Stumbling Upon Their Dream Home in Queens Lake
Thirty years ago, Fran and Richard O’Hagan were living with their three young children in the established community of Queens Lake. During the holiday season, the O’Hagan’s home was a stop on the neighborhood Christmas tour, so they had to vacate for an afternoon. To kill time, they circled the neighborhood and came across a home for sale.
Fran popped into the home to take a peek while Rich stayed in the car with the kids, and what she found behind those doors blew her away.
“Despite some old wallpaper that wasn’t my taste, I saw the gorgeous hardwood floors, the cabinetry and the pool,” says Fran “The cabinetry is like furniture, it is so beautiful. The space upstairs was amazing and the size of bathrooms was terrific. I came back out and told Rich he had to go in and see it. It’s so much bigger than it looked on the outside. I love that the home is expansive yet understated.”
After seeing the home at 115 Holcomb Dr., with its brick cape cod exterior, large spacious rooms and its double-lot, the O’Hagan’s put their other home in Queens Lake up for sale and decided to move their family down the street to the home of their dreams.
A spacious yet cozy feel
At 6,700 square feet, the O’Hagan’s have had plenty of space over the years for raising three children, hosting events and holidays, and having pool parties and sleepovers. “The rooms are gigantic,” says Fran. “Our main goal was to make it as warm and cozy as possible.”
While there are two master bedrooms on the first floor, the main master is spacious with his and her French wardrobes that the O’Hagan’s put in on either side of the window. The main master also features a huge jacuzzi tub and a door to take you right into the indoor pool area.
The O’Hagan’s use the second master as a den, but the large room with en suite bathroom could easily be used for a number of purposes, like another bedroom or mother in law’s suite.
While the kids loved the pool growing up, the downstairs family room is their favorite spot in the house now. It features a huge fireplace and its where they spend most of their time when they are in town visiting their parents.
While most of the home has a Colonial Williamsburg feel to it, the kitchen was renovated by the O’Hagan’s and features gorgeous, modern counter tops, cabinets and appliances.
The dining room, referred to the O’Hagan’s as the “tavern dining room,” could also be used in a number of ways, like a bedroom or den. It’s blue trim and hardwood floors make you feel like you are dining on Duke of Gloucester Street.
A perfect family home
The expansive upstairs, with its large rooms and two more en suite bathrooms, was the perfect place for the O’Hagan’s children to grow up.
Their daughters shared the larger of the two rooms for some time, and their son was at the other end of the house in his own room. As the kids got older, they transformed the space between the two rooms into another bedroom, so they each had their own space.
Like most of the rooms in the house, the size of the bathrooms was one of the first things that drew Fran to the home. The girls’ bathroom upstairs was so large, their daughters and their friends would always get ready for proms and other events in there because there was room for all of their friends.
While their son’s bedroom is the smallest of all of the rooms in the house, it is still a large size and fits a king size bed with room to spare.
A unique house
One thing that really sets this home apart from the rest is that the entire house is built around a 28’x16’ indoor pool.
“The pool has been great fun through the years,” says Fran. “It’s a lot easier to maintain than an outdoor because the water doesn’t have to be replaced as long as it is taken care of, and it doesn’t get cold. It’s always the perfect temperature. On Halloween, our kids used to go trick-or-treating and then bring their friends back here for a pool party.”
When the O’Hagan’s first moved in, their youngest child was still a toddler so safety was a huge concern. “The doors to the pool are outdoor doors that are heavy, they lock, and they have window panels so you can have eyes on the space at all times,” says Fran.
Formal yet functional
Because of how the house is laid out, there are endless opportunities for nearly every room in the house. It can accommodate a lot of people for large events but also feel very cozy for family gatherings.
There is a warm feeling almost immediately after stepping through the door. The hardwood floors and furnishings have a classic, formal feel but it also feels like a place where you want to huddle by the grand fireplace with a book and a cup of tea.
View the Home in 3D Here.
Floorplans for 115 Holcomb
The perfect neighborhood
The beauty of Queens Lake is its location – you are literally on the Colonial Parkway. Everything is one short, scenic drive away.
Fran’s favorite part of neighborhood is its large lot sizes. “You can walk down the street and bump into neighbors and you can go down to any event at the club, but you still have your privacy too,” she says. “The neighbors are very friendly but you are never on top of each other. This neighborhood has always given us our privacy and a social life at the same time.”
Fran and Rich used to love getting involved in the different neighborhood clubs, like the bridge club and garden club. When their kids started school their time started getting taken up with school activities, sports and PTA meetings, so they haven’t been as involved in recent years.
“When we first moved into the neighborhood we were considered the babies because everyone was older than us,” says Fran. “However, over the years more and more young people have moved in and though we are older now, we find that there is a great, eclectic mix of people, ages and prices of homes.”
“The neighborhood has always been lovely. It’s been so nice having the marina, pools, tennis courts, clubhouse and more through the years. I also love that Queens Lake is not a resort. It’s an old school neighborhood with a club, amenities and a marina, but it is not commercial and doesn’t have tourists coming in and out.”
These are a few of my favorite things…
Fran says she can’t pick just one favorite thing in the house, but she could identify three: the den, the tavern kitchen and the great room. “I just love how open those rooms are and with music going and wine it is very relaxed. It’s great during the holidays. I love to decorate the entire house.”
Fran and Rich have always loved how well-built the home is. “They just don’t make homes like this anymore,” she says. “You can tell that an army engineer built this house. It’s evident in the little details. Even the cinderblocks have concrete poured in.”
Fran also loves the storage in the home. With four attics, she has had plenty of space over the years to store all of those Christmas decorations and childhood mementos.
Above all, Fran says it’s the space in the home and how fluid it is that has always appealed to her. “It’s so easy to change the rooms in the house from one usage to another.”
For More Information On 115 Holcomb Drive, Click Here.
Psssst! I wanted to let you in on a little secret. While I am a real estate agent…I am a different kind of real estate agent. I am creating a revolution in realty by combining everything you love about this area all into one place. Known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, I combine my extensive knowledge of the Williamsburg, Richmond, and Hampton Roads areas with my expertise in helping buyers and sellers navigate the ever-changing local real estate market to create a top-notch experience that checks all of your boxes.
Are you a homeowner searching for someone innovative and committed to selling your home? Allow Mr. Williamsburg to tell your story. With my unique marketing approach, your home will be seen from your eyes, not described in a few sentences by someone who doesn’t know it well.
Curious in finding the value of your existing home? Ask me here.
Interested in learning more about neighborhoods in the Williamsburg area? Check out my resource on specific communities in the surrounding areas of Williamsburg and Hampton Roads here.
Looking somewhere other than Williamsburg? In addition to my affinity for Williamsburg, I have helped hundreds of folks find their dream home and community in areas outside of the ‘Burg, such as Yorktown, New Kent, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Isle of Wight, Poquoson, and Richmond. I’m committed to helping you find your perfect fit and the place you’re happy to call home. Fill out this form and I’ll get back to you so we can connect.
Want to learn more about what working with me is like? While I can tell you all day why I love what I do so much, hearing directly from previous clients is the best way to see this. To read real client reviews and learn more about what it’s like working with me on your team, visit my reviews page here.
Your real estate journey is just that…yours. I get that it’ll be unique. It needs a marketing plan and a committed real estate professional to guide you every step of the way. To talk further, you can reach me via phone or text at 757-254-8136 or through email at [email protected].
I look forward to serving your real estate needs and welcoming you to this place that I’m lucky enough to call home!
John Womeldorf, Mr. Williamsburg