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| | | Hill history at a low price | | August 21, 2009 | | | | Staff Writer | | A circa-1890 row home on the edges of the Capitol Hill Historic District offers the best of both worlds, according to Realtor Gloria Dorsey. The home is close to the amenities of the Hill, she noted, but in an “up-and-coming” spot that will be further bolstered as ballpark-centered development proceeds down M Street. As a result, the just-renovated home is “very attractively priced,” said Dorsey.
That price certainly has come down in recent months; now at $399,000, the home was originally listed for $526,000. But price drops don’t reflect declining activity here: There’s evidence of renovations going on at several properties on the block and on nearby streets.
Among other features, this renovation offers a solution to the center stair that looms too large in some row homes: This one opens off the center hall and twists up through the home’s three levels, saving precious floor space. Some of those savings are given over to storage spots; there are several on the ground floor alone.
Though updates yielded a modified floor plan, there are plenty of classic Capitol Hill row home features here. An exposed brick wall runs the height and depth of the home, and narrow-plank wood floors are a Hill staple.
An open-plan kitchen takes up the rest of the ground floor. The space is large, with enough room for a sizeable dining table. And a frequent notorious feature of historic row homes — no bathroom on the ground floor — has been remedied here with a powder room.
The sky-blue kitchen has several touches that take it beyond the basic stainless-steel-and-granite kitchen redo. Bin pulls add heft to simple tray cabinetry, and a marble-tiled backsplash is a smart upgrade: far cheaper than a slab, but with the same cool, light-reflecting quality that only marble has.
Finishing touches are ongoing here, Dorsey pointed out. Wood-framed kitchen nooks are ready for the refrigerator and dishwasher that she said will arrive soon. And workers are “tightening things up,” she said, but added that the home’s renovation is complete. One improvement made during that process can be seen from the kitchen window: a wood deck large enough for a grill, table and chairs.
Two upstairs bedrooms also benefited from the renovation. Crown molding adds a distinctive note to the wood-floored spaces, and closets are larger than would have been found in the original home.
The second level’s full bathroom is a black-and-white classic: basketweave floor tiles yield to a beveled subway tile in the shower.
A hallway closet is ready to hold a stacked washer and dryer that Dorsey said is on its way.
Renovations of larger row homes often convert one level into a master suite, but the trick is rarely used in three-bedroom houses. The third-floor carpeted master bedroom here offers two windows and a closet with frosted-look doors. The master bath is a paler iteration of the downstairs bath, with white-and-cream basketweave floor tiles.
But this home’s third level is a private getaway with more than just a master bedroom and bath — it also offers access to the home’s terra cotta-tiled roof deck.
“If you lined this with plants and added a chair, it would be great up here,” Dorsey said.
The three-bedroom, 2.5-bath row home at 1122 K St. SE is offered for $399,000. For more information contact John Smith of The Smith Team Realtors, a Prudential Carruthers Realtors group, at 202-393-1111, x107 or JSmithteam@gmail.com. | | | | | Log in to comment on this article |
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