In 2006, after earning his master's degree in biotech industries at Columbia University, Antonio Francis remodeled his first home—a Silver Spring bungalow with chocolate grey stone veneering and Asian blue flagstone walkways. He fell in love with stonework. So much so that he left an early career in medicine and partnered with a commercial masonry company to hone his craft.

Under Francis' direction, the company flourished and in 2009, he refocused its mission, expanding from masonry to home renovation, building and development. Today, FRANCIS DEVELOPMENT is known for building beautiful, energy-efficient homes with exquisite attention to detail and high-tech features.

The homes vary in style, from craftsman to farmhouse modern, and feature open floor plans, contemporary finishes, thoughtfully incorporated outdoor spaces and refreshing natural stone installations. Francis has also made a point of building exclusively in sought after, walkable neighborhoods in and around upper Northwest DC so that owners of his projects have both the city at their fingertips and plenty of living space.

The firm’s newest project, a nearly 6,000 square foot contemporary home located at 6427 Barnaby Street NW in Chevy Chase DC, just hit the market. The home features four floors—though only two are visible from the street thanks to a gently sloping property—six bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms. High ceilings on the first and second floors and large Pella windows in the front and back make the house feel larger than its 6,000 square feet. 

No attention to detail was spared for the home's six bedrooms. Each features ample natural light and spacious closets, with the master suite boasting a large master bathroom and two walk-in closets.

The homes’ outdoor spaces were thoughtfully curated to showcase the deep rear yard. They include a lanai on the ground floor with lighting, wiring for speakers and stone patio flooring; and a first-floor deck that looks out on mature trees. The front of the house has a five-foot wide blue thermal flagstone walkway and porch, and the rear of the property features a two-car garage.

The house is wired for indoor and outdoor speakers, includes conveniences like a remotely activated built-in coffee machine and USB ports, and has two gas fireplaces and two laundry rooms. Finishes include quartz and marble countertops, matte black and champagne gold fixtures, wide plank white oak floors, white shaker soft-close cabinets, and Thermador appliances featuring wireless Home Connect.

As the owner of a renewable energy company called Volt Energy, Francis has also worked on solar projects across the country (including DC's City Hall, Fort Bragg Military Base and The Cheesecake Factory HQ) and incorporates his wealth of energy efficiency knowledge into every home he builds. The new Barnaby Street home features LED lighting throughout, energy efficient Pella windows, two high efficiency gas furnaces and Energy Star appliances.

The home at 6427 Barnaby Street NW is selling for $2,195,000. For more information, contact Compass Vice President Pam Wye at 202-320-4169 and pam@compass.com; or Senior Vice President Claudia Donovan at 202-251-7011 and Claudia@compass.com. For more information about FRANCIS DEVELOPMENT, visit the firm online here.