4604 King Duncan Rd, Alexandria, VA 22312

You start most mornings the same way here, coffee in hand, stepping out onto the balcony off the primary suite before the day gets going. Downstairs, the main level is built for the parts of life that actually happen together, cooking while someone sets the table, kids doing homework at the island while dinner comes together, friends drifting between the kitchen and the family room without anyone having to raise their voice over a wall. The cathedral ceilings and the gas fireplace give the family room a warmth that pulls people in, and the dining room sits just a few steps above it, close enough to stay part of the conversation but set apart enough to feel like an occasion when you want it to. It is a layout that does not box you in, and once you have lived in a home like this, a chopped up floor plan feels like a compromise. In the evenings, the deck off the back becomes its own kind of gathering spot, with stairs leading down to a fenced patio and yard where the dog can run or the...