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There are many particulars on the list of needs, wants and hopes in a suitable forever home, but rarely are they topped by seeking interior space for a handcrafted 12.5-foot by 8-foot mid-century modern breakfront heirloom piece of furniture. “In the late 1950s, my grandmother’s cousin custom crafted this huge piece for her New York City apartment overlooking the Hudson River. It was passed down to me, so, yes, a blank wall with space for this treasured heirloom was a must,” explains Victoria Cochran.
With her husband, Steven Cochran, the couple identified a few more needs, wants and hopes: View, acreage, woods, contemporary, south-facing for solar gain, stream, screened porch.
They searched all over Montgomery County for two years, looking at houses or land to build. For one, it’s not easy to find a floor-to-ceiling wall without a window to accommodate such a large piece of furniture. Besides the six generous storage cabinets along the bottom, there’s the surface above them and nine more shelves across the three sections that hold a delightful assortment of menorahs, family photos, books and a variety of carvings and art from all over the world.
One summer Sunday morning over coffee and the newspaper, Steven spotted a tiny black-and-white photo of a house in the woods for sale. They drove into the neighborhood but the trees were fully leafed-out, and they could not see the house from the road.
The couple decided to take a closer look and were all the more enthused when they met their realtor at the house, waving his tape measure. The front hallway wall was a perfect fit for their prized antique! One box checked. 5 acres, check. Woods galore, check. Vast view, check. Contemporary, check. South-facing for solar gain, check. But, no stream; no screened porch. A bit more expensive than planned.
“I saw the wall first and knew my family heirloom could have a home there. I thought the sunken living room was cool,” Victoria recalls. “I was not sure I could live with an outdated kitchen and old cabinets, but then, l turned around and saw the view.”
The Cochrans made an offer just before 9/11 happened. “Even though we feared the world was going to hell in a handbasket, we decided this would be our forever home. We’d live in this mountain haven and retire here eventually,” says Steven. “And we are so glad we did,” Victoria chimes in.
In the almost quarter-century since, the Cochrans have undertaken three large projects. “My dad was in his 80s, and we wanted him near, so the first addition was a small apartment for him, under which we were able to add a basement, since there was none under the house. After he passed away, it became our ‘owner’s suite’, allowing us to have everything we need on one floor. The upstairs is available and private for family members and others who visit,” Steven explains.
The second renovation involved modernizing the kitchen, repurposing the old cabinets to the laundry area. Ewing Cabinets installed custom cabinets and granite counters while revamping the way the kitchen flowed. And finally, the third project was Victoria’s screened porch, new deck and extended great room with a gas fireplace, maple wood flooring and enhanced views like framed nature paintings. The first and third additions were design-built by Shelter Alternatives.
Shortly after moving in, the Cochrans turned to their first outdoor project, clearing space for their 100 wedding guests. Little by little, they have cleared over an acre with delightful trails, a fairy garden, water features (the stream!), flower gardens and plants. While several mature trees had to be sacrificed, the Cochrans add a new tree each year for their anniversary.
What they love the most is the view, not only the 10-mile distant mountain vista, but also the close in gardens, water features and flowers. Providing possibly the greatest response to the question “What would you change if you could or what do you plan to modify?” is the Cochrans’ collective answer: “Not a thing!”
Text by Joanne M. Anderson
Photos by Jon Fleming
Photos by Jon Fleming
