The best of old and new on display in cottage in the heart of Chevy Chase

When a house goes up for sale only three times in nearly 50 years, you know it’s special.

So goes the story of the life-size dollhouse at 358 Cochran Road in Chevy Chase.

“Growing up in Lexington, I had always loved this yellow house,” Stacy Forrester explained. “When it came on the market, we jumped at the opportunity” to own it.

Stacy, who has a home-based business, and Rob, who sells medical equipment, closed on the three-bedroom, three-bath house in October 2016. With the help of Megan Green at For Friends, they devised a plan for updating the place and moved in a few weeks later.

“We painted every inch of the inside,” Stacy said. She chose light neutral shades of white and cream and spiced things up with splashes of wallpaper in the dining room, a bathroom, on the walls of bookshelves in the den and in the office/playroom area they call the “nook.”

“We wanted to keep the character to go along with the history of the house and our traditional furnishings, but with a fresh look to modernize it for our young family,” she said.

Part of the cottage’s charm is owed to its friendly, asymmetrical front façade. Dark green shutters offer a pleasing contrast to the yellow exterior and echo the contents of window boxes overflowing with colorful flowers and greenery.

“They are such a fun way to add character,” Stacy explains. In fact, they’re her favorite feature of the 2,782-square-foot home. “We love filling them in spring with bright colors and decorating them at Christmas with red bows and magnolia leaves.”

A lamp post at the street anchors the stone sidewalk as it leads past what looks like an addition with a shed roof (the “nook”) that’s actually part of the original structure built in 1939. Inside, the light-filled nook features a cathedral pine wood ceiling painted white and built-in storage and display space. It also serves as a play room for their daughter Callihan and workspace for Stacy.

Callihan’s nursery, a third bedroom and a bathroom also are located on the main floor. The owners suite occupies the second floor.

One of the big-ticket upgrades involved replacing gray laminate countertops with white quartz and installing a subway tile backsplash in the kitchen. Against maple-finish cabinetry, hardwood floors and stainless appliances, the effect is clean, sleek and timeless.

The family likes to spend a lot of time in the backyard. “We love the outdoor space,” Stacy said. “The Dutch door in the dining room opens up to the brick patio, which has been perfect for entertaining.”

When bad weather forces them inside, the family likes to escape to the cozy den in the partially finished basement to watch TV and movies. Whether it’s hot and steamy outside or cold and snowy, the always-comfortable basement is the perfect getaway spot.

The thing they like most about their house is its location — smack in the middle of Chevy Chase. “We’re within walking distance of three schools and several restaurants,” Stacy added.

The couple is hopeful that the next owners will appreciate the old and new features as much as they have.

“We were drawn to the character and all the charm it has to offer,” Stacy said of her family’s home for the last four years. “We’re going to miss living here.”

This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 2:05 PM with the headline "The best of old and new on display in cottage in the heart of Chevy Chase."