During the snow yesterday, all I thought about was this fireplace in my new, private exclusive listing in Bethesda. The green, modernist house and studio were designed and built by award-winning architect Thomas S. Shiner, FAIA. The design was inspired by Scandinavian masters Alvar Aalto and Poul Kjaerholm, who Shiner studied with in Denmark. Did you read that? He studied with Kjaerholm. Enough said.

A central feature of the house is a custom-built brick and limestone wood-burning fireplace integral with the stair to the second floor.  The elevated Scandinavian hearth opens front and side (oriented to a seating area and the living room).  The masonry mass of the fireplace is capable of storing and radiating heat in the very center of the house, provided the fireplace is kept burning for a day or longer.

The main house is 2 bedrooms/2.5 bath with additional TV room/office with over 1,800 square feet. Construction is brick veneer and extra thick fiber-cement siding. The 800 square-foot studio has a full bathroom and can serve as an office, guest suite or exercise studio. The two buildings occupy a flat 6,000 square-foot lot; the two-story house aligns with the separate studio building in the back.  Both buildings open onto a fence-enclosed lawn, terraces and gardens.

Want to enjoy this fireplace space the next time it snows, call or email me for more details, pricing or a private showing.

Photos by Tod Connell.