skilled professional therapists for those in need.
    The rehabilitation wing extends northeast of the existing nurse’s station and has 10 private rooms for those who need shorter term care and therapy services to help them recover from an injury or illness.
    In addition to the lounge and sunroom, an outdoor courtyard is featured between the new wing and the original north wing. The new “Volenetz Garden” courtyard with fountain is touted as a “must see,” especially in the spring, summer and fall.
    Gibbs Care Center was opened in 1977 after the Clarence and Geraldine Gibbs estate and the Steelville Presbyterian Church donated the initial funds toward the construction of a community nursing home. In 1987, the Gibbs Manor Residential Care Facility opened. The center’s facilities were expanded and renovated in 2003. The center has been assisted through the years with donations from citizens, churches and civic organizations, including the establishment of the Evelyn and Bill Volenetz Endowment Foundation in 2002 and the donation of funds by Kathryn Morgan in memory of her mother, Florence Myers, in 2006. Since the center was opened, it has served over 1,300 residents and their families.
    Work on the new wing was assisted through the “Help Us Grow!” Campaign, initiated just before construction began. Community support has helped in furnishing the new wing and renovating other portions of the existing facility. The project was financed by USDA Rural Development.

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Open house set for new Gibbs wing

The fascinating thing about the Carroll County bilevel home of Corynne Courpas and her husband, Scott Markle, is its dual personality.

From the street, their home looks exactly as it did in 1977. It is only at the front door that the home expands, with rooms growing on and out.

This is no typical bilevel interior.

"This is a split-foyer on steroids," Scott Markle says, greeting his visitor. "Come on up!"

A sunroom, a great room with cathedral ceilings and a spacious master bedroom are some of the features that make the home unusual. A first-time visitor is likely to ask, "What happened?"

"I was single when I moved here in 1985, and the 1977 [split-foyer] style was plenty of house back then," says Courpas, a 57-year-old area manager for Performance Foodservice. "These houses were built with lots of insulation and built to be energy efficient."

But then, in 1994, she and Markle, a 50-year-old administrator at Catoctin Counseling Center in Westminster, married.

"I moved in and took over the place with all of my collectibles," he says.

Suddenly, the two-story, 40-by-26-foot bilevel or split-foyer — the names are interchangeable — was too small. Over the years, the couple recycled a great deal of their furniture while purchasing some new pieces in anticipation of moving into a larger house. And while they considered moving to the city, they realized that Carroll County was where they really wanted to be. Both love to entertain, and their backyard abuts county land that will never be developed.

In the fall of 2009, the two made the decision to expand. They hired a freelance draftsman and designer to come up with plans that would almost double the size of the split-foyer, to just under 3,000 square feet.

Th draftsman "came up with a list for us to consider [based on] our needs and wants," Courpas says. "We wanted larger closets, open entertaining, an ADA-accessible ramp on the side of the house, an open two-story addition [at the back of the house] and a downstairs bedroom suite with lots of closet space."

They gave the project the green light, and all of the items on their wish list became reality.

"I wanted a dome ceiling on the new great room," Markle says with a laugh. "But I settled for a cathedral ceiling."

The great room on the back of the house fulfilled their desire to have lots of large windows overlooking the land behind the house; inside, a working fireplace is straddled by built-in bookshelves across an entire wall. The cadet blue paint on the walls here, along with the crisp white trim on the windows, accentuates the view from the windows.

The adjacent kitchen, once the dining room, features an entire wall of glazed maple cabinets, across from which are cabinets and an island of the same material, with dark blue granite counters.

"We have no bar stools because we want the island to be a buffet and have a flow like a restaurant," Courpas adds. With open dining on one side of the kitchen and the open great room on the other, the couple has entertained as many as 75 guests at a time.

Three bedrooms on the original level now serve as a guest room, Courpas' office and a storage room.

The lower level of the original house, together with the expansion, has its own flow, with a hall into the master bedroom and bathroom, an additional sitting room and wide-entrance hall/sunroom.

The collectibles that Markle brought to the marriage reside beyond the French doors of his office, where walls and corkboards are covered with campaign buttons going back to the Eisenhower era. Both Markle and Courpas are politically active, and the office resembles a campaign headquarters.

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Dream home: Carroll County split-foyer gets makeover with personality

21-01-2011 14:19 More Reasons for Four Seasons - How will you use your new sunroom? For more information please visit http://www.FourSeasonsSunrooms.com

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