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Filled with family treasures from trips around the world, chalkboards etched with lesson plans, and patios dotted with furniture for lounging, the Chapmans’ six-bedroom, seven-bathroom custom home with wooded setting welcomes family and friends.
From the outside, when first viewing the palatial balustrades forming the perimeter of the pool and patios, one might think that the inspiration came from Greek architecture. But actually, the design was Lisa and Bill Chapman’s, who were inspired by a similar style in a magazine and worked with Ekrem Divleli, president of Crescent Design & Construction Inc., to create their grand outdoor oasis.
The stamped concrete patios, stately walls, and elaborate railings were designed and installed before a recent family trip to Greece and Italy to supplement the geography and history lessons of the two younger Chapman children, Will, 10, and Maddie, 9, who are home schooled. The oldest child, Megan, 14, enjoyed Greece with its relaxed atmosphere, while Bill, 35, president of Alexander Capital Markets LLC, adds that the cappuccinos were wonderful in Italy. But, after returning to Virginia, Lisa, 33, says that their Great Falls residence with its idyllic backyard and gracious interior is a home of a lifetime.
The Process
Bill, who grew up in Richmond from the age of 10, and Lisa, a native of Tappahannock, VA, knew what they wanted when building their family home on five acres in Great Falls. After talking to several custom builders in the area, they selected Renaissance Custom Homes, now WCI Renaissance Communities. The company builds a good product at a good cost, Lisa says.
“The biggest success of the house was the team effort,” says Bill Gross, who at the time was vice president of Renaissance Custom Homes and who worked with the Chapmans. Starting with the popular Monet floor plan, the owners made significant modifications to the home and incorporated advanced elements, such as a freestanding staircase in the foyer. Lisa insisted on finished attic space, Gross says, because of the positive experiences she had playing in the attic of her childhood home.
The Chapmans chose top-of-the-line finishes everywhere, he adds, including in the upper level owners’ suite where they added a walk-through shower and waterfall tub in the bathroom and a balcony overlooking the patios, pool, and wooded acreage. Charles Owen, president of Fine Landscapes Ltd., designed a side garden with Boston ivy and crab apple trees along the path from the front circular driveway to the rear yard and recreational amenities.
Using stamped concrete, Divleli created a total of 6,000 square feet of patio space on all three levels. The entire patio took about five months to complete. The top tier connects to the main living spaces, while the next level leads through archways to the finished lower level of the 12,000-square-foot home. The bottom tier includes a pool house with copper roof and a fireplace in the corner with cushions and pillows by Gilbert-Hunter Limited. John Gilbert, partner at Gilbert-Hunter Limited, says that the vibrant fabrics complement the contrasting white walls and banisters.
Then and Now
During the 11-month construction of the home, the Chapmans lived in the property’s early twentieth century log cabin up on the hill. The log dwelling was a cozy place for the family to enjoy their first winter holiday on the property. It’s now home to Maria Isapour, the children’s nanny, and her family. “Building memories,” says Lisa, is what they are doing in their new spaces where they plan to stay for a long time with only a few changes in the works, such as adding a six-bay garage with an adjoining music room for Bill.
One of the family’s favorite spots in the home, especially for Megan, is the sunroom where Lisa shopped at Green Front Furniture in Farmville, VA, Old Luckett’s Store in Luckett, VA, and La Barge Inc. in High Point, NC, to fill the space with exotic elements. A sisal rug atop multi-colored ceramic floor tiles, trunk and drum-style tables, and mementos of places traveled bring character and warmth to the space. Harriet Finder, certified kitchen designer (CKD) at Stuart Kitchens, added a cabinet in the sunroom, while Sterling Design & Construction Inc. installed the granite counter. For finishing touches, DGI Construction Inc. applied a sand texture to the walls in a tree moss hue and Christine Barnette of Christine Nicole Productions Inc. crowned the ceiling with a subtle design.
“The Chapmans were fun to work with,” says Barnette, who also used several techniques, including gold leafing, glazing and trompe l’oeil, throughout the home. In addition, Finder designed cabinetry for other rooms, such as a desk in Maddie’s room and shelving for the children’s library upstairs.
Tried and True
Marble, stone, and metal accent the main floor of the Chapmans’ home where the grand entryway introduces the column-clad great room featuring hand-hewn walnut flooring installed by Omar Anwarzai of Floors USA Inc. located in Vienna and Sterling.
“You’ll see a theme everywhere,” says Lisa, with furnishings, such as the great room’s sofa by Marge Carson Inc. from Furnitureland South in NC and other items by John-Richard and Theodore Alexander. Lisa and Bill tend to consistently gravitate to the works of these three companies. “Lisa knows what she wants,” Barnette adds. Lori Torich, manager and interior designer at Hollingsworth Decorative Fabrics, assisted the Chapmans in selecting the drapery in this room and the sunroom.
The hearth room features Raymond Waites wallpaper with a similar fabric on the comfy sofa and chairs. The adjoining kitchen, offering stainless steel appliances and a mix of light and dark Habersham Furniture cabinetry, opens to the golden-toned breakfast room. This is the core of the home with its link to the rear staircase, the formal spaces, the mudroom, and the multi-tiered patios.
Staying at Home
A media room, which features rich red fabric walls by Gilbert-Hunter Limited and fiber optic lights by Burgess Lighting & Distributing, and an adjoining family room with fabric gathered along the ceiling are two of the many inviting spaces on the lower level. Joe C. Helms Studios drew a fun mural in the exercise room depicting the family at the beach, plus painted a portrait of one of the family’s dogs, George, a Havanese, that hangs in the billiards room.
Lisa likes to create a whole atmosphere in a room, “a complete design with no detail ignored,” such as in the wine cellar, Barnette says. Other lower level rooms include a bistro area with bar and a guest suite with entry to the backyard.
Whether the family is inside enjoying the warmth and comfort of the main and lower levels or “visiting” faraway places in the upper level classroom, the lessons learned here are clear. This Great Falls home is the Chapmans’ slice of paradise and a place to plant family roots.
