Creating a Retreat from the World
Couple's master suite is luxurious, comfortable
Writer: Marcy Horwitz
Photographer: Tom Kojcsich

As a child, Eric Franklin lived on Richmond's Northside. A graduate of Henrico High School and Hampton University, Franklin is today the CEO of ERIMAX, the consulting firm he founded in the Washington, D.C., area. He put his confidence and his decision-making ability to good use when it was time to design his dream home. Working from an architect's drawings of his concept, he decided to become his own contractor.

ABOVE: Rané Franklin's bathroom has a tumbled marble floor with a dramatic mosaic tile insert. INSET: In the sunroom, part of the master suite, wicker furniture keeps the feeling light. Sunbrella fabric on the cushions. The floor is porcelain tile.

Eighteen months after groundbreaking, the 12,000 square foot house in Owings, Md., was completed to his exact specifications.

The master bedroom suite is his and wife Rané's favorite spot.

A two-sided gas fireplace separates the suite's sitting room from the sleeping areas. Two flat-screen TVs provide more than entertainment. They also monitor the home's security cameras, and every room (including the baths) is connected to the whole-house audio system. The sitting room opens to the loggia and its brick arches, Italian tile floors, and marble fountain.

ABOVE: Eric and Rané Franklin built their dream home in the Maryland suburbs. He is a Richmond native. BELOW: Rex pauses between Rané Franklin's bath and the morning bar, where the Franklins can make coffee and breakfast without going to the kitchen.

Separate his-and-her baths share a large steam shower with a multiple-head shower tower. Eric's closet has an elevated, columned dressing area that Rané calls his "throne." A granite-topped morning bar holds a refrigerator and a coffee maker. ("Rané's the coffee person," Eric explains.)

Eric's interest in lighting design can be seen throughout the house. The double tray ceilings in the master bedroom suite are 12 feet tall. Cove lighting in the sitting and sleeping areas casts a warm, romantic glow over everything. The suite's chandeliers - all four of them - add to the ambiance.

Creamy linens, yellow rug, and suspended wool tapestry above the headboard in the master bedroom create a cozy atmosphere. The bed is hard-carved cherry. Ceiling fan is by Hampton Bay.

Eric's design took into consideration green building techniques and energy efficiency. In the sun room, argon-filled wood casement windows are tinted to help reduce the heat transmission quality of the glass. As a result, the couple enjoy lower energy bills without sacrificing the quality of light. Throughout the house, two hot-water re-circulating systems operate at times of peak use so that hot water is available when it's needed - and not when it's not. Dual-flush toilets help conserve water, an important consideration for a house that contains 10 water closets. Compact fluorescent lighting and Energy Star rated appliances reinforce the couple's commitment to green building techniques.

Eric reflects on his experience as contractor. "The average person, working with a contractor, has to make hundreds of decisions. When you're your own contractor, there are thousands of decisions to be made." Obviously, DIY contracting is not for everyone. But Eric is more than pleased with the results.

"We wanted a sanctuary. A retreat," he says. And they certainly got one.