Coming in the front door at 14901 Alvecote Dr. in the elite RounTrey neighborhood off Woolridge Road, one is struck immediately by light and space.
The main living level of the 5-bedroom, 4.5-bath home is predominantly one large room defined by elegant custom features. A floor-to-ceiling interior window with black mullions – reminiscent of a city loft window – defines a home office just to the left of the entry door. Ahead and to the left is a stately hardwood staircase, and beyond, an expansive living area open to a custom kitchen on the right. Through the rear wall of windows lies an inviting, airy, screened-in porch, defined by black railings, all overlooking a pretty patch of woods. Ten-foot ceilings and proportionately sized doors contribute to the sense of spaciousness.
Crafted by Homesmith, which currently builds houses in RounTrey, Magnolia Green, Hallsley, and Fox Creek as well as on individual lots, the urban farmhouse-style home features an efficient floor plan (specifically, a modified Newcastle plan) that feels cozier than its expansive 3,451 square feet.
The model home boasts built-in custom features and unique design elements. In the living room: a gas fireplace tiled in charcoal gray, with a light oak mantel and accent wall faced in black straps with rivets. In the kitchen: matte black appliances that show no fingerprints, mixed-metal fixtures, and countertop granite finished to look like leather. In the butler’s pantry: a counter-to-ceiling wine rack that doubles as wall art. In the dining room, just to the right of the entry door: an accent wall defined by charcoal flooring tile.
“I pride myself in doing things that are different, that no one else is doing,” said designer Priscilla George of Interior Excellence, who describes her décor as “urban meets mid-century modern.”
The same is true of Homesmith, founded in 1998 by Richmond native Pat Harris, who noted, “We pride ourselves on our creative designs for buyers who want more than just a cookie-cutter home.”
A bedroom and full bath are tucked just beyond the kitchen area, suitable for guests or for use as a mother-in-law suite. Completing the first floor is a mud-room area off the attached garage plus a roomy half bath serving the first-floor living level. Like the kitchen, both baths feature mixed metals across the fixtures, a custom element that’s repeated in other bathrooms in the home.
“Mixed metals in kitchen and bath areas are totally in the now,” said George. “Don’t be afraid to mix chrome with champagne gold. It’s lovely if done well.”
Up the wide, red-oak hardwood staircase, the elegance continues. Two boys’ rooms are joined by a Jack-and-Jill bath, with a connecting theme of jungles and elephants. The younger boy’s room features a built-in shelf unit made of piping and an elevated bed with a play space beneath, set against an olive accent wall painted with a mountain scene. A brick-veneer wall accents the older boy’s room.
Across the hall, a little girl’s room takes a design risk: pink, purple and gold striped drapery fabric presented against dramatic wallpaper patterned with giant white flowers on a black ground. The pink-and-black theme continues with a cow-print accent rug and an adjacent pink and black bath.
“The girl’s room is one of my favorites,” George said. “Magenta pink alligator wallpaper adds drama to the entrance of this room and draws the eye into the horizontal window treatment stripe with its vivid color and complexity on the large floral wallpaper.”
More unusual flooring treatment is evident in the master bedroom – the ceiling is covered in dark hardwood, accented by a bubble light chandelier fixture. “As a designer I am always striving to be unique and forward thinking when it comes to wall treatment ideas,” George said. “I think of each room as having five walls and a floor. Each need to be treated with unique style.”
Entry to the ensuite bath is past flanking walk-in closets, one with a window, to arrive at a commodious shower with a window, a soaking tub, and two individual vanities of white-painted oak, one designed with extra counter space for cosmetics, beauty products and hair appliances. George continues to use tile creatively here, selecting tiny tiles on the shower floor and large tiles on the shower walls, with a backsplash in a black-and-white granite pattern.
Ceilings on the bedroom level are 9 feet high.
Completing the house is an attached two-car garage with doors sporting four horizontal windows, and a roughed-in attic that could be finished later.
“Homesmith sets the style for unique custom homes in Central Virginia,” Harris said. “We specialize in creating amazing homes for our clients with unparalleled architectural style and functional, livable floor plans that are second to none at a price point similar to other custom builders. With the right people, the right process and the right materials, we’re able to offer quality custom homes that are as unique as your family.”
Visitors may tour the home Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Direct sales inquiries to The Yeatman Group of Long & Foster Real Estate, 804.NEW.HOME.
To learn more:
Homesmith
The Yeatman Group of Long & Foster Real Estate
Priscilla George of Interior Excellence, and to view more photos: @InteriorExcellenceLlc on Facebook.
