Susan Bodiker

A weekend retreat was not on the menu for Ralph Brabham and Drew Porterfield back in 2020. The Washington, DC-based restaurateurs, who own District hot spots Jane Jane, Bar Betsie and Beau Thai, found themselves spending time in southern Maryland during the pandemic, and fell in love with the area. “We could envision our life there; it was an accessible getaway where we could be with friends, entertain and not be in the city,” Brabham recalls.

It’s been a year, has it not? After 12 months (and more) of turbulence, we could all use a little break or — as Club Med used to frame it — an “antidote to civilization.” If you’re thinking “Same,” consider 1726 Wisconsin Ave. NW, the address of Georgetown Massage & Body Work, your portal to paradise.

It is not exactly a “stairway to heaven,” but it comes pretty close. Rising to a rooftop conservatory, a sculptural brass-and-wood floating staircase artfully bisects this three-story Arlington home, visually connecting spaces on either side while allowing each its moment to shine. The staircase is just one of the many bold design choices architect Robert Shutler and designer Arlene Critzos of Interior Concepts, Inc., made for this unique property.