When Mark and Kelly Knebel set out to build their family home in Northwest, DC, four years ago, they wanted it to symbolize their building prowess, their design sensibilities, and especially their strong commitment to family. So if a house could be a symbol of its residents’ strengths, then their home stands for endurance, dedication, and courage.
With parents who were supportive of their ambitions growing up, Mark and Kelly have been groomed to face challenges. “Our parents instilled a great sense of appreciation for dedication and hard work,” says Mark, who developed a love of architecture and construction at an early age. “My mother still gives me grief for making her drive me around before I had my driver’s license and wait for me to tour a house that was under construction,” he says.
Knowing they have parents and siblings who back their decisions has helped the Knebels face the challenges of building this home and others, as well as dealing with their oldest son’s three-year struggle with epilepsy. “Family is key and always first,” Mark says. “We are absolutely thrilled that our courageous son has recovered so well from his recent brain surgery.”
Establishing Presence
“The intent was to design and build a home that fits into the neighborhood and appears as if it was constructed 75 to 100 years ago,” says Mark, who has a background in architecture and owns Clemens Construction LLC. “Our hope is that when the landscape matures and fills in, someone driving by will not be able to tell when our home was constructed.”
First spotting the Northwest site when they were dating, Mark remembers saying to Kelly, “I’m going to build you your dream home on that lot some day.” That day came and they built their family home on one of the two lots subdivided from the original property.
During the complex excavation process, they hit rock, quartz, and water. “We moved 5,500 yards of soil from our site,” Mark says. (A yard of dirt is 27 cubic feet with a typical new home requiring 500-800 yards of dirt to be removed.) The commercially engineered retaining wall provides a walkout first floor and lower garage.
“During the initial design phase, we worked closely with the building architect, civil engineers, and landscape architects to place the first floor elevation of the house at a level that kept it from being ‘the house on the hill,’ ” Mark adds. Working with George Myers, president of GTM Architects Inc., and drawing inspiration from a custom Hamptons home commissioned by the Guggenheim family, which is also a wide home on a shallow lot, the owners modeled their home after a “French eclectic architectural style.”
“The clay tile was probably the single largest influence on the overall exterior style of the home,” Mark says. The manmade tiles immediately looked aged, giving the home an Old World look complemented by the selection of the limestone veneer. Because of the shape of the lot, which is 200’ wide and 100’ deep, and the width of the house, the Knebels used a stucco-stone rhythm to break up the exterior. A rich deep brown for the trim and cornice as well as copper accents pulled the overall look together.
Similar Tastes
Even if you have been through the building process before, designing a home can be daunting, especially if you are working with a clean slate. The entire process takes time. “It is critical to spend the necessary time in the design phase to minimize the costly changes that most people experience,” says Mark, who started researching and designing as soon as they wrote the contract for the lot.
Because the Knebels have similar tastes and gravitate toward traditional and interesting architectural styles, it reduced the stress associated with design selections. Now that they’re done, there are only a few small details they would change if they were to build this home again.
“Mark and Kelly were looking for a picturesque quality, an older English estate look,” Myers says, as if pieces were added over time. The right side is more family oriented, while the left wing is used for holiday family gatherings and large scale entertaining. For instance, the Knebels recently were asked by Children’s Hospital to host a Circle of Care function, which is held to thank and acknowledge the generosity of some of their most loyal patrons.
Carefully Crafted
On the inside, Kelly lent her eye for design as a former showroom manager for Beacon Hill at The Washington Design Center. Kelly says her intention was to create spaces that flow from one room to the next in terms of color, furnishings, and window treatments. She wanted cozy and comfortable spaces, elegant without being too formal. “We tried to make sure the house feels that it was done over a period of time as opposed to a whirlwind shopping spree,” Kelly adds. “Rooms were specifically designed to accommodate certain furniture groupings to complement one another based on location and proportion.”
Mark is especially partial to the detailed millwork and trim throughout the home. “Nothing is over the top but everything was well planned, and the craftsmanship that went into the installations was tremendous,” he says. They describe the interiors as “subtle elegance that exudes warmth.” The details are plentiful and sophisticated.
The couple’s three children also influenced the placement of certain rooms and the selection of some interior design finishes. A first floor playroom near Kelly’s office and the kitchen are home central. Even though the home is large, it maintains a sense of proportion and comfort, which is important for the family. “We specifically avoided double height spaces,” Kelly adds.
Moving Forward
Mark has returned to his alma mater, Landon School in Bethesda, MD, to speak on entrepreneurship and his success as a project manager at Clark Construction Group and now at his own company. “While I was an employee at Clark building the law school at Catholic University, I provided weekly tours for the architecture students,” Mark says. It was a way to bridge the gap between architects and builders, which is something he continues to promote with his business.
“We only take on projects that can be managed properly. We do not believe that more is better,” Mark says. “We strive to produce quality at all levels.” Kelly sees Mark’s passion for building and design as his professional strength. “I enjoy working with people, listening to them, and incorporating what my clients are looking for,” Mark adds. Clemens Construction is presently involved in custom single-family and multi-family residential projects where it often participates in the development responsibilities as well. Kelly takes an active role in all residential projects where she can infuse her design talents, assist clients, and ensure that style and theme are consistent throughout. Mark also has a consulting business that is actively involved in the new Washington Nationals stadium project.
After building four homes in six years, the Knebel family embraces the adventures of being on the move. “I admire the flexibility my wife and children have regarding their ability and tolerance to move from one house to the next as often as we have and will most likely continue to do,” Mark says. With the children in private school and the moves generally within two to three miles of one another, the impact is minimized.
The design and construction of this French eclectic home is a stepping stone in building the Knebel family’s strong, lifelong bond. Their journey is just beginning.
