A finished home at Kensington Palisades.

This past weekend, prospective homebuyers headed to the grand opening of a model home at Kensington Palisades, a brand new luxury community from Sterling Mehring in Kensington, MD. Though just two of the community’s seven planned homes are complete, three are already under contract. Of the four remaining homes, one is available for August move-in, another will be ready in September, and two will be built-to-order.

The residences at Kensington Palisades feature either four bedrooms and 4.5 baths or 5 bedroom and 5.5 baths, and range in size from 3,500 to 5,000 square feet. Their design is a reinterpretation of the wooden farmhouses once found in the area. Interiors feel open and airy, with 9-foot ceilings (vaulted bedroom ceilings are 9+ feet) and clever storage space, like pantries and mudrooms both concealed behind cabinet-like doors.

Each home features a living room, family room, library and open-format kitchen, as well as a large master bedroom with two walk-in closets. The price range on the remaining four homes is $772,000 to $848,000.

A living room in a Kensington Palisades home.

As several of the remaining homes have yet to be finished, prospective buyers will have the opportunity to put their own stamp on the interior design, including paint colors and carpeting. A home theater, upgraded appliances, patios and decks, a finished basement, surround sound wiring and a security system are also options—while wide oak floors, fireplaces, European hardware and iPod dock audio systems come standard.

A kitchen in a Kensington Palisades home.

Located just off of Connecticut Avenue, Kensington is a tight-knit neighborhood of single-family homes, grassy open spaces and tree-lined streets. It was initially settled as a summer refuge from DC’s sweltering heat, but over time grew into an upscale suburban community for commuters working in the city.

Kensington Palisades was built on approximately 2.5 acres of land on a neighborhood cul-de-sac. Sterling Mehring and architect Gregory Sparhawk of GPS Designs Architecture (responsible for a handful of luxury developments in DC, including Naylor Court Stables) designed each home to suit the lay of the land and natural surroundings, putting one-third of the site into forest conservation.

A bedroom in a Kensington Palisades home.

Digging up a community pool with a considerable amount of concrete, the team was also able to greatly reduce the amount of storm water that previously poured unfiltered into a nearby stream, which adjoins the property. Mehring took conservation efforts a step further by building underground storm water structures that filter and slowly release water into the stream during heavy rainstorms.

Additionally, all of the homes are highly energy efficient and feature extra-thick walls—to conserve heat and keep out the cold—and modern air-stop technology to limit drafts. Compared to properties in the neighborhood, the Kensington Palisades homes require even less energy than their smaller counterparts.

Kensington Palisades is in walking distance of the Kensington Marc Train station, which runs commuter trains between DC, MD and West Virginia. It is also a ten-minute drive from the shops and restaurants in Bethesda, and the community’s bike path ends within three blocks of Rock Creek Park.

For more information about Kensington Palisades, please contact Sterling Mehring at 301-807-9200, or visit the model home on Sundays between 1:00pm and 4:00pm. Visit the property virtually by clicking here, or visit the community’s website here.