Luxury Home Tour: Corks + Pucks

from VIP Alexandria Magazine | October 2022

Coffee + Connect

Story by Liesel Schmidt | Photography Courtesy of Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Corks and Pucks

A BASEMENT WORTHY OF THE HALL OF FAME

“Hall of Fame” is a phrase apt for the basement remodel of the Callihan family home, a project whose scope and breathtaking results garnered accolades for Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes. The firm won three prestigious awards in 2020: the 2020 NARI CotY National Award Winner for Basement $100,000 to $250,000, the 2020 Regional CotY Winner for Region 2 Southeast for Basement $100,000 to $250,000 and the 2020 NARI Capital CotY Merit Award Winner for Basement $100,000 to $250,000.

The objective was to create a worthy home for a spectacular wine collection comprising thousands of bottles of premium wines from around the world, space to celebrate the family’s deep-rooted love of the Washington Capitals, an area for a gym and, of course, an area display notable team memorabilia including autographed jerseys and a number of signed collectables. Having lived in this particular home and neighborhood for several years, the family’s desire to finish out the basement was a long-standing goal. The largest space was dedicated to creating the main event room, featuring a pub-style bar fully equipped with a wine cooler, beer fridge and built-in wall for top-shelf liquor. The custom woodwork and cabinetry were given warmth with dark cherry wood and crowned with an exquisite stone countertop. Stylish pendant lights overhead light up the space and highlight its unique details—one of which is a hidden storage door built with display shelving just to the right of the bar, giving access to the storage area behind the bar. To the left, a stone wall featuring a built-in fireplace gives the space a cozy feel, with surrounding seating and a gaming area facing the giant TV screen mounted on the wall above.

This basement is not a regular space; it’s a hall of fame for hockey and wine, and we accomplished something spectacular that really highlighted those two passions for this family.

SONNY NAZEMIAN, MASTER DESIGNER

and display them for maximum appreciation, the wine cellar features wrap-around mahogany wine racks, beaded stain-grade paneling, an exotic stone counter and a Muriel center stone—all equipped with a high-efficiency chiller system tucked behind a custom-made door with an inset arched glass door panel.

Wide-plank flooring throughout leads to the end of the hallway, giving each of the basement’s dedicated spaces a cohesiveness that unites them. In the gym, mirrored walls help exercisers maintain form during workouts and rubberized floors offer cushioning for lifting and exercising. Just off the gym, the basement’s full bathroom features a stone walk-in shower and beautiful fixtures.

Paying homage to their beloved Capitals, the fan space features a specially-designed feature wall for displaying framed memorabilia including jerseys and hidden storage for valued VCR tapes of Capitals games. “The lighting we installed in the Capitals space and the wine cellar is a highlight of this project,” says Sonny Nazemian, Master Designer of Kitchen/Bath at Michael Nash. “This basement is not a regular space; it’s a hall of fame for hockey and wine, and we accomplished something spectacular that really highlighted those two passions for this family.”