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Alexandria Historic Garden Week
STORY BY KIM DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA
APRIL 23 OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA HISTORIC GARDEN WEEK TOUR PROVIDES INSPIRATION TO HOME AND GARDEN ENTHUSIASTS
The advent of spring awakens wanderlust in those aspiring to spruce up their homes and gardens and there is nothing like going behind the gates of Alexandria’s chic properties to gather ideas and inspiration. Old Town Alexandria’s 89th Historic Garden Week Home and Garden Tour provides first-time homeowners, as well as those who need to hit the refresh button, an opportunity to tour gardens of all shapes and sizes, gather interior design ideas and see how our neighbors have created inviting spaces. Slated for Saturday, April 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the tour showcases five historic private homes and gardens adorned with exquisite floral arrangements designed and executed by garden club members as well as six historic public properties. Hosted by two local garden clubs, Hunting Creek and the Garden Club of Alexandria, the tour is part of a statewide tradition conceived by the Garden Club of Virginia (GCV) in 1929.
Featuring homes in the city’s southeast quadrant, highlights include: 515 South Fairfax: The land was purchased in 1796 and backed onto an oyster processing plant. The current owner completed a beautiful renovation in 2019 and frequently finds oyster shells in her garden. 508 South Fairfax: The restored carriage house built in 180107 as a horse stable and remodeled in 1874 was owned by a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson. A beautifully designed and curated garden features many ornamental elements including a female goddess sculpture from Bali. 206 Duke Street: The property was originally built in 1836. It replaced the previous structure built by George Coryell (whose father was George Washington's guide during the Revolutionary War) in 1794. The family was said to have rowed Washington across the Delaware River in December, 1776 for the surprise attack. Current owners renovated the property in 2013, adding environmentally-friendly geothermal wells underground that heat and cool the house. A feature of the stunning garden is a large birdhouse replica of the Grand Pagoda at Kew Gardens in Great Britain.
323 Duke Street: Constructed around 1800, the property was renovated in the 1950s by a local restorationist and again by current owners who added a second floor bedroom, bath and dormer. 512 Prince Street: Once the residence of Patsy Ticer, the first female mayor of Alexandria, the house core was built in 1783. A series of archways in the basement displays foundational remnants that predate the home. The tour also includes these six public properties: GCV Carlyle House: British merchant John Carlyle’s home, built in 1753, was a grand mansion featuring stone architecture, fine furnishings and decorative finishes. The rear garden showcases a boxwood parterre. Lee-Fendall House: Built in 1785 by Philip Fendall on land purchased from Revolutionary War hero “Light Horse Harry” Lee, this home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. River Farm: The property has a rich history including settlements by Piscataway Native Americans, ownership by Giles Brent, a participant in Bacon’s Rebellion and ownership by Founding Father George Washington, in 1760. In 1971, the property was bequeathed to the American Horticultural Society by philanthropist Enid Annenberg Haupt. The 25-acre gardens overlooking the river feature a blend of formal and naturalistic gardens including a four-acre meadow, an orchard, a children’s garden and a teaching garden. George Washington’s Mount Vernon: A national treasure and historic landmark dating to 1674, the 500-acre property has a Palladian-style home with four beautifully cultivated gardens and is the burial site of George and Martha Washington. Green Spring Gardens: The gardens feature native plants, a wooded stream valley with ponds, 20 thematic gardens and a historic house. It is acclaimed landscape designer Beatrix Farrand's only Virginia garden. Gunston Hall: Home of George Mason, author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, Gunston Hall is a 550-acre National Historic Landmark. The estate consists of a Georgian mansion, circa 1755, with a historic boxwood garden on the Potomac River. Tickets are $55 at www.vagardenweek.org and at the Alexandria Visitor Center (221 King Street) on tour day. Metro transportation: Blue Line to King Street, King Street Trolley to Historic district. Paid parking recommended in one of Alexandria’s many Old Town garages. The tour is part of the GCV's eight-day statewide event from April 23-30 encompassing 128 private homes and gardens. Proceeds fund the restoration and preservation of more than 39 of Virginia’s historic public gardens and landscapes, a research fellowship program and several Virginia State Parks.
MEET KIM DAVIS
Kim Davis is a member and past president of Hunting Creek Garden Club, one of the presenting clubs for the Old Town Alexandria Historic Garden Week Tour. She had a 25-year career as a public relations professional, served on the Board of Governors for the Center for Alexandria’s Children and is a past president of the St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes Association of Parents and Teachers. She is currently a freelance writer.
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- Sonny Nazemian, MCKBR, Master Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler
Story by Liesel Schmidt | Photography Courtesy of Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
With more than three decades backing the name, Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes has become an area leader for home remodels and additions, creating changes that are both functional and beautiful. As their website says, “Our culture has been shaped by the personal needs of local homeowners, who have consistently challenged us to expand our capabilities, and who have, likewise, honored us with their confidence in our ability to satisfy their always-evolving requirements.” For the owners of a home in Ashburn, those requirements meant changing almost everything about their single-family house, updating the outdated and cramped spaces to meet their needs. The couple had used the team at Michael Nash for previous projects in the bathrooms, and their next step in the multi-phase process was the kitchen. “[The homeowners] felt cramped in the outdated kitchen, and a big closet was taking way too much real estate out of the kitchen space,” says Sonny Nazemian, founder and CEO of Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes. “We removed the load-bearing wall to the adjacent family room in order to expand the kitchen and accommodate a massive island with [a] sink, dishwasher and microwave. The gas line and a new 48” professional stove was relocated to the west wall, where we also installed a long run of floor-to-ceiling cabinetry. The north wall where the closet used to be now houses a large refrigerator and freezer as well as pantry space, along with a double-stacked conventional and steam oven.”
Additional features to the space included wide plank espresso hardwood flooring that flows into the other spaces of the home to unify it, as well as new lighting that includes gorgeous pendant lights hung above the center island. The traffic flow has also been improved, allowing large gatherings. A chevron tile backsplash behind the range adds visual interest to the white space and breaks up the traditional offset pattern of the subway tile. Thick white quartzite countertops finish out the space. Moving to the master bath, the space was enlarged to accommodate more shower space and a free-standing tub. Floating, wall-mounted vanities with vessel sinks keep the area from feeling cluttered and add sleekness to the space. Large-scale Carrara-look porcelain tiles on the floor and shower walls offer elegance. In the hall bath, a bathtub was converted to a walk-in shower, complete with wood-look porcelain tile and pebble tile flooring. The backyard was also within the scope of the project. Two feet of land was excavated to allow for a retaining wall bench surrounding a newly-installed patio. A combination of largescale flagstone and stacked stone gives the space natural beauty. With so much done to transform the home, there’s little wonder that Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes won awards for the project, including the NARI 2021 Regional CotY Winner Award for Region 2 Southeast for the Entire House Under $250,000, the 2021 NARI Capital CotY, Merit award, Entire House under $250,000 2021 Chrysalis Award for Outdoor Living Under $75K as well as the Whole House Under $300K.
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New 'I Love You' Art Installation NOW Open At Alexandria's Waterfront Park
The City of Alexandria unveiled its newest public art installation, I Love You, in Alexandria’s Waterfront Park (1 Prince St.) on March 25. This new temporary installation by Roberto Behar and Rosario Marquardt of R&R STUDIOS is the fourth in the Site See: New Views in Old Town annual public art series. The installation will be on view through November 2022. Commissioned to create an original installation for Waterfront Park in Old Town, Behar and Marquardt focused on the community-building possibilities of public art. I Love You captures public imagination in a celebration of friendship and camaraderie in the heart of Alexandria. The installation features the words “I Love You” illuminated in pink neon lights. Mounted 15 feet high, the scripted letters will bathe viewers in a soft pink hue. Below, a hand-painted ground mural of a pink and white carpet will define the space as an open room welcoming everyone. It’s an unexpected and luminous contemporary social space in the heart of Old Town that beckons visitors to get lost for a few moments in this fictional realm.
“I Love You provides physical evidence of the possibility of the fantastic as part of everyday life,” R&R STUDIOS wrote in their artist statement. “It is an instant landmark that brings people together with a simultaneously universal and personal message.” The Site See: New Views in Old Town temporary public art series highlights Waterfront Park as a civic space. Waterfront Park is a key location for original commissioned art in Alexandria. This installation follows Mark Reigelman’s 2021 Groundswell, Olalekan Jeyifous’s 2020 Wrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies and SOFTlab’s 2019 Mirror Mirror installation. R&R STUDIOS was selected to create this site-specific artwork by a community task force with approval from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. The City of Alexandria will also work with regional artists for activations in response to I Love You later this year. Visitors can see I Love You at Waterfront Park from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily starting March 25. The artwork will remain on view until November 2022. Installation begins March 9.
TRASHY this Earth Day in Old Town
Could you live without throwing trash away... for a day? A week? A year?! "TRASHY: a zero waste film" is a feature documentary that tries to answer that question by following its director over the course of a year, as she tries not to throw anything away. That's because zero-waste is one of the easiest ways to help the planet! Spend your Earth Day learning how to make the world a cleaner place while enjoying the view of the Potomac from the fifth floor of the Torpedo Factory Office Building. Food and drinks start at 6pm, with the advanced screening starting at 7pm. Stay afterwards for a special Q&A with the director, award-winning journalist Heather Gustafson. This is a free event. Register at : www.eventbrite.com/e/trashy-a-zero-waste-film-advance-screening-andqa-discussion-tickets-261192783647 Donations can be made at: www.gofundme.com/f/trashy-a-zerowaste-film
National Park Week + 38th Annual Parkway Classic
The 38th Annual Parkway Classic will take place on Sunday April 24th during the week of National Park Week (April 16-24). The event will once again feature two distance choices for runners (10 Miler or 5K) as well as a Kids Dash that features pre-race family-friendly activities. The 10-mile course will return to start at the beautiful Mount Vernon Estate. Every runner 21+ will receive a complimentary beverage from local brewery Port City Brewery. Participants will also get a shirt and commemorative race medal. New race sponsor DC-based Mighty Meals will provide a special cookie treat for all the finishers crossing the finish line. The finish festival will feature live music from area favorite The Joe Chiocca Band, Port City Brewery pop-up, and other special activities to celebrate the runners. For registration information, race route details, and event day activities, visit: https://www.parkwayclassic.com.
