Great Space Development

Back On! 815 K Street NE

2011-10-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

815 K Street NE is back on the market at a fantastic new price! If you like windows, space, and great design - this is the house for you. Have your own K Street address right in the heart of DC's trendy Atlas District...

5 Bedrooms

3 1/2 Baths

$699,999

More information. See our other work.

Disclosure: An owner of Great Space Development is now a licensed real estate agent and is affiliated with Century 21 Redwood Realty, the brokerage listing this home.

Coming Back Soon: 815 K Street NE

2011-09-05T09:36:00.001-07:00

815 K Street NE is off the market, but will be back soon.

Watch for it in mid-September with a new price!

4 bedrooms (+ den)

3 1/2 baths

Stay tuned for more information.

In the meantime, see more pictures!

New Listing: 815 K Street NE

2011-06-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Is that really just one house? As tall as Mt. Everest & as wide as The Grand Canyon! Easier to find your mate on a dating site than in this massive mansion bigger than some of the bars on H-Street! You can meander through this place like a long walk on a sunny day. Did I say sunny? Sunny as in Sun-Splashed through over 30 windows! Sunny like Biblical Sunny! Multiple Master BR's and Baths.

4 Bedrooms (+den)

3 1/2 Baths

$768,500

More information

Learn more about the H Street / Atlas neighborhood from an Urban Turf/WaPo article. Or check out DC Mud's latest on the neighborhood.

See more pictures. Check out our work on other houses!

Great Space Interiors: H Street / Atlas District 2011

2011-06-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon: Atlas District

2011-06-03T14:30:00.001-07:00

Great Space Development's latest project will hit the market mid-June!

And a grand home it is - featuring 4 bedrooms (+den), 3 1/2 baths, and tons of windows. Also fully renovated with Great Space's usual fine finishes and charm.

Blocks from the metro and the fantastic H Street amenities.

Watch our blog mid June for the listing!

Check out some of our past projects, including other work in the Atlas District.

Coming Soon: Atlas District

2011-03-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

Great Space Development is starting a new project in the Atlas District! Expected completion is early June 2011. Current plans include:

4 bedrooms + office/den

3 1/2 baths

The house has a towering, eye-catching facade and will be topped off with Great Space Development's usual high-quality finishes.

Photo is from a past project.

Under Contract: 1512 Massachusetts Ave SE

2011-03-03T09:46:00.001-08:00

Under $400k! What more can I say? Sleek & Sophisticated, Designed to Delight! Both Economically and Ecologically friendly. Simply a Heart-Warming home with a Wallet-Friendly disposition. More affordable than condos, with parking in the back, a deep front yard, and so close to Lincoln Park your dog could walk himself. .. (Look both ways Pooch!) Please pay attention to the details by Great Space, llc.

2 Bedrooms

1 1/2 Baths

More Pictures

Check out more of Great Space's work here. And watch our blog for new homes for sale.

Check It Out: Great Space in WaPo's Express

2011-02-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

Great Space is featured in Washington Post's Express daily in an article about house flipping, highlighting the latest Kingman Park property. The interior, they said:

"...looks ready for furniture from West Elm or CB2, two catalogues that Macomber drew inspiration from when creating the interior design."

Director of Research and Design, Jennifer Macomber, makes the important distinction between what Great Space does and traditional house flipping:

"Flipping is about quick profits and cosmetic improvements," she says. "My company is about completely rehabilitating homes, making them beautiful and contributing to the neighborhood. We are in it for the long haul."

And noting what Great Space puts into its houses:

"The carefully staged appearance is just one of the many additional costs that creep up after a rehab. Realtor fees, taxes and carrying costs are others. Macomber's D.C.-based company... uses a builder, architect and subcontractors, too. Macomber, 40, does the interior design."

Under Contract: 524 23rd Place NE

2011-01-26T07:38:00.000-08:00

Under contract before it officially hit the market. Top to bottom renovation in Kingman Park.

3 Bedrooms

2 1/2 Baths

More Pictures

Interested in a Great Space home? Watch our blog for homes For Sale!

Great Space Interiors: Kingman Park

2011-01-26T07:30:00.001-08:00

Great Space Interiors: Capitol Hill

2010-12-01T06:09:00.000-08:00

New Listing: 1512 Massachusetts Ave SE

2010-11-10T15:11:00.000-08:00

Designed to Delight! Both Economically and Ecologically friendly. Simply a Heart-Warming home with a Wallet-Friendly disposition. More affordable than condos, with parking in the back, a deep front yard, and so close to Lincoln Park your dog could walk himself...(Look both ways Pooch!)

2 Bedrooms

1 1/2 Baths

$379,000

More information

Check out Urban Turf's profile of Hill East. And read a DCMud blogger's dirt on the neighborhood. Also note the neighborhood website!

Coming Soon: Capitol Hill Rowhouse

2010-11-07T12:50:00.000-08:00

Coming soon to Capitol Hill - 2 BR, 1.5 bath beauty, fully renovated, with tons of charm. Blocks to Metro and parking included!

Another new listing from Great Space Development, LLC.

Check out some of our other work in the Atlas District and the H Street Corridor.

Take a look at some of our interiors.

Developer-Built Transit: Past or Possible?

2010-09-07T03:30:00.001-07:00

Brookings Institution visiting fellow and real estate developer Christopher Leinberger takes another crack at a novel, but not new, idea this week: can a real estate developer build - and pay for - transit infrastructure?

The funding mechanism is called value capture. Theoretically, this approach allows a developer or government entity to "capture" part of the increased property value resulting from the addition of transit to pay for infrastructure costs.

Why is Leinberger's article timely? Money and lack of it at all levels of government, the traditional source of infrastructure dollars, since World War II, as Leinberger points out.

Before government paid for transportation infrastructure private investors often supported these projects. A local example from Leinberger's article - in the late 19th Century, future Nevada senator Francis G. Newlands and a group of investors began acquiring land in northwest Washington, DC and southern Montgomery County, MD to build a new streetcar suburb, Chevy Chase. To ensure the success of the then-faraway development, they funded a privately-built transit link, the Rock Creek Railway, to connect Chevy Chase with downtown DC. The streetcar got people to the suburb, and also provided electric power to homes. The power generation equipment was later sold to PEPCO and the trolley shut down. The development company continues today as the Chevy Chase Land Company.

What we think is compelling about privately-funded transit infrastructure is that it is new way to think about transportation infrastructure development, and perhaps a solution during tough times. Post-World War II, the primary concerns about any transit project were its operating and infrastructure costs. But transit systems in and of themselves typically are not profitable enterprises - the fixed costs are too high. However, thought of more broadly, well designed systems can increase property values around them, which is in the interest of property owners, city tax bases, and developers. The Center for Transit-Oriented Development puts it this way:

"When new transit lines are viewed not as transportation projects but as economic development projects with transportation benefits..."

But it can't work everywhere. For example, dense cities are probably not good candidates. Large scale approaches that reach all parts of the city are needed there, and probably best left to government. But in areas on the fringe or outside of dense urban areas, where there is interest in connecting to an existing transit system, private infrastructure development may be viable.

There are critics of this approach, and legitimate concerns. Jarrett at Human Transit points out many reasons why that's a bad idea, as do some of the comments.

But in specific, limited cases, could privately-funded transit infrastructure succeed as a development tool? Interestingly, the DDOT is considering the public sector version of value capture, tax increment financing, to partially fund the District's new streetcar system. And in small town Kenosha, Wisconsin, there's a 2-mile trolley line built for a reasonable cost of between $2 million and $4 million per mile to help grow a lakefront residential development.

Needless to say, the cost of any privately-funded transit infrastructure has to be sufficiently affordable before any real estate developer would consider the idea, much less whether a bank or the bond market would give the concept a serious look.

But in tough economic times, it may be an answer to 21st Century infrastructure challenges, and even help spur development. As Leinberger quotes his colleague, Brookings fellow Rob Puentes: "We've run out of money. It's time to start thinking."

Image via Wikicommons and in the public domain.

Meet Gabe Klein: DC's Transportation Chief

2010-09-03T04:02:00.000-07:00

He's 39, loves bikes and buses, and is making waves with new bike lanes.

Not to mention streetcars.

Klein is the Michelle Rhee of transportation - he's a reformer and leader. He doesn't seem afraid to implement new, if slightly controversial, ideas. What about good, old fashioned cars? He says...

"Cars are a part of our daily life here in D.C. ...but what we want to do is try to equalize the playing field. Encourage people to walk, to bike, to bike share; or instead of owning a car - car share."

Image from DC Department of Transportation

DC Topping the Lists

2010-09-01T03:33:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Urban Turf for doing some list digging today.

Turns out - not to our surprise - that DC ranks high in what we'd consider good "quality of life."

Sure, as UT points out these lists aren't scientific. And, of course, our growing city has a long way to go. But these things are darn fun to read. So...without further adieu, here's a sampling of Urban Turf's compilation...

"*Job search website Juju.com rated DC as the best city for job seekers.

*Forbes ranked DC as the second best city for working mothers.

*BusinessWeek ranked it as the second best city for 'job-hunting grads.'

*Kiplinger went so far as to rank DC as the best city 'of the next decade' and Portfolio.com ranked it second in quality of life among major U.S. cities."

See the full Urban Turf list here.

Image in the public domain via Wikicommons.

15-yr mortgage refi growing in popularity

2010-08-31T03:32:00.000-07:00

Another result of the U.S. financial crisis?

WSJ reports that more home owners are choosing the 15-year fixed option when refinancing, accepting higher payments as a short term price for the longer term gain of less interest paid on the loan and less debt overall.

"We're seeing a different view on debt than maybe we've seen in the past," [Bob Walters, chief economist at Quicken Loans] says. Today, homeowners are saying, "I really want to pay this off. I'm going to bite the bullet and take the payment and work toward paying this down."

The 15-year option isn't for everyone, but it is an interesting development. No word in the article on whether this trend exists here in the Washington region.

Image via Wikicommons in public domain

Charms of Little Rome (aka Brookland, DC)

2010-08-30T03:31:00.000-07:00

If you couldn't tell already, we're a little biased towards DC as a great place to live.

WaPo's real estate section featured "Little Rome" this weekend, aka Brookland, one of the city's many up and coming neighborhoods.

"The variety of housing stock attracts many buyers to Brookland, said Mary Hodges, a Brookland resident and real estate agent with the Menkiti Group. It's a neighborhood where rowhouses back up to farmhouses and Victorians and bungalows sit side-by-side. It's also the home of the District's only perfectly round house."

Brookland has some solid new development coming soon adjacent to the nearby Rhode Island Metro station. Check out our recent work in the neighborhood here and here.

Image of Brookland's Franciscan Monastery by Abraham via Wikicommons.

DC home prices rise

2010-08-25T04:03:00.000-07:00

Washington Business Journal reports DC's year over year gain in home prices is fourth highest in the nation, bested only by Boston, New York and San Diego.

"Nationwide, existing-home sales prices rose 0.7 percent from year-ago levels...In Washington, the year-over price gain was 4 percent."

This was welcome news in light of sales trends. Locally, existing-home sales in July were down over 18% from June, says the Biz Journal. Nationally, sales dropped over 27% from June.

Image in public domain via Wikicommons.

Big Apple Invasion!

2010-08-24T03:20:00.000-07:00

All of us down in lowly little DC know we live in the most powerful city in the world, despite whatever boasting our larger neighbors to the North may think.

That second place perception among New Yorkers may be beginning to change, says WaPo reporter Danielle Douglas. Turns out it's not so much the Fed or Congressional money that's causing the Big Apple invasion.

Instead, it's the relative strength of DC's economy (at least in restaurants...). "The downturn...made the D.C. market appear even more appealing, as 'generally anything inside the Beltway was still doing pretty well, while New York took a big hit.'"

Speaking of New York coming to DC, can anyone say awesome pastrami?

Image by Bernd Untiedt and used with permission via Creative Commons.

Ryan Zimmerman's Other Home Runs

2010-08-20T03:40:00.000-07:00

There's no denying the Nats have athletic talent. See Strasburg, Stephen.

But third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is a pillar of the Curly W's - both on the field and off.

WaPo did an interesting piece recently highlighting professional athletes and teams and their increasing charitable giving. Zimmerman, in particular, led the story with his efforts to support a local organization helping fight multiple sclerosis.

Reporter Susan Kinzie says it's a trend. "For reasons idealistic, self-serving or practical, athletes and teams are putting a greater emphasis on donating money, volunteering and helping local communities - with more commitment to proving real impact rather than just photo ops."

She says Washington's other sports franchises have winning futures, with big names like the Caps' Alex Ovechkin and Redskins' QB Donovan McNabb on board. Winning records and community enthusiasm could lead to more donors, volunteers, and corporate partners for team foundations. Here's to more big charitable swings for DC's upper decks!

Image by Keith Alison via Flickr Creative Commons.

City Paper: Rhee Roars in Real Estate

2010-08-19T03:18:00.000-07:00

Speaking of the DC mayoral race, Washington City Paper calls DC schools chancellor Michelle Rhee and Fenty appointee "the most powerful person in D.C. real estate" this week.

"All of [the DC schools improvement] means that the Chancellor's decisions like which schools are closed, which are renovated, and which principals go where can govern where current and prospective parents want to live...it even affects commercial real estate..."

"That, in turn, generates more property taxes, which feeds into the city's general fund, which helps programs all over the city."

Will she stay or will she go? We'll know after September 14.

Image via Wikicommons.

Finance guru: Nationalize housing finance

2010-08-18T03:49:00.000-07:00

'Nationalization' isn't a word that's thrown around the United States' economy very often.

So when Bill Gross, one of the investment world's biggest names, says that the U.S. mortgage finance system, led by deeply troubled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, "won't work," it's time to listen up.

Says the PIMCO exec in Bloomberg: "To suggest there's a large place for private financing in the future of housing finance is unrealistic. Government is part of our future. We need a government balance sheet. To suggest that the private market will come back in is simply impractical. It won't work."

Image from PIMCO.

Home libraries - fact, fiction or just falling by the wayside?

2010-08-16T03:16:00.000-07:00

Hardback books look great on shelves. But how are they for reading these days?

Therein lies one of the tensions of our Kindle and iPad reader times. WaPo architecture reporter Philip Kennicott comments on the gradual passing of home libraries in Sunday's paper, or website.

"The architecture of our lives is constantly changing, and the library may be next on the list of rooms that grow vestigial and then vanish from our floor plans."

Speaking of e-books, they're beginning to out sell hardbacks.

Image by gadl and used by permission via Creative Commons

Forget everything we've said. THIS is why DC is really getting good.

2010-08-13T03:26:00.000-07:00

Let's just say the Prince of Petworth made our day.

Hot off the presses is news that everyone's favorite chicken sandwich is finally - finally! - coming to DC. Previously, chicken sandwich and waffle fry connoisseurs had to venture out to Tysons Corner Mall for their fix.

Said a Chick-Fil-A Sr. VP of Awesome in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on expanding into previously-untapped urban markets:

"The markets that we want to grow in, whether Chicago or D.C. or Southern California, we need to know how to do this."

Uh, yea. We guarantee it won't be hard to learn. Great Space open house with Chick-Fil-A coming soon!

In the Ring: Petworth vs. H Street NE

2010-08-12T03:31:00.000-07:00

Urban Turf goes to the mat this week, pitting against each other the up-and-coming District neighborhoods of Petworth and H Street NE.

We here at Great Space Development have done work in both neighborhoods, and appreciate each area for their own unique reasons.

Take a look at the comments after the post. Pros and cons range from Metro and streetcar access, to amenities like restaurants and bars. We think they also show that one neighborhood's advocates are just as passionate as the other - and you can guarantee we won't be taking sides. They're both great!

Really Good Coffee - Sidamo on H Street NE

2010-08-11T03:38:00.000-07:00

DC is a city of ideas. Increasingly, it's also a city of great coffee.

Let's face it: for those of us who like - love - coffee, or even the idea of coffee, quality matters.

Case in point: Sidamo Coffee and Tea on H Street NE. Locally roasted on site, with fair trade and shade grown varieties from the Sidamo province of Ethiopia. Not only is the coffee great, but so is the warm hospitality provided by the couple who owns and manages the shop.

It's just one of many outstanding culinary attractions of the surrounding H Street / Atlas District neighborhood.

Voice Mail = Dinosaur?

2010-08-10T02:17:00.000-07:00

All of us here in the Blackberry- and iPhone-obsessed (ok, some would just say Blackberry-obsessed) DMV know a thing or two about trading voice mails.

Except, what happens when voice mail and talk seems so yesterday?

That's part of what WaPo asked today:

"A generation of e-mailing, followed by an explosion in texting, has pushed the telephone conversation into serious decline, creating new tensions between baby boomers and millennials -- those in their teens, 20s and early 30s."

So, good thing, bad thing or no thing? Give us a call and let us know. Ha!

High Speed Rail: Coming Soon?

2010-08-09T02:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, we in the DMV have Amtrak's Acela.

The rest of the country? High speed rail could be coming, thanks to $8 billion in Federal dollars to help jump start projects across the country.

Today's Philadelphia Inquirer publishes its take on the high speed rail debate, and asks: are we getting closer to TGV-like trains across the U.S.?

"In Europe, fast trains are transforming the continent, bringing cities and countries within a few hours of one another, erasing centuries-old regional divisions, resuscitating long-dormant towns, cutting air pollution, creating new economies and manufacturing jobs, and, in a reversal of 20th-century fortunes, making some air travel obsolete."

Building a truly high speed rail system here won't be cheap. The original U.S. Interstate highway system cost in excess of $180 billion. In the short term, that kind of investment seems like a long shot given the country's fiscal situation. But over the long term, high speed rail could be just what our strained transportation infrastructure needs. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

Sold: Farmhouse in Brookland

2010-08-06T03:09:00.000-07:00

Gone!

3 Bedrooms

2 1/2 Baths

Sold: August 2010

Listed as This Week's Find on Urban Turf.

Interested in a Great Space home? Watch our blog for properties Coming Soon!

Giving: Three Washington Billionaires On Buffett's Charity Pledge

2010-08-05T02:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we talked about sales involving prominent local families, in particular the Post's sale of Newsweek to Washington businessman Sidney Harman.

Today, we highlight three Washingtonians not for buying or selling, but giving.

Washington billionaires David Rubenstein, co-founder of local powerhouse private equity fund The Carlyle Group, and philanthropists Vicki and Roger Sant are signers of Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge, which requires participants to give away at least half their wealth to charity.

Bloomberg reports this week that more U.S. billionaires have signed on to Buffett's challenge, very welcome news amidst deeply troubling economic times. It's an incredible pledge made by these extraordinarily successful Washingtonians, and a reminder to all of us in the business community of the importance of sharing our success with those less fortunate.

Just like our homes, neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and our religious, non-profit and governmental institutions, charitable giving is what helps make the DC region truly great.

Sold: From One Washington Power Family to Another

2010-08-04T03:45:00.000-07:00

We talk a lot about sales here at the Great Space blog. We also like to highlight DC and the people who make this city tick.

Case in point: the Graham family, longtime owners and publishers of the Washington Post, sold struggling Newsweek to another prominent Washingtonian, Sidney Harman, this week.

Grand price for the proud but beleaguered news mag: $1.

Said Post Company Chairman Donald Graham: "We wanted someone who feels as strongly as we do about the importance of quality journalism." And Harman, 91, added: "I do this because I see working hands-on at Newsweek as the culmination of a lifetime career in industry and government and education."

For DC Mayor: Gray vs. Fenty

2010-08-03T03:24:00.000-07:00

WaPo's new weekly business publication, Washington Business, has dueling op-ed's from the city's leading Democratic mayoral candidates. We thought they contrasted greatly in style and substance, enough that they're worth a read. In a classic C-SPAN unbiased format, we offer Vincent Gray's op-ed here and Adrian Fenty's here.

Electric Cars: Perfect Plug-ins for DC?

2010-08-01T02:04:00.000-07:00

General Motors this week said their new plug-in hybrid, the Chevy Volt, will cost $41,000.

Nissan recently also rolled out their all-electric car, the Leaf. It clocks in a little lower at $32,780. Both vehicles qualify for a Federal tax credit of $7,500 to lower their costs.

Which begs the question: is DC perfectly suited to the electric or plug in car? The city's short blocks and relatively low traffic speeds, at least compared to its surrounding suburbs, seem a good fit for the vehicles.

Small issue: charging. DC is one of several metropolitan areas nationwide to be outfitted with charging stations in the community, which should help sales. Or, if you want to charge at home, you'll need a special charging dock which will run $2,200 to install. It will be interesting to see if the electric car will indeed be a good fit.

Chelsea Clinton, Jenna Bush, Twitter...Let's Hear It for the Millennials!

2010-07-30T03:38:00.000-07:00

Today's young folk...

"...distracted Twitterers with superficial values who will never find jobs..."

Right? Wrong! Gail Collins on the Time's op-ed page says why the world will do just fine, thank you, because of the "astonishing work ethic" of the Millennials.

The DC region, in particular, has one of the highest educated populations in the nation. The District's population is also growing. Those are just two reasons among many why we think the DC area has such a bright future.

Twitter that!

Growing DC Schools' Success

2010-07-29T03:14:00.000-07:00

Another reason why families are buying - and staying - in DC: schools.

NYT today reports that DC is a finalist for the U.S. Department of Education's Race to the Top education grants, which provide millions to school districts nationwide that demonstrate a willingness to innovate.

A recurring theme in the good schools debate, of course, is teacher quality, especially in the early years of children's' lives. Good kindergarten teachers, according to research reported today, helps make good students and successful adults.

So would a $320,000 salary do the trick? Possibly, according to research reported in today's Times. Pic is Columbia Height's Cardozo High School.

D.C. Real Estate Market a 'Bright Spot'

2010-07-28T03:25:00.000-07:00

More good news on the D.C. real estate front.

Relatively low unemployment rates and a strong supply of well-paying jobs are helping make D.C.'s real estate market one of the "bright spots" in the economy, according to a study published this week.

The Washington Post reports that second quarter home sales were up 61% over this time last year. The region's average home value rose to $398,445, up 4.2% over last year. Average property values in the District and other "core" areas rose to $509,156.

'My New Rule is to Never Use Profanity South of Philadelphia...'

2010-07-27T02:24:00.000-07:00

Politico has a brief Q & A with local schools union boss Randi Weingarten.

When asked the last time she used profanity, the frequent critic of DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee says, "My new rule is to never use profanity south of Philadelphia, and never in front of children, so you can deduce when the last time was."

What does she never go cheap on? Shoes.

Read the full interview. Photo courtesy New York Magazine.

Yes, DC Does Bricks and Mortar

2010-07-26T02:00:00.000-07:00

In this weekend's WaPo Magazine, photographer David Deal goes inside some of the city's industrial infrastructure. Here, the Fort Reno water tower in Northwest DC.

Unlike many other older industrial cities, DC has less steel-and-stone industrial architecture. We've always been a company town, just one whose product is less things, and more ideas.

Under Contract: Farmhouse in Brookland

2010-07-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

3 Bedrooms

2 1/2 Baths

Under Contract: July 2010

Brookland's hot - check out some of the new development coming soon.

14th & Penn Ave: How Far We've Come

2010-07-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

In an obituary for DC developer and businessman Nick Antonelli, WaPo carries this great photo today of what used to be 14th St and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

The building in the background is the District's Wilson building. The parking lot here is now occupied by the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

We've come a long way, baby.

Sold: Atlas District Rowhouse

2010-07-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

SLOW DOWN AND TAKE A DEEP BREATH.

This is a long walk in a springtime park...Sunshine on a rainy day. Meticulously designed by Great Space, LLC and flawlessly executed by Rainbow Properties, with the Components you Cry for and a feeling that makes you want to Stay, Laugh & Play all Day.

Great Space,LLC Designs & Combines flawless open spaces with originalesqe intimate places. SEE TO BELIEVE!

4 Bedrooms

3.5 Baths

Sold in March 2010

Coming Soon: The Vacation Makeover and other services

2010-07-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

We love great spaces and good design. That's why we started our original interior decorating company, Great Space DC. After a couple of years, we wanted to do even more - whole houses, in fact. That's where Great Space Development, LLC came in.

Having worked in and around houses for several years now, we think there's some additional services people may want. So today we're throwing out some ideas we're working on:

The Vacation Makeover...Move-In Makeover...Great Space to Sell...and, Kitchens and Baths!

Would you love to have your house redone while on vacation? Fixed up before you move in? Cleaned up before selling? Or just want that new kitchen or bath? We'd love to hear your feedback.

Great Space Interiors: Brookland

2010-07-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Great Space Interiors: Petworth

2010-07-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

Great Space Interiors: H Street / Atlas District 2009/10

2010-07-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

Sold: Petworth

2010-07-10T05:16:00.000-07:00

Gone!

3 Bedrooms

3 1/2 Baths

Sold June 2010

Looking for a Petworth home? It's a wonderful neighborhood, close to great coffee shops like Qualia Coffee. Let us know if you're looking to move in.

Urban Turf Calls GS Farmhouse 'This Week's Find!'

2010-06-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

More coverage of 1707 Irving Street today on the blogs, this time by highly respected DC real estate blog Urban Turf.

Here's what writer Mark Wellborn posted about the Farmhouse in Brookland...

"In a new feature debuting today called This Week’s Find, we happen upon a Southern light-filled farmhouse in Brookland. Originally built around 1900, the fully renovated and expanded home now measures out at 1,200 square feet with an open kitchen, spacious family and dining area, a quiet front sitting room, and a chocolate-tinted powder room. There are three good-sized bedrooms upstairs, huge closets, wide hallways, and two bright subway-tiled bathrooms. The renovation was done by DC-based Great Space Development, which added a white picket fence in the backyard to give the property that Norman Rockwell flavor. There is also a double parking pad and fully restored shed in back. The Brookland-CUA Metro on the Red Line is about a 20-minute walk."

Brookland Avenue Blog Picks Up Irving St!

2010-06-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to our friends at Brookland Avenue Blog for the shout out!

Tell your friends...check out the Great Space farmhouse in the city: 1707 Irving St NE. Read the Brookland Avenue Blog.

New Listing: 1707 Irving Street NE

2010-06-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

I'm dreaming of a whimsical house on a winding lane with a white picket fence. Realize the fantasy, but check under the hood for finely tuned, state-of-the-art and unmatched design and finish by Great Space, LLC. No veneer here, True 3/4" T&G oak, custom molding and crown, top of line cabinets, granite and tile. All bathed in warm wood and bright light Breathtaking Yard!

3 Bedrooms
2 1/2 Baths
$438,000
More information

Lots happening in Brookland these days. A new development by the Rhode Island metro station. Another great new mixed-use development planned by the Brookland metro station - lots of amenities included. And EYA townhouse development Chancellors Row at St. Paul's University - prices starting at $450,000.

Developer Jim Abdo said, "Brookland is a wonderful tight-knit neighborhood, with the same turn-of-the-century historic charm of Cleveland Park but without the price tag."

Read even more about Brookland: Brookland Avenue Blog

Under Contact: Petworth

2010-06-17T03:21:00.000-07:00

A speck of dust would perish in this smoking' hot home. You've got to live somewhere; why not elevate your habitat expectations? Great Space Development is just what that name implies...open, light-filled, breathtaking space, of unparalleled design, and quality construction from the rafters above to the 3/4 T&G oak below. Three bedrooms, three full and one half bath, marble counters, crown molding, and parking! Flow and Function in Perfect Harmony...BEAUTY AND BRAINS! HELLO?
3 Bedrooms
3 1/2 Baths
Under Contract in June 2010

Read more about Petworth: The Prince of Petworth Blog

Sold: H Street Neighborhood

2010-06-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, a home comes along that just hits on all the right pleasure points. Custom design flawlessly executed, containing big social spaces, and quiet intimate spaces. Porches you'll cry for, a kitchen you'll die for, wrapped up in hard wood and soft light. It's as if Martha Stewart married a marine; they built a house together, and hired Ralph Lauren to paint it.

4 Bedrooms
3 1/2 Baths
Sold June 2009

Read more about H Street: Frozen Tropics Blog

Christopher Peacock: Bigger Isn't Better

2008-07-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

Want to see a beautiful kitchen? Visit with Christopher Peacock.

Sure, Peacock's kitchens aren't for the masses. But they're sure beautiful - and not always large:

"Mr. Peacock likes to say that the best kitchen is a Manhattan galley kitchen, and said he spends a lot of time telling clients “that they aren’t who they think they are.”

Right. We're not all rich, and we rarely host a full Army battalion for dinner. “They’re not going to be having huge dinner parties, with caterers using a pantry as a staging area every weekend,” he says.

Fans of scale take heed of reporter Penelope Green's money quote: "His first act is often to cut 25 percent of the space out of new home kitchens."

Cottage Comeback

2008-07-19T15:03:00.001-07:00

Would a family of 2, or even 4, choose to live in an 1,100 square foot home? Would they pay more to do it?

Maybe so (article / video).

We've long thought the pendulum could swing back towards smaller homes - driven, pun intended, in part by growing traffic congestion.

But the possibility that buyers increasingly may be willing to pay a premium for smaller homes with high quality finishes - even in smaller cities like Redmond, Washington where traffic may be less of a hassle - is what caught our eye in this Wall Street Journal piece from Friday.

Great Design, but Great Space?

2008-07-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

University of Maryland professor and WaPo columnist Roger Lewis writes today that powerful modern software allows architects to create eye-catching, geometrical designs like London's "Gherkin."

Yet Lewis also argues these designs will not necessarily become great architecture, much less be scaled to fit logically into their tightly knit urban environments.

He takes issue, as we do, with a Technology Review article which says because these new architectural tools free the designer from using traditional materials - and even right angles - "the rectilinear glass box has become a quaint relic of the pre-digital past."

Lewis: "Characterizing rectilinear geometry and glass boxes as "quaint relics" is a cheap shot...It belittles rectilinear, glass-clad buildings that are elegant, beautifully proportioned and artfully detailed."

We agree. As with real estate, where it's about location, location, location...when it comes to space, we believe it's about scale, scale, scale. Read Lewis' "Shaping the City" column here.