Colonial and traditional-style homes are not typically what you think of when you envision residences in Poolesville, MD. Country estates, family farms, and hundred-year-old houses that have passed through generations of the same family might come to mind.
Frank Bell, president of Bell Builders, however, changed all that a year ago when he and his wife Jocelyn packed their Bethesda belongings and moved to Poolesville into a Bell Builders signature-style home. They haven’t looked back.
Jocelyn has noticed the visual impact of living in the country. Homes in the city are often designed for privacy. But in Poolesville, there’s a welcoming of natural surroundings into the home and there isn’t a disconnect from the outside. “I never thought the spatial aspect would have an impact on me,” Jocelyn says, but it does. “There’s a sense of freedom … inhibitions are gone.”
It seems some families who have lived in Bethesda for a long time have migrated out to the countryside of Poolesville, Frank comments. He knows quite a few folks in this region and rides his motorcycle along the back roads with some of them. “Even the temperature of the air is different here,” Frank adds.
Poolesville Beckons
Frank can relate to the passing down of land and homes from generation to generation and living in a place where one grew up. He had lived in Bethesda for most of his life, attended school at Bullis, and raised his daughters in a home built by his dad, Meade Bell, who retains the first builder license in Montgomery County. He thought they would stay put – until he visited the quiet lane in Poolesville.
Now, living in a new home in the country reminds Frank of where he spent his childhood when River Road was little more than woodlands where he would disappear during the weekends.
What’s Different
Frank and Jocelyn didn’t take the same approach to building their new home as Bell Builders offers to most new home buyers, because the Poolesville home was under construction when Frank had an epiphany. “I was setting a bird blind for hunting, sitting on the back of a pick-up truck, drinking a beer, and smoking a cigar,” Frank says. “I asked myself, ‘What’s wrong with this?’ ” His answer, “Nothing.”
Frank quickly realized the pluses of living in the country. “There’s a certain serenity here,” he says. But Jocelyn was hesitant. It took Frank nine months to convince Jocelyn to leave Bethesda. After asking her a carefully worded question, “Do you see us dying in this house?,” Frank says, “I knew we could move when she answered ‘no.’ “
Originally developed as a spec home, the country residence was attractive to the Bells on many levels: It works as a showhouse for prospective buyers to inspect Bell Builders’ designs and finishes; it offers a place to unwind away from the city; the property provides space to store Frank’s motorcycles and cars; and it reconnects the Bells to the land.
How Bell Builds
Clients first approach Bell Builders with a certain neighborhood or home style in mind. Once a lot is located and Frank walks the property, he’ll know what he can and can’t do as far as home style and size. Once spatial and furniture arrangements are decided, then Frank moves onto questions about how owners will live in the homes, such as where they want their study or if equitable closet space is important.
“I request a budget when entering the design phase,” Frank says. “I can control the design so they can control the budget.” This gives homeowners the option to decide if they want to spend $800 on a faucet or if they’d rather put money into something else. For Frank and Jocelyn, selecting a geothermal heating system was a fairly easy decision for them because they envisioned the long-term cost savings. “I was told it reduces utility bills by 30 percent,” Frank adds.
With 5,800 square feet on two floors, plus the lower level and garages, the Bells’ home includes the latest technology, such as computerized Lutron lighting and window candlelights, computerized wiring, phone and audio-video systems, and security cameras. “I use hardware or lighting that makes me think of the homeowner,” Frank adds. For their own home, he selected bell-shaped lanterns and a pineapple theme. “I try to tie the home style to the homeowner’s personality.”
“I like the patina of limestone,” says Frank, who used it in the owners’ bath. Old barn wood and yellow pine beams finish the floor of his detached garage. “Things don’t always have to match,” Frank stresses. Random-plank black walnut floors installed by Martine Custom Floor Installations, eight different crown molding designs, and doors, hardware, vanities and cabinets of varying styles emphasize the builder’s versatility.
Family Traditions
When Frank was growing up, he would hang out at the theatre with his aunt, enjoy the national symphony with his grandmother, and attend lectures at National Geographic with his dad. He still enjoys these pastimes and others, such as riding one of his motorcycles and tinkering in his garage. His versatility is reflected in his work; he doesn’t like to be static. He’s part designer, part builder, part friend – sometimes helping homeowners select furnishings and often establishing lasting friendships.
“I can’t think of any other thing I could do that would affect people’s memories as much as building their houses,” Frank says. “I make sure the houses relate to their lifestyles and that they’ll be excited about getting their homes done and moving in.”
The Experience
Frank and Jocelyn find joy in building and also in giving back to those less fortunate. Jocelyn and Bell Builders are sponsors of the Mercy Center Foundation USA Inc., which provides a Kenyan village with clean water, health care, and education. It’s a worthwhile cause they support each year.
Just as they like to share their good fortune with others, they also are enjoying living in a new home for the first time as well as residing in the country. “There’s no sense of pressure or time here,” Jocelyn says. “I never realized how much I like privacy.”
For Frank, the reasons for appreciating the move to Poolesville are varied, but include being able to experience living in a home he’s built. “I do what I do because I like it,” Frank says. “It’s not just a job.”
The Bells’ blessings traveled with them to their new locale. Frank says, “We had the good fortune in the previous neighborhood of having great neighbors. We still enjoy the same privilege of having terrific neighbors in Poolesville.”
