Urban Refuge on R Street
By • July 30, 2020 0 2071
If houses, like people, are known by the company they keep, then the estate at 3210 R St. NW is very grand indeed. Built in 1941, it has been home to such Washington luminaries as yachtsman and philanthropist Walter S. Gubelmann, Pan Am founder and arts patron Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, Assistant Secretary of State Chandler Hale and Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas — all of whom left their mark on this distinctive yellow Georgian and its park-like garden.
A trophy home on one of Georgetown’s prettiest streets, it offers 8,141 square feet of living space on four levels, with five bedrooms, six full baths and two half-baths, four fireplaces, two terraces, an elevator and spectacular finishes and custom refinements throughout, making every room a showplace. The property also boasts a circular driveway, a two-car garage, a stone patio and a private outdoor retreat with a heated pool.
In short, it is the perfect place to shelter in place during these pandemic times or — when the world opens again — entertain in style. The home is on the market for $14,750,000.
From the first-level foyer with its black-and-white harlequin painted floor and views of the patio beyond to the expansive owner’s suite on the top level, every architectural detail has been chosen for maximum visual and aesthetic impact.
Here are a few of our favorite things.
In the kitchen, honed Italian marble counters and a mirrored marble backsplash enhance the light and functionality of a workspace fitted with Wolf and Miele chef’s-grade appliances and walls of cabinetry with custom storage.
Both the second-level great room and the adjacent library create especially welcoming spaces for art collectors and bibliophiles, with walls of built-in bookcases and cabinetry and views of the garden and pool.
An oversized skylight brightens the third-floor landing, where the giant master bedroom (Georgetown’s largest), two luxurious en-suite baths (redefining spa-like) and two capacious walk-in closets (one of which is 29 by 14 feet) hold court.
And did we mention the full-service hair salon? Off “her” bath, there’s a bright room with a professional shampoo station, makeup booth and coffee bar. How glorious that would have been a few weeks ago, when we were all contemplating our grown-out roots and tangled manes.
The finest room in the house is not in the house at all. It is the impeccably manicured garden, an oasis that features a heated swimming pool organically set within a profusion of specimen trees (Japanese maple, crepe myrtle), evergreen shrubs (boxwood) and perennials (roses, impatiens, lilies, hydrangeas and sunflowers) and lined with stone paths and statuary.
Offered at $14,750,000, the stylish five-bedroom, six-bath Georgian at 3210 R St. NW is listed with Washington Fine Properties. For details, contact Ellen Morrell at 202-365-0196 or ellen.morrell@wfp.com; Jamie Peva at 202-258-5050 or jcpeva@me.com; or Ben Roth at 202-243-1619 or ben.roth@wfp.com. For a visual tour, visit spws.homevisit.com/hvid/284107.
This grand Georgian has been home to numerous Washington luminaries and bold-faced names. Courtesy HomeVisit.
Gallery space or bath? You’ll have to share the shower with this classic “bathing beauty.” Courtesy HomeVisit.
You don’t need a “capsule wardrobe” when you have a 29-by-14-foot walk-in closet. Courtesy HomeVisit.
Don’t we all deserve our own personal salon? Courtesy HomeVisit.
Beauty and functionality are the main ingredients in this marbled and mirrored kitchen. Courtesy HomeVisit.
