11610 HITCHING POST LN North Bethesda, MD 20852

The Grand Dame of Old Farm, this elegant colonial boasts 7-bedrooms, 4.5-baths, 2-Fireplaces, a temperature controlled 2-car garage, and so much more. A flagstone walk and elegant portico invite you into a sprawling foyer flowing into a large formal living room with fireplace and an elegant adjoining dining room. A fully renovated kitchen with Thermador appliances, granite counter tops and a large custom built in banquette with bay window overlooking a garden pond. As if this open connect kitchen couldn't get any better, it is wide open to a family room with a magnificent stone hearth.

The upstairs features 6 bedrooms, including a palatial owners suite with three sides of light, a renovated spa-like primary bath, 3 closets (two walk-in). and enough room to create a separate sitting area. The remaining 5 bedrooms are large and light filled, with custom closet systems, and one is ready made for a home office with distinguished built-in shelving. 2 more flawlessly renovated bathrooms complete this floor.

The spacious basement offers a seventh bedroom with a double egress window and full ensuite bath - a perfect retreat for an au pair, guest, or visiting in-law. Built in cabinets and desks make this space a second optional home office (homework space/craft room) and numerous large, shelved closets provide significant storage options.

The current owner is a professional artist, and converted the garage into a studio, with insulation, air conditioning and heating, a sink, extensive lighting, and professionally installed interlocking plastic flooring, made specifically for garages, and capable of withstanding the weight of parked cars. The studio has been featured in several art magazines, and photos of it can be seen. While it works well as an artist's studio, the garage doors and flooring are fully functional. The space could be used in so many ways: home gym, woodworking shop, music or photography studio, or, of course, as a traditional garage.

The garden and grounds have been a labor of love and passion for the current owner. As a Master Gardener, she has been creating this garden bit by bit over the last twenty-two years. The only original plantings are large maple and crab apple trees in the front yard, a single hydrangea, and an impressively tall row of burning bush in the back. When they lost a second maple in the side yard several years ago, it opened up a whole new opportunity for growing sun-loving perennials, roses, herbs, and raised vegetable beds. The picket fence around the side yard has extensions that are invisible from the street, but keep the deer out. They have added a pond with a waterfall feature, home to goldfish and frogs, and a source of water for myriad wild birds, which is visible from the kitchen. A round flagstone patio with firepit and large screened porch are favorite places to relax and enjoy the garden. The custom built potting shed holds gardening supplies and allows for seed-starting for the vegetable garden. The owner's whimsical approach is evident in the objects placed among the plants, like colored goblets hanging from tree branches and framed mirrors along the fence. The garden, including the lawn, are 100% organically managed, and registered on the Pollinator-Pathway

This house is the true Grand Dame!!