With Washington, D.C., rapidly becoming the nation’s capital of anxiety, area builder Ted Visnic reports that cocooning is the order of the day. Among his custom home clients, the nesting instinct translates as a heightened interest in convenience, comfort, and home entertainment. “Espresso stations are beginning to make a statement,” he says. “We’re doing more and more of those.” Visnic likes the Coffee Station by Miele, a built-in unit that handles bean-related tasks from grinding to brewing to steaming milk. “Typically it’s in an appliance garage, so it can be hidden.”
The central vacuum system Visnic specifies is by Silent Master, which offers the VacPan, a baseboard- or kickspace-mounted outlet that allows clients to simply sweep floor crumbs into the vacuum system. “It’s easy on the back.”
Flat-screen television has changed not just the way clients watch, but the way Visnic designs and builds houses. “We used to account for 2 extra feet to push in a TV,” he says. “Now you can hang one over a fireplace and have two focal points in one.” Visnic’s audio/video subcontractor is partial to flat-screen units by Sony.
Miele. 800.883.4537. www.miele.com.
Silent Master. 800.525.2055. www.silentmaster.com.
Sony. www.sony.com.
