Have you ever wanted to stand in someone else’s living room and understand how they made a life there?
Peek Inside 6 Homes on Reston’s Annual Home Tour – Northern Virginia Magazine
You’re about to read a guided, intimate look at six distinct homes that typically open on Reston’s Annual Home Tour. This article will give you practical details, thoughtful observations, and a few sharp reflections so you can go with purpose—knowing what to look for, what to ask, and how your visit connects to broader questions about community, architecture, and belonging. You’ll find concrete tips for the visit, design notes you can use at home, and context about why a community fundraiser that opens doors matters more than you might expect.
Why the Home Tour Matters to You
You might think a home tour is just a chance to see pretty rooms. It’s that, and it’s also a small civic ritual: neighbors showing neighbors what they’ve built, restored, or re-imagined. Through these homes you can trace how Reston balances planned community design with personal expression, how public investments in parks and lakes intersect with private choices about space, and how history is translated into contemporary living. If you care about design, local history, or the mechanics of community-building, this tour gives you a concentrated lesson.
A Quick Practical Overview of the Tour
You should plan ahead: the tour usually runs on a weekend, with tickets sold online and at local outlets in advance. Expect staggered access times to reduce crowding, and know that some homes will be wheelchair accessible while others will not. Bring cash for small fundraisers, wear comfortable shoes, and prepare to be courteous with cameras—homeowners often allow photographs but ask that you check first. The organization running the tour often shares maps and descriptions; use them to plan a route that minimizes backtracking.
What to Expect When You Arrive
The day of the tour is public-facing but also intimate. Volunteers greet you, hand you a brochure, and point you to the first home. You’ll notice familiar faces in unfamiliar settings, neighbors who become curators of their own domestic lives. Expect lines at the most photogenic houses and quieter moments at homes where the narrative is more about preservation than show. If you’re someone who likes to learn, bring a small notebook; homeowners and docents usually love to talk about materials, sources, and the problems they solved.
Quick Comparison: The Six Homes at a Glance
Below is a simple table that helps you compare the six homes you’ll see on the tour. Use this as a quick reference so you can prioritize which homes to spend the most time in.
| Home # | Neighborhood / Setting | Architectural Style | Key Features | Accessibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lakeside cluster | Mid-century modern influenced | Floor-to-ceiling glass, exposed beams, original terrazzo | Partial (ramp to entry) |
| 2 | Historic village | Colonial Revival | Restored fireplace, period mouldings, adaptive kitchen | Not fully accessible (stairs) |
| 3 | Suburban infill | Contemporary passive house upgrade | Super-insulation, triple-pane windows, green roof | Accessible (single-level) |
| 4 | Townhouse row | Eclectic Tudor-inspired renovation | Reclaimed wood, bespoke millwork, layered lighting | Limited (some stairs) |
| 5 | Meadow neighborhood | Craftsman with modern addition | Built-in cabinetry, open-plan addition, recycled materials | Mostly accessible |
| 6 | Forested lot | Rustic-modern retreat | Stone hearth, vaulted ceilings, native landscaping | Limited (uneven paths) |
Home 1: Lakeside Mid-Century Modern — A Breath of Light
You’ll feel the lake before you see the house: a reflection, a shimmer, a calm that lowers the volume of the neighborhood and raises the stakes of the architecture. This home is about how light structures life. The floor-to-ceiling glass frames the water like a living artwork, and you’ll notice how sightlines were composed to capture morning and evening light. Exposed beams and the honesty of materials make the house feel like a shelter and a stage at the same time.
Design and Architecture
The original mid-century vocabulary—clean horizontal lines, integration with landscape, and simple detailing—remains intact. Renovations were sympathetic: when the owners updated the kitchen they matched the original cabinetry proportions and used materials that age gracefully. You should look for the subtle transitions: how the terrazzo flows into warm wood, how the decking aligns with interior flooring, and how doors slide rather than swing to preserve unobstructed views. These choices reflect a respect for original design and an investment in durable, beautiful materials.
History and Context
This house sits on a plat from the period when Reston was still defining itself as a planned community. Knowing that helps you appreciate the restraint of the original design—it was meant to connect people to nature without ostentation. The homeowners often keep artifacts or photographs in a hallway that show the neighborhood’s evolution, and you’ll want to pause and imagine the original landscape: fewer homes, more marsh, and a different relationship to the lake.
What to Look For
Pay attention to the hardware—original mid-century brass or modern reproductions tell you whether the owners are preserving or replicating. Look at the junction between interior and exterior: how thresholds are treated reveals priorities—thermal continuity, aesthetic continuity, or both. If the house uses sustainable upgrades, they’re likely discreet: mechanicals in the crawlspace, insulation behind walls, not in-your-face solar panels. Ask the docent where upgrades were done; homeowners generally love to explain solutions that preserve aesthetics.
Viewing Etiquette and Photography
The light is seductive, and you’ll want to photograph it. Ask before you shoot, especially if the homeowners are present. Use your phone camera quietly and avoid tripods in narrow hallways. If someone asks you to step back from a vignette, do so without comment—the point is to see, not to possess. Leave your loud conversations for the lawn.
DIY Takeaway
Even if your house is a different style, you can borrow the lake house lesson: composition matters. Consider how you frame a view, how you treat a threshold, and how you choose materials that age well. Small edits—like replacing heavy curtains with translucent shades—can create that same feeling of light without a major renovation.
Home 2: Colonial Revival in the Historic Village — Tradition Reimagined
You’ll be greeted by classic forms: symmetrical windows, a dignified entryway, and hearth-centered rooms that invite lingering. This house isn’t a museum; it’s a living reenactment of a style that has always been about comfort and a certain solidity. When you step inside you’ll feel warmth in scale and detail.
Design and Architecture
Colonial Revival homes on the tour often marry period details—egg-and-dart mouldings, wainscoting, built-ins—with contemporary conveniences. Here, the restoration team reworked the kitchen to be functional for modern life while preserving door proportions and stair profiles. You’ll notice carefully scaled joinery, plaster repairs that respect the original curves of crown moulding, and finishes that read as intentional rather than dated.
History and Context
This home speaks to Reston’s layers. The Colonial Revival idiom was adopted in post-war years as an expression of stability, and here it anchors a neighborhood that values continuity. Homeowners on the tour often keep a small archive of historical notes: old maps, an oral history of previous occupants, or a timeline of renovations. Use those moments to connect what you see to the town’s social history.
What to Look For
Look at how the kitchen works as the heart of the home without undermining historical geometry. Notice where modern lighting was introduced—are sconces placed to accent original trim? Are new windows crafted to match the sightlines of older sashes? These details tell you whether the project prioritized historical integrity or convenience. Ask about sourcing: period-accurate materials versus modern substitutes can change the story.
Viewing Etiquette and Photography
In a home filled with more fragile antiques or heirlooms, move with deliberation. Watch where you place your hands, and don’t crowd the room. Photography is usually allowed but sometimes limited; respect signs and the homeowner’s requests. A quiet, attentive gaze is often more appreciated than a flood of snapshots.
DIY Takeaway
You can borrow the Colonial Revival approach by focusing on proportion and restraint. Small investments—baseboard upgrades, a simple built-in, or a period-appropriate light fixture—can significantly alter how your space reads. The lesson is that fidelity to scale and detail often trumps expensive interventions.
Home 3: Contemporary Passive-House Upgrade — Science Meets Comfort
When you walk through this home you’ll feel the air: consistent temperature, absence of drafts, and a quiet hum from mechanicals that are efficient and purposeful. This house is less about ornament and more about performance. It’s an argument that comfort and beauty are not mutually exclusive.
Design and Architecture
The upgrades—superior insulation, airtight construction, triple-pane windows, and an energy-recovery ventilator (ERV)—are designed to make the envelope of the house perform like a single organism. Architecturally, the aesthetic favors clarity: simple planes, daylighting strategies, and material choices that express restraint. You’ll see how details like recessed shades align with solar gain strategies and how the house’s orientation was optimized for passive heating and cooling.
History and Context
This is a retrofit story: an older house reinterpreted for the climate realities and utility costs of the present. Reston homeowners who commit to such upgrades often do so because they want long-term savings and a reduced environmental footprint. This home shows you what’s possible if you’re willing to invest in the unseen systems.
What to Look For
Ask about the blower-door test results; homeowners often share these numbers proudly because they quantify the success of airtightness. Look at mechanical closets to see where ducts are minimized and how the ERV is positioned to serve the whole house. Pay attention to ventilation in wet rooms and how condensation is managed—these are clues to the project’s long-term durability.
Viewing Etiquette and Photography
This house rewards slow, technical observation. You may want to photograph mechanicals (with permission) so you can research contractors later. When a homeowner gives you a schematic or pamphlet, accept it—these are the practical takeaways. Keep questions specific to performance rather than design critiques; people who spend energy on efficiency can be sensitive to assumptions that comfort requires sacrifice.
DIY Takeaway
You don’t need a full retrofit to borrow this house’s virtues. Start with air-sealing projects, improved insulation, and better windows on the most exposed facades. Small changes in ventilation and shading can make your house noticeably more comfortable and cheaper to run.
Home 4: Tudor-Inspired Townhouse Renovation — Character in Compact Space
In this row of townhouses, character was rescued from awkward proportions and used as a platform for creative living. The Tudor nods—steep gables, timber accents, and textured plaster—were preserved while interiors were adapted for contemporary lifestyles. This house is a lesson in making small spaces feel generous.
Design and Architecture
Renovations focused on scale manipulation: lowering ceilings in service areas to borrow volume for living rooms, opening sightlines, and using built-in storage to reduce clutter. Light is choreographed into the rooms via layered lighting and mirrors that double as art. Materials are tactile: hand-planed stair treads, plaster with slight imperfections, and reclaimed wood that narrates history.
History and Context
Townhouses in Reston are a study in density done thoughtfully. This renovation shows how small-footprint homes can have architectural ambition. The project often included neighborhood approvals and conversations about streetscape continuity—an important reminder that even private renovations negotiate public expectations.
What to Look For
Notice how multifunctional rooms are defined with furniture and trim rather than walls. Look for integrated storage solutions—nooks that make the home feel larger without adding square footage. Inspect joinery and how transitions are treated; in compact homes, these details determine whether a space feels cohesive or chopped.
Viewing Etiquette and Photography
Because space is limited, avoid large bags and keep to small groups. If the homeowner invites you to sit, consider the offer a gesture of trust. Photographs should be taken with an eye to composition rather than quantity; one well-framed image is better than dozens that miss the point.
DIY Takeaway
If you live in a small home, the lesson is to make each surface earn its keep. Built-ins, carefully chosen furniture, and judicious removal of walls can transform a claustrophobic plan into one that breathes.
Home 5: Craftsman with Modern Addition — The Art of Seamless Additions
This house shows the generosity of the Craftsman tradition—built-ins, honest materials, and a human scale—updated with a modern addition that reads as necessary rather than tacked on. The success of the project is in the continuity between old and new: lines, materials, and proportions that feel inevitable.
Design and Architecture
The addition likely added space for an open-plan kitchen, a family room, or a glassed-in sunroom. The key was material continuity: matching trim profiles, sympathetic rooflines, and a rhythm in window proportions. Inside, the joinery connects the old cottage aesthetic to contemporary needs—handcrafted cabinets that reference original built-ins, for instance.
History and Context
This project typically begins as a family-growth story: needs change, and the house adapts. In Reston, where lot sizes vary and green space is a premium, making an existing home work better is often preferable to moving. Seeing a successful addition teaches you how to value what you have and how to make changes that feel inevitable rather than forced.
What to Look For
Study the junctions: where the old roof meets the new, how flashing is handled, and how interior floor levels were reconciled. Find the visual cues that make the addition read as sibling, not stranger—consistent eave depth, repeated window proportions, and material palettes that echo rather than mimic.
Viewing Etiquette and Photography
Because this is a story about continuity, take time to look at transition points. Photograph details that show craftsmanship and ask about the builders and tradespeople—these conversations often yield the best referrals if you’re considering similar work.
DIY Takeaway
If you’re planning an addition, think about rhythm and restraint. Repetition of small details—trim profiles, window proportions, and porch depths—will make the new feel like it’s always belonged.
Home 6: Rustic-Modern Forest Retreat — Quiet, Durable, Intentional
Set on a wooded lot, this house reads as a retreat rather than a showhouse. It encourages slow movement: you’ll be drawn to sit by the stone hearth or stand at a window watching seasonal change. The architecture is about durability, tactility, and a conscious relationship to the landscape.
Design and Architecture
The house uses materials that age in place: local stone, charred wood siding or cedar, and metal rooflines that shed snow and rain. Interior volumes are open but warm, with a focus on texture over ornament. Sustainable landscape choices—native plantings, permeable walkways, rain gardens—are integral to the design rather than afterthoughts.
History and Context
Forest lots in Reston are precious. This house often represents a negotiation between preserving canopy and creating living space. Homeowners on the tour might share their choices about tree protection, invasive removal, and how they minimized grading to protect root systems. These are practical lessons in stewardship.
What to Look For
Observe how the house sits on the land: is it raised to protect roots, or does it step with the slope? Look at drainage solutions and the use of native species to reduce irrigation demand. Note how interior palettes mirror the exterior—earthy tones, tactile finishes, and an emphasis on longevity over trend.
Viewing Etiquette and Photography
Outdoor shoes may be necessary; tread lightly through native plantings. Respect any roped areas meant to protect fragile landscape elements. If you photograph, try to capture the relationship between the structure and trees rather than focusing only on interiors.
DIY Takeaway
The retreat teaches restraint: choose materials and plants that will mature gracefully. Landscape choices are as important as paint colors for long-term satisfaction.
How to Plan Your Visit Efficiently
You should pick homes that match your priorities: preservation, sustainability, compact living, or raw aesthetic interest. Use the map to plot a logical circuit that accounts for parking and traffic patterns. Allow 30–45 minutes at a house that interests you and less time at ones that are primarily about facade or landscaping. If accessibility is a concern, call ahead to confirm ramps and parking arrangements.
Timing and Travel Tips
Arrive early if you prefer quiet viewing; late afternoon often brings tired homeowners and less enthusiastic docents. Carpool with friends to minimize parking strain and to allow someone to be the designated map reader. Bring a small daypack with bottled water, a notepad, and a pen.
What to Bring
Bring cash for small on-site purchases, allergy medication if you’re sensitive to pets or dust, and comfortable shoes. A small fabric bag is better than a bulky backpack in narrow hallways. If you’re a photographer, bring a compact camera and be mindful of flash bans.
Accessibility and Inclusion
If you need accommodations, contact the tour organizers in advance. Many homes have partial access, and organizers can suggest routes that minimize stairs. Remember that volunteers are doing their best; a polite request for help is usually met with sincere effort.
Supporting the Community Through Your Visit
Your ticket purchase usually supports local charities, historic preservation, or community services. Consider the tour as an act of civic support. If the homeowners or volunteers have fundraising tables, buy a print, a plant, or a small artisan item—these small transactions keep local cultural infrastructure alive.
Volunteer and Sponsorship Opportunities
If you enjoy the tour, sign up to volunteer next year. Volunteers get a different kind of intimacy with the houses, often an insider’s appreciation for the labor behind the scenes. Sponsorships from local businesses help keep ticket prices reasonable; supporting those businesses afterwards extends the circle of benefit.
Questions to Ask Homeowners or Docents
You should prepare a few concise, respectful questions that will give you practical insight: What was the biggest challenge in this renovation? Where did you source your materials? Which contractors would you recommend? How does the house perform in winter and summer? These questions are specific, useful, and appreciated. Avoid questions that pry into personal finances or private family stories.
The Ethics of Looking
There’s a gentle ethical code in home tours you should respect: these homes are private lives made temporarily public. Look, inquire, and photograph with consent. When homeowners speak about challenges—ageing-in-place, climate adaptation, budget overruns—listen with empathy. The most valuable thing you can bring to a home tour is a sense of curiosity balanced by respect.
Final Reflections: What These Homes Say About Reston
By the end of your visit you’ll have a sense of how Reston’s built environment reflects its founding values—connection to nature, thoughtful planning, and a civic-mindedness that invites shared experiences. The houses are different in detail but similar in intention: to make a place where people can live honestly and well. You’ll notice that modest investments in craftsmanship and thoughtful design often yield the most meaning.
If you go, let the tour be more than a checklist. Carry away one concrete idea—a shade strategy, a built-in plan, or a planting list—and use it. The tour is a modest civic ritual, but through it you can learn how design shapes daily life, how neighbors care for common spaces, and how private choices echo into the public realm. When you return home, you’ll see your own rooms with a different eye—and that is the small public good these tours perform.
Notes on Practical Safety and Courtesy
You should remain mindful of basic safety: watch steps, keep children close, and sanitize when asked. If a house displays an accessible symbol, please avoid occupying those spaces if you don’t need them. If you bring a pet, check policies—most homes won’t allow animals inside. Above all, respect the homeowner’s boundaries and the time limits per house.
After the Tour: Continuing the Conversation
Once the tour ends, you can extend the experience by reading local historic resources, attending community preservation meetings, or supporting neighborhood businesses that participated in the event. If a particular design element captivated you, follow up with local professionals who can translate inspiration into actionable plans for your home. Your curiosity need not end at the door.
Thank you for considering this guided look at what you might find on Reston’s Annual Home Tour. You’ll leave with more than images—you’ll have specific ideas, practical referrals, and a clearer sense of how design and community intersect in everyday life.