Built by one of Rappahannock’s finest craftsman, Dogwood Retreat exudes a quiet sophistication with a French country flair. The 3 bedroom contemporary home has fantastic views of Round Mountain. Highlighted by a chef’s kitchen, complete with an imported Italian wood fired pizza oven, the home has an open floor plan and is perfect for entertaining. This peaceful 10 acre retreat is beautifully landscaped with a small vineyard, mature dogwood trees and robust gardens featuring native flowers and herbs.
Located on Long Mountain Road, a bucolic country road, Dogwood Retreat is close to Washington, but off of the beaten path. The stately driveway gently curves past a small creek and meadow as you meander up to the home. In the spring, the drive up to the home is magical as the namesake dogwood trees are in full bloom. The owner took care in building the home to ensure that many of these mature trees were preserved.
The home is perfectly sited on a small knoll. In the fall, Round Mountain is alive with color and is a site to behold. To the left of the home is a small vineyard with approximately 250 Rkatsiteli and Vidal Blanc grape vines. Common to many local vineyards, a local vintner currently helps tend the grapes in return for a share of the harvest. It is truly a special experience to drink wine that was produced on your own farm.
The contemporary home was inspired by a french farmhouse with a casual american flair. You enter the home through a small portico on the main level. The foyer opens into a dramatic great room. With a wall of windows and french doors that open to a patio, this room is bright and airy anytime of the year. The room is large enough for both a long farm table for dining and a separate seating area near the hearth. From the Rumsford fireplace, the blue stone hearth and mantle, to the passive solar tiles on the floor, no detail was left to chance to create the perfect living environment. The home was built by Peter Kreyling, a local master craftsman; a full list of features can be found here.
From the great room, the home flows into a gourmet kitchen. The kitchen was designed with three distinct work areas. The majority of the kitchen features butcher block counter tops, but the owners included a soapstone counter, perfect for pastry chefs, on the island. In most homes, the Wolf 6-Burner dual fuel stove would be the pièce de résistance, but in this home, that honor is reserved for the imported Italian, wood burning pizza oven. The kitchen is decorated with bright handmade tiles by local artist Libet Pierson. Like all great kitchens, there is a large pantry with plenty of storage.
Located behind the kitchen is the Master bedroom. Far from the main living space, the master bedroom and bath offer plenty of privacy. Like the rest of the home, the bedroom takes advantage of the southern views. On the other side of the house is the second bedroom. This bedroom suite was designed to be wheelchair accessible adding to the utility of the home. A spiral staircase leads to the second story. With a fireplace in one corner and plenty of built in shelves this room makes a great office/library or a fabulous third bedroom. The room features an attached 1/2 bath and has its own entrance.
The property is only minutes from the shops, galleries, theatres and restaurants in Little Washington and Flint Hill. Further afield in Rappahannock County are numerous wineries, two breweries, a distillery, organic farms, gourmet food producers and many delicious dining destinations. The majestic beauty of the Shenandoah National Park with its network of trails and outdoor opportunities is only about 15 miles away. The property is also convenient to Warrenton for other interesting dining and shopping opportunities as well as conventional grocery stores and the typical array of big box stores.
