You might recognize this Lake Anne condo from the 2015 Reston Home Tour — it was one of my favorite locations on the tour, thanks to its gorgeously modern interior design. Or perhaps you’ll remember it from a House Call article on Apartment Therapy, which described its extensive renovations. This condo is highly acclaimed and for good reason. It’s spectacular. When I learned that it is now for sale, I was excited to go see it.
This condo is located on Moorings Drive in Reston’s Lakeview Cluster, a block away from Lake Anne. It’s owned by Emily Everett, an English teacher, and Kevin Brown, a graphic designer. It’s the first home that they’ve owned, and they’ve transformed it from top to bottom in a series of massive renovations. “At first we thought we wanted a move-in ready condo, but we quickly learned that we’d have to renovate,” Emily says. Condos with the modern style that they love were too expensive in urban areas, and very uncommon in the Lake Anne area that they love. “Lake Anne a great place to live, with the lake, Plaza, and farmers market, and Reston Town Center in walking distance.”
So Emily and Kevin decided to choose a home based on location, and then renovate the place with the modern, urban style that they had been looking for. They bought this 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath condo and started tearing down walls on their first day. Three years later their real estate agent, Teddy Hedrick, describes their completed home as “Town Center living at a fraction of the cost.” “You would have to pay much more money to buy something like this elsewhere in Reston,” Teddy explains, “and living here also gives people access to Lake Anne and its amenities.”
Sure enough, if you want to buy a similar 3-bedroom condo in Reston Town Center, you would have to pay around $800,000 or more. This Lake Anne condo is going for just $345,000. Basically this condo offers city style, but with plenty of money left over to buy a kayak for the nearby lake and cocktails at the neighborhood’s waterfront bars.
I visited the condo and was immediately captivated by the stylish decor and architecture. “We chose the condo because of the exposed brick wall,” Emily told me. It was their first hint that this space could support an urban style of design. They also loved the floor-to-ceiling windows and ample light. But they changed just about everything else!
Some of the structural changes that they made addressed the floors, windows, and ceiling. They replaced the floors with handscraped Lake Tana Birch from Lumber Liquidators, which gives the room a warm contrast that coordinates with dark window frames. They updated the space with an industrial yet cozy loft feel, by removing the 1970s-era popcorn ceiling and revealing the ducts and a sleek concrete base.
Emily and Kevin wanted to combine masculine and feminine design, with a balance of “hard” elements such as concrete, brick, and metal, with “soft” elements such as soft throws and pillows, rounded lines, and fluffy rugs.
Their sofa was purchased at CB2, their coffee table is from West Elm, and their armchairs were a lucky find in Lucketts, Virginia. The pillows are from Target, and the throw blanket is a genuine Moroccan wedding blanket.
Kevin painted the artwork above the sofas — they are his interpretations of Robert Longo’s 1979 “Men in the Cities” series.
Along the brick wall is a side table with a built-in lamp, which they found at Home Goods. A vintage glass container sits on the table and holds Emily’s grandparents’ old collection of matchbooks.
On another wall in the living room is this credenza which was a DIY project for Kevin and Emily. They found an inexpensive chest at Goodwill, and refinished it by staining the drawers and painting the sides and top white. The lamps are from Marshall’s, and the four vintage white vases were Emily’s grandparents’. The floating shelf holds more of Kevin’s artwork.
The dining room is a show-stopper, with a skillful combination of rusticism and elegance. Grasscloth wallpaper adds an upscale warmth to the room, along with a mirror from Lucketts and chandelier from West Elm. The rustic dining table, which is also from West Elm, and four metal cafe chairs add a masculine feel to the room.
The dining table is decorated with atomic candle holders from Z Gallerie, along with vintage brass candlesticks that were Emily’s grandparents’.
One of the coolest things about the dining room are two chairs with illustrations of the human spinal column. They were another amazing find in Lucketts. They haven’t been able to find any information about these chairs, so their origin is a mystery to them. (Do any of you know the story behind them? If so, please let us know in the comments!)
Those touches of brass are continued with a festive bar cart on the side of the dining room, next to the marble kitchen counter.
That kitchen counter is one of the most beautiful aspects of the entire condo. It’s made of gorgeous Carrara marble and is one of the first things you see when you walk in the front door. The rest of the kitchen is beautiful, too, with Kraftmaid cabinets in two colors, midnight and white. There is also a large kitchen pantry located on the other side of the room.
Originally there was a wall separating the kitchen and dining room, but Emily and Kevin removed it to create an open floorplan. They added a wooden beam for support and utilities above the counter. The dark wood of the beam coordinates beautifully with the floors.
The hall bathroom was unexpectedly hilarious. At first glance, the toile wallpaper is charming, with scenes of New York City and Coney Island. But when you look closely, you discover randomness such as the Notorious B.I.G. interspersed among the scenes. This wallpaper is called “Brooklyn Toile,” and it was designed by Mike Diamond of the Beastie Boys. So awesome.
The master bedroom has more touches of brass and gold, along with a serene blue-gray wall and white linens. The artwork above the bed is from CB2 and arranged in a layout created by Kevin.
I loved Emily’s quirky ways of storing her jewelry, especially that bust! She displays them on sculptures, trays, and hooks from Home Goods.
The master bedroom also has clever DIY projects that added grandeur to some inexpensive items. A $5 purple chiavari chair from ReStore now looks glamorous after Emily spraypainted it gold. And a pair of $35 Ikea Rast end tables are much more stylish now that Emily and Kevin stained them and added hardware and textured overlays.
One of Emily and Kevin’s favorite rooms is the office, which they designed in bold black and white. They painted one wall with stripes, and carried the color scheme through the furniture and accessories.
The sofa and chair are from Lucketts, and the coffee table is from West Elm. The fluffy rug, which was purchased during a trip to New Mexico, add softness to this dramatic room.
Floating shelves in the office feature a variety of artwork and books in a consistent color scheme. West Virginia University alumni will appreciate the photo of Emily’s hands.
Other items in the office include art books and magazines, quirky artwork, a chalkboard (currently displaying a hilarious cocktail recipe), and some of the skateboards that Kevin designed at a previous job.
The final bedroom is a guest bedroom, where Kevin and Emily experimented more with color. The bed is from Scan, the pillows are from C Wonder, and the mirrors are from Home Goods.
A feature wall has emerald green and white wallpaper. “I have another side that likes preppy,” Emily comments. “I like this wallpaper because it is sort of East Coast prep and sort of… hmm.. safari?” The bamboo mirror and east Asian decor add to the exotic-travel vibe in this room.
The dresser and nightstand are both vintage mid-century modern furniture that once belonged to Emily’s aunt.
Another mid-century element is this reproduction Eames rocker chair by the window.
On top of the dresser sits a hairbrush and mirror set that belonged to Emily’s grandparents, and a sculpture of geishas that were her great aunt’s.
In addition to three bedrooms and a large open floorplan living area, the condo also offers two balconies for outdoor living space. The balcony off the dining room comes with a custom storage bench built by Kevin.
People who enjoy the outdoors will love the nearby lake most of all. Residents of Lakeside Cluster have access to this community dock, where they can entertain guests and store their canoes and kayaks.
The condo is also located about two blocks from Lake Anne Plaza, which is the home of restaurants, a brewery, shops, a new coffee house, art galleries, salons, and more. The Plaza also offers a weekly farmers market, boat rental, and frequent concerts and festivals (including this weekend’s Lake Anne Jazz Festival and the upcoming Reston Multicultural Festival). The area is very walkable, but with breathtaking natural scenery in addition to the village lifestyle.
People who enjoy walking will also love the half-mile stroll to Lake Newport and the 1.5-mile stroll to Reston Town Center. The condo is located two miles from the Wiehle Metro station, and just a couple miles from four grocery stores, including a Whole Foods and a Trader Joe’s.
Personally I recommend paddleboarding on the lake and then having a glass (or more) of wine at one of the waterfront restaurants. Then walking home, just a few minutes away. Who needs the Town Center cost of living when you have the Lake Anne quality of living?
This home tour has been sponsored by Teddy Hedrick of Long and Foster. All opinions are my own.
Teddy Hedrick is the Silverline Specialist, with vast experience in real estate ranging into DC and the surrounding counties. She has been in the real estate business for 26 years, and works strictly by referral/word of mouth from family, friends, neighbors and business associates. She has deep roots in the Washington Metro Area, having lived and worked in and around the Beltway all her life. As a result, she is familiar with the many benefits and challenges faced by those living and transitioning in and out of this area.
The eldest of six children, Teddy was raised on the other side of the river in a community similar in age and geography to Reston — Carderock Springs in Bethesda. The contemporary single family homes were built around the trees, as was done in Reston. When she was 12, she stood on the steps of Lake Anne and viewed the construction of the community. The lake consisted only of mud, but she could see this new community’s great potential. Years later she is still captivated by Reston, and she has chosen to live and raise her family here.
Teddy is selling this gorgeous modern condo, which is located at 1590 Moorings Drive #11C in Reston, Virginia. It has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, an open floorplan, and 1202 square feet. It is priced at $345,000.
For more information about this condo or real estate in the DC metro area, contact Teddy Hedrick:
Long & Foster
1355 Beverly Road
McLean, VA 22101
703-403-5199 | 703-790-1990
[email protected]
Are you a real estate agent with a stunning home to sell in the Reston area? We can feature it for you! Please contact us at [email protected] and refer to our advertising page for information about your options.
Photography by Charlotte Geary
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