Located in a cul-de-sac in the Tantallon Country Club community, this Fort Washington house is a getaway right at home. A carved wood door with patterned glass windows opens into the main foyer of the home with a ceramic tile floor underfoot. Most of the first floor of the home beyond this point features hardwood flooring, as in the long living room to the left of the entrance.

The room is very open with wide entrances from the front hall and back into the dining room. A picture window looks out into the front lawn. A chair rail lines the walls of the dining room, with another large picture window out into the back of the home, filling it with natural light on both sides.

Next to the dining room is the kitchen and breakfast area. The kitchen has been renovated recently and features hardwood cabinets and inset lighting overhead as well as granite countertops. The breakfast area is in the back of the home with a large window overlooking the yard.

A bar separates the kitchen from the family room, a long space with two ceiling fans overhead and a brick wall on the far side which contains a wood-burning fireplace. A flat screen TV is perched on the mantle and the room is wired for surround sound. Off to the side of the family room is a long laundry room with built-in shelving.

Across the hallway into the front of the home is a room being used as a library, with a hardwood floor and picture window that looks out towards the front yard. This space could be used as a first-floor bedroom, as it also has a large double closet. Additionally, there is a two-car garage as well as a full bathroom on the first floor.

Beyond the living room is a step down into a great room on the side. This large space has a Mexican tile floor and a nautical theme to the decorations. The wall shared with the family room is brick and also opens to the wood-burning fireplace.

On the opposite side of the room is a long bar for entertaining guests. The side of this room opens out into a sun room in back, with windows lining the outer walls and two skylights overhead.

In the backyard directly behind the home is a curved kidney-shaped in-ground pool, with a patterned deck surrounding it. Stone retaining walls make a tiered lawn leaning down to the back fence and the waterfront beyond.

The fence opens back to a private floating dock right off Swan Creek, which flows down into the Potomac River.

On the second floor of the home, there are five bedrooms. Three of these are together on the right side of the home. Each is larger than average and features a double closet.

The room in back has a variety of built-in shelving as well as a view of the water below. There is a full bathroom in the hall with a combined shower and bath with a double vanity to the side.

On the other side of the home is the master bedroom. It has two double closets, a ceiling fan overhead and balcony overlooking the pool and Swan Creek beyond.

To the side is a dressing room with a walk-in closet leading back into a private full bathroom. On the other side of the master bedroom, a door leads to the fifth and final bedroom.

It's a large bedroom with an entrance from the hall as well as the master bedroom, and could work as a sitting room or a nursery as well as a bedroom.

The home has an alarm system installed and a sprinkler system has been put in the front lawn. The Tantallon Marina is located nearby as well as the National Golf Club for those interested in hitting the links.

Specialties of the house

Address: 12208 Candle Light Circle, Fort Washington

Price: $719,500

Year built: 1969

Square feet: 3,628

Lot size: 0.28 acres

Taxes: $10,705.90

Bedrooms: 6

Bathrooms: 3

Contact: Edith Pulscak, Long and Foster Real Estate Inc., 301-807-1833

*List price for homes may be subject to change.

E-mail Serena Loder at sloder@gazette.net.