Thomas Charuhas was at a work conference in San Francisco when his wife, Katarina, saw this house in the Palisades neighborhood of Northwest Washington in 2015. She knew they had to buy it.
The house, with Nantucket-style cedar shake siding, had been completed recently, replacing one built in 1955 that was torn down to make room for it. The Charuhas family was the first to occupy the new dwelling.
They were initially drawn to the property’s ample size — more than half an acre — and its location on a cul-de-sac, Charuhas said.
“With three kids, it was amazing,” Charuhas said. “I’m a huge fan of [the location], because there’s never through traffic, and there’s lots of families on that street, so the kids could run out and feel very safe. You see them running around between the different yards and having fun, and then coming back for dinner.”
Charuhas said he often hosted neighborhood dinners in his yard, in part because of its distinctive features. The culinary enthusiast installed an outdoor kitchen with a rotisserie and smokers. There’s also a pizza oven imported from Naples that he and Belgian chef Claudio Pirollo of the nearby Et Voila restaurant used to cook together. The experience inspired the chef’s latest project, an Italian restaurant called Claudio’s Table, Charuhas said.
Other changes to the property included removing trees to expand the backyard and make room for a playset. And down a flower-lined stone path, Charuhas added a koi pond (home to seven generations of Japanese carp) and waterfalls.
The property, Charuhas said, “is right next to all this parkland, so it’s kind of like you’re in this huge oasis. You never feel like you’re in a city, even though you’re in the city. There’s so much land.”
The house has handcrafted millwork, and most floors are hardwood. On the main level, three sets of French doors open from the front porch to a foyer and living room that lead to a dining area with large windows. A chef’s kitchen, with a long breakfast bar, is connected by two sets of French doors to a rear deck and pergola. Charuhas said he nicknamed the space “kitchen stadium” because of its size.
The primary bedroom suite, on the second floor (not including lower level), has an outdoor balcony and two walk-in closets with built-in shelving and cabinetry. The en suite bathroom has a soaking tub and a separate shower. Each of the three other bedrooms on this level has an attached bathroom.
The third floor has a gaming room, a bathroom, a wet bar, a covered outdoor balcony and a fifth bedroom that Charuhas uses as an office. He said the space makes him “feel like I’m somewhere else looking over the trees.”
The finished lower level has a recreation room with a stereo system and soundproof walls. It also has a laundry room, a bathroom, a den and an in-law suite with a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchenette. The recreation room connects to a backyard patio and the attached one-car garage. A driveway provides additional off-street parking.
$4,495,000
5032 Fulton St. NW, Washington, D.C.
- Bedrooms/bathrooms: 6/8
- Approximate square-footage: 7,100
- Lot size: 0.55 acres
- Features: The 2015 house has Nantucket-style cedar shake shingles, handcrafted millwork, a large chef’s kitchen, an outdoor kitchen, balconies, a soundproof recreation room on the lower level, an in-law bedroom suite (also on the lower level), a deck (with a pergola), a patio, a koi pond and a one-car garage.
- Listing agent: Robert Hryniewicki, Adam Rackliffe, Christopher Leary and Micah Smith, HRL Partners at Washington Fine Properties.