Home of the Week: Senior condo living with style

Rita Bond Clark had just finished baking a tray of heavenly Scottish Highland shortbread cookies.

"I'm Rita and I'm married to Dick Clark," Rita said with distinct Scottish burr as she offered her visitors the decadently delicious cookies. "My dad was James Bond."

"Unfortunately, neither one of us had a lot of money," Dick quipped.

The Clarks are both 68 and technically retired. Dick, a graduate of Arundel High School, was a firefighter with Engine 16 in Washington, D.C., while Rita was director of meetings and conventions for a D.C. trade association. They first met when Rita brought one of her home-baked pies to the fire station. Married nearly four decades, they have between them four grown children and six grandchildren ranging in age from 1 month to 25 years.

Dick is the current president of the board of directors of The Village at Waugh Chapel West, or Village West as it's called. Rita is the activities committee chairwoman; she produces the Village West directory and community graphics.

Village West is a group of three four-story condominium buildings designed for active adults age 55 or older. It has its own large community center, and owners of the larger-sized units have one or two assigned indoor parking spaces.

Residents carry an electronic fob that allows them quick access into the building and the community center. The public areas of the seven-year-old property are impeccably maintained.

Sun and space

Sunlight cascades into the foyer of the Clarks' 2,000-square-foot condo. But it hardly looks like a typical condo - it's too spacious. From the doorway, you can see into the living and dining room area. A set of doors on the far wall lead to a small balcony that overlooks a vista of the Waugh Chapel shopping and residential area.

A pale gold brocade couch curves in a wide semicircle near the electric fireplace, forming a soft room divider. The other half of the room is taken up by an elegant dining table which seats six and a china cabinet displaying Waterford crystal, Wedgewood china and family heirlooms.

"We downsized from a five-bedroom house on 3 1/2 acres," Dick said. "It was a big downsizing, but this meets our needs and lifestyle. It's easy to close the door, hop on a plane at BWI and go visit Rita's 98-year-old mom in Scotland, her brother in London, or one of the kids in Colorado or New Jersey. I don't have a lawn to mow, leaves to rake or snow to blow."

He pointed out all the upgrades the couple installed prior to moving in. Chair railings, extra-wide baseboards and crown molding were placed in every room. In the scarlet-red powder room opposite the front door, the standard-issue pedestal sink was rejected in favor of two tall, built-in wooden cabinets framing the sink and vanity. The cabinets hold linens and bathroom supplies.

In the kitchen, the countertop was extended slightly more than a foot to accommodate two lazy susan cabinets. Those, along with the rest of the cabinets, are a European style built in Canada.

A laundry room is the least sexy spot in any house, but the Clarks proudly showed off theirs. They ordered a Kenmore Elite stacking washer-dryer unit for the room instead of the classic side-by-side models. That created space for a laundry sink - but they didn't want it to wash laundry. Dick needs a place to rinse off his golf clubs. A regular on the links, he has a respectable 14 handicap.

Instead of sliding glass doors for the balcony, the Clarks opted for regular doors. They upgraded all the lighting, put in a noiseless ventilation system and fans, and had electrical outlets hidden under the living room couch, dining room table and behind a clock on the mantel. They didn't want electrical cords snaking all over the condo.

What's cooking

The kitchen also features a charming, mural-sized trompe l'oeil painting of a country walkway lined with lupine flowers.

"I wanted a window in the kitchen nook," Rita said. "This is the first home where my kitchen didn't have a view."

The kitchen table is the game table from their old home, set with gorgeous cloth napkins pleated and folded to fan out over the placemat. The tabletop is highlighted with one of her colorful floral arrangements, as is nearly every flat surface in the condo.

Dick has a man-cave, but it is every bit as elegant as the rest of the Clarks' home. Where most condo owners put a sun room, Dick has his golf room. The focal point is not the cozy armchairs that invite you to curl up with a good book, but the spruce green valence accented with a pair of crossed golf clubs and several golf balls.

The master bedroom is a head-turner, too. It has a 19 1/2-foot beveled ceiling that forms an umbrella over the king-size bed. Instead of a headboard, the bed is nestled between twin hardwood armoires bridged by a pair of large mirrors.

Nearby, the master bath is huge. It's hard to imagine finding one that size in a condo. The room is replete with a large Jacuzzi, a big shower and two sinks. A mural depicting a Japanese fantasy landscape covers two walls behind the Jacuzzi. A companion mural hangs at the far end of the bathroom.

On the opposite end of the apartment is Rita's she-cave - only hers is loaded with computers, electronics, office supplies and family photos.

Next to her office is a sunny guest room with its own private bathroom. A child's old viola and bow hang between a pair of windows. The room has a faintly Scottish flavor to it, with a tatted-lace, quilted bedspread and matching pillows and soft, white cotton curtains held back with simple cords.

"We have a really good lifestyle here," Rita said, describing all the community's parties, trips and get-togethers.

"People ask if we'd ever move." She shook her head. "I walk through the front door and forget we're in a condo."

Would you like to see your house, townhome, condo, apartment or cottage featured as The Capital's Home of the Week? To nominate your home, e-mail Wendi Winters at wendi@quantumstep.com. Include your contact information and details about your residence.