Greg and Holly Hamilton have used creative ingenuity to showcase the perfect space. From removing walls that opened up the family room to adding decor pieces that Holly designed, their efforts have created a warm and comfortable home that is ideal for them. 

To open up the family room, they removed the wall that acted as a divider between the living room and family room area. This created a larger space for entertaining and watching television, while the old living room area provides more seating. Mustard-colored walls are decorated with creations that Holly made using repurposed materials. Button-tufted chairs and a black leather bench create the seating area. A tray ceiling adds drama, and crown molding provides definition. Built-in shelves flanking the brick fireplace house the television and showcase family photographs. The white mantel, which displays contemporary vases and a platter, is complemented by a Venetian plaster inlay. 

We decided not to do new cabinets in the kitchen, but to freshen the look with new hardware, Holly said. It is the least expensive way to go, plus it modernizes the cabinets, which are in perfectly good shape. Oak cabinets are brightened by contemporary hardware and complement the granite counters. Button-tufted chairs surround the glass-top table nestled in the bay window. A bakers rack holds collectibles, and black-and-white valances that Holly made dress the windows. 

I found these plates that I just loved and decorated the room around them, Holly said, referring to her dining room. Decorative plates with a whimsical pattern adorn the round table embraced by four black leather chairs. The bold wallcovering gives the illusion of a painted faux finish. Holly gave her brass chandelier a new look by spray-painting it black to accommodate the decor. A side table boasts a lamp and modern mirror,Choose your favorite China Granite Countertops paintings from thousands of available designs. while a colorful area rug anchors the space. 

The upstairs master suite was a selling point for Holly and Greg when they purchased the home. Gray and tan linens dress the four-poster bed. The dresser displays vases and family photographs. I love to relax in this area at night, Holly said as she stood in the sitting room off the master bedroom. Tan walls warm the high-ceilinged room.Shop for wholesale Granite countertops from China! The plush sofa is angled for optimal viewing of the television. A nearby desk provides space to work. 

The newly renovated master bathroom is all about relaxation. The large walk-in shower boasts tile walls with a glass-block inlay. Pendant lights brighten the whirlpool tub with a beadboard base. The double vanity with black cabinetry allows for plenty of room for the two to share. 

But now that security started to be an issue, as he calmly puts it, the economist decided to make a change. In 2002, Abdala, who specializes in international commercial arbitration, asked his American business partners at LECG for a transfer. 

The first stop was the firms San Francisco headquarters. Then in 2003 he and his family moved east, into a Potomac Falls colonial with small rooms and little light. By 2010, Abdala, his wife, Alexandra Arata, and their children had become U.S. citizens. The following year the couple bought a $2.5 million Spanish-style house on 3? acres in Potomac, certain they could transform it into their dream villa. 

Mediterranean-style architecture was part of their shared culture. Aratas parents had immigrated to Argentina from Italy after World War II, as had one of Abdalas grandparents; two other grandparents came from Lebanon and the fourth from Germany. 

Though some new Americans have zero interest in preserving their melded heritage, Arata and Abdala were committed to it. Since our families are from Italy and the Mediterranean, we have lived in many Mediterranean homes [in Argentina] which are U-shaped with a courtyard in the center, says Arata, a teacher at the Hispanic Business and Training Institute at Montgomery College and former host of Facetas TV, a discontinued Telemundo cable show. We never saw an L-shaped house like this one, and immediately felt it needed another wing. 

Thus began a yearlong renovation that would expand the home from 6,000 to 8,500 square feet on the main level; the basement, which they opened up by removing walls, retained its original footprint. Throughout construction, the family stayed in the old colonial. 

Thus began a yearlong renovation that would expand the home from 6,000 to 8,Browse our Granite slabs collection from the granitetrade.net!500 square feet on the main level; the basement, which they opened up by removing walls, retained its original footprint. Throughout construction, the family stayed in the old colonial. 

Today, the new wing contains three en suite bedrooms for daughters Noel, 17, and Nicole, 13, a senior and eighth-grader, respectively, at Holton-Arms School, and son, Franco, 15, a Landon School sophomore. 

But that was hardly the only change. The couple wanted a foyer, higher ceilings and darker floors. Above all, they craved a large, new kitchen with separate formal and casual dining rooms where they could entertain family and friends. They sought rustic finishes and decorative trim for walls, doorways, windows and ceilings. 

Some elements inherited from the previous owners were left untouched: the original wing, which houses a trio of garages; the long driveway and front courtyard; and the beautifully landscaped backyard, complete with swimming pool, patio, multilevel pond and a stand of tall trees. 

The lead contractor on the projectwhich cost in the high six figures, Arata sayswas Bill Crowell, whose Rockville firm, Crowell and Baker, built the house in 1999. 

He knew all about the original materials, especially the roof tiles, which he bought from the same place for the new wing, and then washed the old tiles so they all matched, says Abdala, now an international arbitration expert for Compass Lexecon in the District. Bill did the same thing with the exterior stucco. He even used some of the same workers.