Posted by chicagomedia.org on October 13, 2008 at 18:52:34:
House hunting: Radio star's house great for entertaining
Visitors to the home of radio personality "Don Geronimo" from the "Don and Mike Show" expect to find a party house, and they will.
While the house has a heated swimming pool; an outdoor kitchen with a fireplace and enormous gas grill; two wet bars and even a "cave" with high tech equipment and a cigar humidor, the parties held here were as likely to involve packs of tumbling children singing "Barney" songs as to include bikini-clad babes sipping champagne.
Don Geronimo and his wife, Freda, bought their Great Falls home in 1991, filling it with family and friends for more than a decade until her death from a car accident in 2005. The couple raised their son in the home and created a haven from the world of the "Don and Mike Show," which ran on WJFK 106.7 FM. Don Geronimo retired from the show in April and is ready to move on to his new life in Ocean City, Md.
Don Geronimo's home at 10612 Allenwood Lane in Great Falls is on the market for $1,600,000. It provides a private setting of nearly 3 acres at the end of a cul-de-sac.
The property includes natural woods and a creek, and it backs to park land that will not be developed. The owners created multiple areas for entertaining and relaxing outdoors, including a fenced lawn for children and dogs to enjoy, and a flagstone patio with a fireplace and grill and seating areas. A deck wraps around two sides of the house, and the heated pool has additional seating areas, a diving board and an attached hot tub.
Appreciation for nature extends inside the home, where most rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows that frame views of the landscaped grounds and woods. The pale gray wood-shingled exterior of the home and the shingled roof blend in with the trees surrounding the home.
The two-car garage, reached from an asphalt driveway with room for extra cars, is supplemented by plenty of parking along the cul-de-sac during parties.
Guests can be welcomed in the two-story foyer, which has marble flooring, a deep coat closet and a wet bar that works well during a reception. Directly in front of the foyer, across a sweep of marble flooring, is the dining room, which has floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides facing the swimming pool and the landscaped backyard.
The formal living room nearby has hardwood floors, a soaring two-story ceiling with skylights, a gas fireplace, and three sets of sliding glass doors leading to the deck. This room has transoms above the glass doors and a built-in cabinet and bookcase in one corner.
Adjacent to the living room is Don Geronimo's cave, an office full of high-tech wiring, a private phone line, built-in bookcases and cabinets and a cigar humidor. This room has a glass door to the deck and tall windows facing the woods.
To the right of the foyer lies the section of the home that attracts friends and family for casual gatherings. This family room has a gas fireplace, recessed lighting and windows overlooking the backyard and the pool; it also opens directly into the kitchen and breakfast area.
The custom-designed kitchen has granite counters, including a center island and a breakfast bar. Sleek black cabinets in the kitchen complement the stainless steel appliances, which include a Sub-Zero refrigerator, a wall oven, a built-in microwave, a warming drawer and a state-of-the-art silent dishwasher. The breakfast area, tucked into a corner with windows on two sides, has a built-in upholstered wraparound bench at the breakfast table. Nearby are a built-in desk and a deep pantry, along with a door to the garage. A glass door leads from the kitchen to the outdoor party room with its fireplace and grill. A flagstone ramp designed for wheelchair accessibility links the outdoor party room with the pool area and serves as a path adjacent to the lawn.
Between the kitchen and the foyer is a delightfully painted powder room, with a purple ceiling and vines twining along the walls. Open wood stairs lead to a landing with two picture windows and on to the upper level where a gallery overlooks most of the main level.
The master suite has a vaulted ceiling with a fan and a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows facing the woods and overlooking the pool. An interior, glassed window overlooks the living room. The adjacent, spa-like bath by Waterworks Inc. features walls of sparkling turquoise glass mosaic tiles. Each of the two sinks has mirrors that swivel to reveal additional shelving on the back.
The glass-enclosed, oversized shower has multiple shower heads; the egg-shaped soaking tub is below two windows with etched glass for privacy without needing blinds. This sybaritic bath has a heated tile floor, skylights and a private linen closet. Adjacent to the bath is a double-size walk-in closet with built-in shelving and drawers. Each closet in the home has been customized for maximum efficiency.
Adjacent to the master suite, in what once was a fourth upper-level bedroom, is a master suite dressing room/sitting room with a connected bath, extensive closets and a seating area. The room, which could also function as a guest room or nursery, is accessible from both the hall and the master bath, but easily could be converted back to a bedroom by closing off the access to the master bath.
Two bedrooms on the upper level share a bath. The first bedroom has a triple window with treetop views and two closets; the second, used in the past as an office, has a built-in desk and bookcases, and an adjacent walk-in closet with access to extensive attic storage. This level also has a laundry room with extra storage and a sink.
Space for entertaining extends below the main level where the recreation room has been outfitted for poker games and movie nights. One corner has a game table, while, over the gas fireplace, a screen can be pulled down and projection equipment is already in place. Blackout curtains have been added to the windows for daytime movie viewing. A sliding glass door leads to the swimming pool deck.
The wood-shingle home of radio personality "Don Geronimo" in Great Falls was designed as a family home that easily could be the scene for entertaining children and adults. The four-bedroom home, with large decks, a flagstone patio and a heated outdoor swimming pool, was built in a private setting of almost 3 acres and is on the market for $1,600,000.
Additional spaces have been finished on this lower level, including a full bath, a fully equipped exercise room and a tanning room with a tanning bed that conveys to the buyers. A central area between these rooms once housed the family's drum set and keyboards. Nearby are a wet bar and a fourth bedroom with three windows facing the pool, and also a walk-in closet.
While new residents may not be ready to party like a radio star, they certainly will appreciate the pristine condition of this home and the space for entertaining in their own style.
DETAILS:
Address: 10612 Allenwood Lane, Great Falls, VA 22066
Community: Allenwood
Age: Built in 1989
Price: $1,600,000
Size: About 5,887 square feet on lot of 2.83 acres
Taxes: $12,085 in 2007
Exterior features: Contemporary-style single-family home of wood shingles with a shingle roof; asphalt drive leading to two-car garage; extensive landscaping on wooded site at end of a cul-de-sac; wraparound deck off main level
Interior features: Four bedrooms; 4 1/2 baths; marble floors in dining room and the two-story foyer; living room with hardwood floor and gas fireplace; first-floor office; center-island kitchen with adjacent breakfast area; family room with gas fireplace; master suite with luxury bath, walk-in closet, adjacent sitting room with another bath; two additional upper-level bedrooms with connecting bath; finished lowest level with recreation room with gas fireplace, exercise room, tanning room, wet bar, bedroom and bath; unfinished storage room with door to backyard
Amenities: Stone patio with outdoor fireplace, built-in gas grill, seating areas; security fence surrounding property; heated swimming pool and hot tub; recessed lighting; surround-sound stereo wiring; exercise equipment; tanning bed; movie screen and projection equipment; dual-zone heating and air conditioning; central vacuum system
Close by: Great Falls Village, Reston Town Center, Leesburg shopping areas and restaurants, Washington Dulles International Airport
Schools: Great Falls Elementary, Cooper Middle and Langley High
Open house: Friday, Oct. 10, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 12, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact: Realtor Leslie Hutchison of Re/Max Distinctive Real Estate Inc., 703/675-2188
(Michele Lerner, Washington Times)