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In the building business in the Washington metropolitan area for more than 30 years, Washington Homes is making a change.
The connection is evident – as a K. Hovnanian Company, Washington Homes now will be called K. Hovnanian Homes and will continue its tradition of offering a diverse selection of single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums in more than 60 communities throughout Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. This homebuilder, owned by K. Hovnanian Enterprises founded in 1959, also is selling homes in nine other states.
A wide variety of products, a continued focus on maintaining a strong presence in each of its markets, plus implementing integration strategies to acquire companies that also demonstrate a presence, such as the recent acquisition of Rocky Gorge Homes, and putting the customer first make K. Hovnanian Enterprises stand out among homebuilders, says Dee Minich, group senior vice president of sales and marketing for K. Hovnanian Homes. “The value for our customer” is key to the company, adds Minich.
Part of this value is K. Hovnanian Homes’ attention to designs, which include floor plans for first-time, empty-nester and luxury home buyers. The locations and lot sizes determine which types of homes K. Hovnanian Homes builds in each community. Among the exciting floor plans is the Distinctive Properties Collection, formerly called the Monogram Collection.
Defining Distinction
A foyer with a gracious dual staircase as shown in the Tara model at Wright Farm Estates in Loudoun County begins the procession of welcoming entryways in the Distinctive Properties Collection. A curved balcony above the two-story foyer in the Ridgely model at Woodmore Estates in Prince George’s County and the classic staircase overlooking the dining room in the Barrington floor plan at Greenspring at Compass Pointe in Anne Arundel County add interest and intrigue to the estates.
Many communities, such as Wright Farm Estates in Purcellville, offer more than an acre of land around each estate. Starting in the upper $700,000s and nestled on three to five acres, this upscale neighborhood presents four distinctive floor plans, including the Tara with 5,400 square feet of living space, the Whitehall with more than 4,300 square feet, and the Lyndhurst I and II with about 3,600 square feet of space. These three designs and the Ridgely model, offering 3,500 square feet, include many special features, such as nine-foot ceilings on three levels, premium moldings and three-car garages, highlighted in the Distinctive Properties Collection.
Spacious entertainment areas beyond the foyer, such as the dining room in the Greenspring at Compass Pointe’s Barrington model, present clever options for decorating. This wide-open area leads directly into the connecting family room and kitchen, while the Tara model’s formal dining center is tucked away for privacy with a butler’s pantry linking it to the gourmet cooking station.
In most estate floor plans, such as the Ridgely, the formal settings flank the foyer with the living room often adjoining a favorite option, the side conservatory. All three communities show how this conservatory can be used as a music center, a spare eating area, or a quiet zone.
Expanding Opportunities
From room to room, the comfort levels rise along with the ceiling heights. The Ridgely model boasts a two-story family room with an optional floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, which most purchasers select, says Beth Paige, community sales manager at Woodmore Estates. A gas fireplace with marble surround and Palladian windows are standards in the gathering spot.
Also in this floor plan, the family room features an opening into the kitchen, while in the Barrington model in Pasadena, the family room offers several seating areas and a look at the outdoor fireplace and grill by Fireside. “People want to bring living outdoors,” Minich adds. This community also backs to a golf course setting.
In Purcellville where the land is vast, the Tara’s towering family room not only overlooks the outside, but also provides a view of the interior’s fabulous foyer and the expansive breakfast room and kitchen. Decorative valances match the ottomans in this room, where red adds a punch of color.
Most designs offer rear staircases, optional six-foot extensions in the family rooms, expansion potential in other rear rooms, such as libraries, and the option to add morning rooms. Standard and upgraded recessed lighting illuminates these areas of the homes.
Upgrading Elements
Built-in double ovens and microwaves, cooktops with grills or downdraft features, and Corian counters top the list of amenities in K. Hovnanian Homes’ island kitchens in this high-end collection. Upgrading to granite counters is pretty standard among the buyers as shown with Golden Oak granite in the Barrington and Golden Wave granite in the Ridgely. The standard hardwood flooring that comes with each kitchen is upgraded to Capella Cabernet oak or natural pecan in two of the models. This floor finish continues into the foyer.
The kitchen’s wide selection of 42-inch cabinets includes the Kincaid Roman Arch Autumn at Greenspring at Compass Pointe and Manchester Roman Arch Cognac at Woodmore Estates. Similar cabinets complete the adjoining laundry rooms and libraries. Special components of each design are the pantries, which in the Ridgely offers a window overlooking the porch. Spacious laundry facilities with designer upgraded slate or natural stone flooring link to the two- or three-car garages.
Bright morning rooms with breakfast bars establish cozy connections via French doors to the outside. Additional designer elements include a hand-painted mural in the Ridgely’s vaulted morning room and specialty seating and pendant lighting around the counters in each model.
C.V. Security installed the security systems in the homes, while intercom systems with CD players are optional. All homes in these three communities come with high-tech, multimedia or structured wiring.
Retreating in Style
Upper level retreats with three-sided fireplaces, beverage bars next to private sitting areas, walk-in closets that go on and on, and luxury baths with whirlpools define the Distinctive Properties Collection’s suites.
Personalized upgrades in the owner’s bedrooms include tray ceilings, crown moldings, recessed lighting, ceiling fan pre-wires, and additional electrical outlets. Wet bars create trendy coffee or beverage counters adjacent to the popular sitting rooms, which show optional built-ins and lots of light.
Garden baths with soaking tubs offering whirlpool options and Corian-topped vanities within Kincaid Autumn cabinets in the Barrington and Manchester Butterscotch cabinets in the Ridgely emphasize the quality and value of these spaces. Scabos 12-by-12-inch ceramic tiles cover the floors of some owner’s baths with the same size or smaller tiles in an assortment of colors found in the secondary bathrooms.
The Tara, the Ridgely and the Barrington offer four bedrooms standard with two of the three designs including bathrooms adjoining each bedroom.
Entertaining for the Fun of It
Home theatre systems with 100-inch flat projection screens are must-haves for many homeowners. And the way that Model Home Interiors finished each theatre and lower level inspires some people to recreate the look.
Take the Cyber Café at Woodmore Estates. Shiny CD-patterned wallpaper reflects the cushy computer seating for seven that encircles the central cappuccino bar. Additional high tables with cyber connections and booths fit for coffee sipping mingle with the family space and hallway leading to the full bathroom and media room on this floor.
“We created a lifestyle down there … we were able to define it,” says Ann Brugger, vice president of sales and marketing for the Maryland area at Model Home Interiors. Creating dreams by showing every possibility is part of this company’s job.
The least expensive way to pump up a room is with paint. “Paint is your best friend,” she says. Right now Brugger is using darker colors on ceilings to anchor rooms. Earth tones and greens are in, while active adults opt for clear blues, yellows and aquas, Brugger adds.
Another fun space is the lower level at Wright Farm Estates. This equestrian delight features paired booths on two sides backing to murals depicting hunt club scenes, as well as an enclave called the Winner’s Circle Club. A billiards area, a bar and a media room round out this floor.
Brimming with Details
With Victorian brick, Sandstone brick-colored siding, Rustic Virginia slate roofing, and Bordeaux doors and shutters, the Barrington’s New England elevation at Greenspring at Compass Pointe steals the show at the entrance to the community. Commonwealth brick, Desert Tan siding, Weathered Wood roofing, and Midnight Green shutters and doors finish the Ridgely’s Federal elevation at Woodmore Estates, while white trim outlines the Tara at Wright Farm Estates.
Each home boasts energy saving features, such as dual or multi-zone gas heat, Low-E windows, quick recovery hot water heaters, and energy conserving insulation. Lampposts and kickplates included in the brass packages, plus metal roofs on front porches and bay windows, present a variety of exterior finishes offered by K. Hovnanian Homes.
