It is not exactly a “stairway to heaven,” but it comes pretty close. Rising to a rooftop conservatory, a sculptural brass-and-wood floating staircase artfully bisects this three-story Arlington home, visually connecting spaces on either side while allowing each its moment to shine.

The staircase is just one of the many bold design choices architect Robert Shutler and designer Arlene Critzos of Interior Concepts, Inc., made for this unique property. The owner, a longtime child health advocate, art collector and historical preservationist, “was not afraid of drama,” Critzos recalls.

It’s a good thing, too, because the site itself offered its share of theatrics: The house sits atop a steep slope that runs down to a creek. “It was a challenge,” admits Shutler. “There was just a tiny triangle of buildable area on top of this 27,000-square-foot lot.”

To accommodate its unusual dimensions, he divided the home’s frontage into three equal turret-like bays—it resembles a streamlined château—and ran a continuous deck across the back to amplify the triangular footprint. Hidden behind the middle gable, a glass greenhouse mimics the home’s shape and directs light all the way down the stairs.

Given the elevation, panoramic views of woodlands and hillside trees offer the owner much-needed tranquility and connection. And the land’s protected status ensures she will be able to enjoy its seasonal vistas for years to come.

The home features 5,320 square feet of luxe living, entertaining and work space, all open to the great outdoors via decks, balconies and walls of glass. On the roof, a firepit, hot tub, sky bar and intimate seating beckon year-round. The first floor houses the living, dining, family rooms and kitchen, while two bedrooms with ensuite baths, an office and a library reside on the second floor. The lower level includes a sauna, theater, bedroom and bath.

In the living room to the left of the entry, antique and modern elements preside harmoniously. While the owner describes her previous home as traditional, here she was open to mixing cherished vintage pieces with new, more contemporary finds. That blend inspired what Critzos calls “a maximalist aesthetic of vibrant tones, shimmery metallics and layered finishings” that reflected her client’s personality and interests. “She’s a world traveler who’s active in her community and loves to entertain,” says the designer. Critzos and team covered the living room walls in saturated tones of cerulean blue, setting off pewter and chartreuse accents throughout the high-intensity space. A bronze-finished ceiling highlights a crystal chandelier and custom metal cubist cocktail table, while an antique Chinoiserie secretary converses across centuries with a contemporary, black high-back chair.

At the back of the house, checkerboard marble flooring extends from dining room to terrace past a wall of paned glass. Antique French lanterns and a brass mirror accentuate the hanging bronze console and wood dining table.

An open, airy space to the right of the dining room welcomes guests to a combination family room and kitchen, graced by floor-to-ceiling paned windows and doors, and rustic but sophisticated wood beams. The functional kitchen, says the owner, has “reignited” her love of cooking, thanks to its streamlined design enhanced by lacquered black cabinets, brass hardware and honed marble counters. The family room opens onto a triangular back deck and echoes the woods outside with its cool tones of chartreuse and taupe. Cantilevered black tables flank a mitered stone fireplace.

The second-floor office overlooking the trees is designed for convening and creative contemplation. A marble-topped table sits below a bubble-glass chandelier while a light plum rug ties all the pieces—desk, loveseat and pillow—together in a calming palette. Also on this floor is the library with built-in bookcases, wine-colored seating and a circular brass cocktail table. Located at the front of the house, it opens to a spacious balcony.

In the grand primary suite, a contemporary bath lined with refined stone, crystal and brushed-brass fixtures contrasts with the bedroom’s soft layered textures and traditional furnishings. A carved canopy bed nestles beneath a beamed cathedral ceiling; its custom, European linens in silvery blue silk are set against a clouded bronze wall covering. An Austrian rock-crystal chandelier draws attention to a playful leopard-patterned chair by the marble hearth. Unsurprisingly, it is the resident’s favorite room, “a serene retreat” reminiscent of past travels to Switzerland and representing what she calls a “sparkling symbol of hope and new beginnings.”

Designed and built during the pandemic when the world stood still, the home marked a fresh start for the owner, revealing a new chapter of her life. She credits the experience with inspiring her to create a place that embodied “joy, vitality and well-being.” And she’s grateful to the architect and design team for their ability to bring her vision to life, respecting her desire to “weave together treasures I had collected over more than 35 years—artifacts of family, travels and passions—while also crafting something wholly new and personal. It became a way of honoring the past while reimagining the future where every memory and object could evolve into part of this new story.”

RESOURCES

THROUGHOUT
Home Automation: streamlinecustomav.com.
HOME OFFICE
Table: stoneinternational.it/en. Chandelier: finearthl.com. Chairs: rscollection.com. Chair Fabric: Italian leather. Sofa: gabby.com. Sofa Fabric: bakerfurniture.com. Pillow Fabrics: osborneandlittle.com. Rug: carpetcreationsandflooring.com. Paint: Pure White by sherwin-williams.com. Drapery Fabric: rubelli.com. Drapery Fabrication: drapery-design.com.
READING AREA
Chairs: precedent-furniture.com. Chair Fabric: romo.com. Rug: fabrica.com. Drapery Fabric: rubelli.com. Drapery Fabrication: drapery-design.com. Shelving & Paint: Pure White by sherwin-williams.com. Shelf Backs: Custom faux finishing. Chandelier: finearthl.com.
LIVING ROOM
Paint: Custom Venetian plaster finish. Ceiling Treatment: Custom faux bronze metallic. Chandelier: corbettlightinglights.com. Sofa: Custom through bakerfurniture.com. Sofa Fabric: jimthompsonfabrics.com. Pillow Fabrics: jimthompsonfabrics.com; osborneandlittle.com; samuelandsons.com. Side Chair: bakerfurniture.com. Chair Fabric: hollyhunt.com. Wood Chair: Antique. Wood Chair Fabric: schumacher.com. Floor Lamp: johnrichard.com. Drapery Fabric: jimthompsonfabrics.com. Drapery Trim: samuelandsons.com. Drapery Fabrication: drapery-design.com. Contemporary High Back Chair: christopherguy.com. Chair Fabric: jimthompsonfabrics.com. Chinoiserie Secretary: Antique. Cocktail Table: Custom.
DINING ROOM
Table: oldbiscaynedesigns.com. Host Chairs: bakerfurniture.com. Host Chair Fabric: romo.com. Guest Chairs: jonathancharlesus.com. Guest Chair Fabric: Stroheim by fabricut.com. Chandeliers: Antique lanterns. Mirror: Antique. Console: globalviews.com.
KITCHEN
Cabinets: petrastonegallery.com. Table: caracole.com. Chairs: theodorealexander.com. Chair Fabric: kravet.com. Pendants: hammerton.com. Sink Faucet: Perrin & Rowe through fergusonhome.com. Paint: Pure White by sherwin-williams.com.
FAMILY ROOM
Light Sofas: bakerfurniture.com. Light Sofa Fabric: janechurchill.com. Light Sofa Trim: samuelandsons.com. Rug: mastourgalleries.com. Chandelier: hammerton.com. Green Settée: bakerfurniture.com. Green Settée Fabric: decorfiftyfive.com. Pillow Fabric: pierrefrey.com. Armchair: Antique. Armchair Fabric: shop.ninacampbell.com. Consoles: theodorealexander.com. Lamp: johnrichard.com. Cocktail Table: bakerfurniture.com.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Bed: alfonsomarina.com. Bed Fabric: james-hare.com. Bedding: signoria.com; anngish.com. Canopy: Stroheim by fabricut.com. Canopy Fabrication: drapery-design.com. Rug: carpetcreationsandflooring.com. Armchair: Antique. Armchair Fabric: scalamandre.com. Sconces: hvlgroup.com. Side Table & Table Lamp: Antique. Chandelier: schonbek.com. Drapery: james-hare.com.
PRIMARY BATH
Countertop & Shower Stone: emilamerica.com. Tub: kohler.com. Sconce: visualcomfort.com. Ceiling Fixture: finearthl.com. Faucets: newportbrass.com through fergusonhome.com.