Enjoy enormous windows that bring nature inside this 65-year-old house with additions that dazzle.

From the facade, the home might appear to be a traditional colonial with a detached garage. However, the floor plan is contemporary with open spaces and expansive windows.

At the top of the stairs, visitors can take in a soaring cathedral ceiling and a rear wall of windows topped with a Palladian. Take a few steps closer to the windows and one can easily see where the owner, an artist, gets her inspiration. The view: terraced gardens with stone retaining walls, and a multitiered deck and patios of brick and flagstone.

Set on nearly three-quarters of one acre, the Gaithersburg home also has a tastefully landscaped front yard with dual steps that lead to the covered front porch. Sky-blue siding contrasts nicely with bright white trim on the main house and the garage.

Inside, the entry flows right into a newly carpeted living room with a lighted ceiling fan, side and front windows, and a hand-laid, stone fireplace with a wooden mantel and a smoked glass mirror. A side door accesses the driveway and the two-car garage, and a set of French doors opens to the rear Trex deck with built-in benches and a retractable awning.

Beyond the living room, the dining room has a brass chandelier and a side window, as well as a hardwood floor that continues into the kitchen and hallway to the left.

The kitchen features off-white cabinets and laminate countertops with oak trim, a tile backsplash, and a charming dining nook with a large bay window and a lighted ceiling fan. A door off of here opens to a main-level bedroom with back and side windows, a lighted ceiling fan, mirrored closets and a private, ceramic bathroom.

There also is a second full bathroom on this level. A laundry closet off of the living room near the side door rounds out the main level.

The upper level offers two bedrooms with hardwood floors and a powder room, both in the home's original structure.

Beyond, the additions made in 1996 include the multipurpose family room that the owner is using as an art studio, where she also teaches. As such, the many built-ins include open-faced "lockers"; wide open space for tables and chairs; a kitchenette with dual sinks, oak cabinets and a wall of built-ins; and a walk-in closet with built-ins.

Pergo flooring, lighted ceiling fans and recessed lights are found in the studio. Side windows plus the back wall of windows fill this unique space with natural light and beautiful views of gardens and greenspace.

There is a cellar basement in the house, located off of Longdraft Road a couple of blocks from Quince Orchard Road.

Specialties of the house

Address: 11820 Marmary Road, Gaithersburg

Style: Contemporary

Lot size: 0.70 acre

Price: $470,000

Estimated taxes: $4,531

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2 full, 1 half

Contact: Thomas McGlynn, Llewellyn, Realtors, 301-424-0900