The entry tells you everything. The front door opens into a spacious foyer, and the dramatic stair feature rises ahead of you in a statement of proportion and craft that sets the entire home's tone in a single glance. This is what Joy Custom Design + Build and James MacDonald do, they build homes that announce themselves architecturally without raising their voice. The finishes are transitional: warm enough to feel lived-in, clean enough to feel current, detailed enough to satisfy the kind of buyer who checks the millwork before they check the view. And in Ballantrae, on a private cul-de-sac in one of McLean's most coveted neighborhoods, the expectation is exactly that high. The main level flows with the confidence of a floor plan designed for serious entertaining. The great room and kitchen connect through an open layout that breathes, and the electric slider doors retract fully to extend the living space into the backyard, flat, private, surrounded by mature trees on a generous lot. The hidden catering kitchen sits behind the main kitchen with a large pantry, keeping the hosting infrastructure invisible and the social spaces pristine. A first-floor guest suite handles overnight visitors with ease. State-of-the-art technology wiring and security systems run quietly through every wall. The elevator connects all three levels without a thought. Upstairs, the owner's suite delivers the payoff: incredible dual closets—boutique-scaled, walk-in, designed—and a spa bath that turns the end of the day into a private ceremony. The dedicated exercise room with its own bath and steam shower sits down the hall, so the workout and the recovery happen on the same floor without crossing paths with the rest of the household. The lower level, lit naturally by the walkout topography, opens into a versatile space ready for screening, games, a wine lounge, or whatever the next chapter requires. You end the evening on the terrace, the sliders still open, the cul-de-sac hushed, and the lights of Tysons visible through the trees. Washington is six miles east. The world is very close. But Ballantrae has always been about making the world feel very far away.

Dramatic Entry & Transitional Design – A spacious foyer with a signature stair feature introduces the home's architectural language—transitional in style, exacting in detail, built by an award-winning team with a reputation for exceeding custom-home expectations.

Electric Sliders & Flat Walkout Living – Full-height electric sliding doors merge the great room and kitchen with the outdoor terrace at grade level, while the lot's topography delivers a naturally light-filled lower level with direct walkout access.

Hidden Catering Kitchen & Large Pantry – A concealed, fully equipped catering kitchen behind the main kitchen keeps large-scale entertaining seamless, with back-of-house infrastructure that rivals a professional event space.

Owner's Suite — Dual Closets, Spa Bath & Fitness Wing – Boutique-scale dual walk-in closets, a spa-quality bath, and a dedicated exercise room with adjoining bath and steam shower create a self-contained wellness and retreat floor.

Elevator, Smart Technology & Three Finished Levels – A private elevator serves all three levels, with state-of-the-art security and technology wiring throughout, a first-floor guest suite, and a light-filled lower level designed for customization.

About McLean, Virginia

Washington's Power Neighborhood Since 1967 – Ballantrae Farms has been the address of choice for diplomats, executives, and elected officials for over five decades, with 31 custom estate homes on 32 acres between Dolly Madison Boulevard and Georgetown Pike.

Minutes to Georgetown, the White House & Embassy Row – McLean's proximity to the capital is its defining advantage—six miles to downtown D.C. via Chain Bridge or the GW Parkway, placing Ballantrae at the nexus of American government, diplomacy, and business.

Tysons Galleria & the Ritz-Carlton – The Westside's luxury retail and hospitality hub—Tysons Galleria, Tysons Corner Center, the Ritz-Carlton Tysons, and Capital One Hall for performing arts—delivers a full urban lifestyle minutes from the front door.

Langley School, Potomac School & McLean High – The Ballantrae area is served by some of the highest-rated public schools in Virginia, with elite private institutions including Langley, Potomac, Madeira, and Flint Hill all within close reach.

Reagan National, Dulles & Metro Silver Line – Dual international airports bracket McLean—Reagan National 15 minutes east and Dulles 20 minutes west—while the Silver Line Metro now provides direct rail access to the D.C. core and beyond.