Bethesda

The reign of the trophy kitchen is officially over. The dream kitchens of today aren't about the sexiest six-burner range or the most exotic countertop material. As cooking has returned to center stage and remodeling budgets have sobered, the kitchen island is nurturing family togetherness and reviving casual entertaining. In kitchens with a small footprint, glass tiles, quartz counters and dish drawers are adding sparkle and practicality. The kitchen of 2013 has soul. "That industrial, commercial style was looking a little cold," says...

Companies Abt Associates of Bethesda appointed Jeffrey Lubell director of housing initiatives. Context Partners of the District appointed Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy managing director. CrossCountry Consulting of Vienna appointed Paul Joseph Warwick director in its risk management regulatory and internal controls group. Destination DC of the District appointed Robin McClain vice president of marketing and communications. Fairmont Washington D.C. appointed Caitlin Rolfe conference services...

Selling your home without a real estate agent is not for everyone. But for those who have the time, skills and emotional strength, doing so can save tens of thousands of dollars in brokerage commissions. There are three distinct phases in all home sales: presale, contract negotiation and settlement. All three phases must be successfully navigated for you to market, sell and settle on the sale of your home. Over the next three columns, I will examine each phase and provide tips from real estate professionals on how...

B rittany Lofton spots them all the time: teens and college students clutching their beat-up cellphones, with screens so cracked that spider-web-like patterns creep across the glass. Sure, the screen's razory shards make reading a text and posting Instagram photos super blurry, not to mention slightly painful. But that's part of the appeal. Introducing the cracked cellphone screen, which raises the bar by lowering it. Think of it as the tech generation's ripped jeans or unwashed hair.

When Stefan and Jennifer Hull beat out other interested buyers for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom Cape Cod house in Bethesda, they felt sure they'd gotten a bargain at $759,200. They were shocked when their lender's appraiser valued the home at only $744,000. Because of the low appraisal, their bank would only give them a $595,200 mortgage, instead of the $607,360 they'd been approved for initially. The Hulls said they didn't believe the home was worth the lower appraisal amount — it turned out that the...

B rittany Lofton spots them all the time: teens and college students clutching their beat-up cellphones, with screens so cracked that spider-web-like patterns creep across the glass. Sure, the screen's razory shards make reading a text and posting Instagram photos super blurry, not to mention slightly painful. But that's part of the appeal. Introducing the cracked cellphone screen, which raises the bar by lowering it. Think of it as the tech generation's ripped...

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Linda Ridenour as Linda Dimock. Bruce Variety, a Bethesda fixture that after 60 years in business came close to shutting down for good , is relocating. The store will reopen in March at the former Creative Parties space, at 8011 Woodmont Ave. in Bethesda, Linda Ridenour, the wife of owner Richard Dimock, said Thursday in an interview. The store closed Jan. 20 after Dimock said he could no longer afford the $22,000 monthly rent in the...

One of the four owners behind Brickside in Bethesda wants to make something crystal clear: Although his new watering hole and restaurant includes a 12-foot HD projector and roars as loud as a racetrack, it's "a bar that has sports" rather than a sports bar, says Brian Vasile. On non-game nights, offers the restaurateur, who also owns Grand Central in Adams Morgan, the space has screened a range of films that include "The Matrix" and "The Wizard of Oz. " Throwing a party? The industrial design features six garage doors that...

7131 Arlington Rd. Bethesda, Md. 20814 301-654-5529 · APPLICATION FEE: $25 per applicant · SECURITY DEPOSIT: $250, refundable · LEASE TERM: 12 to 24 months · UTILITIES: Not included · AMENITIES: Lounge with big-screen TV, gym, public terrace space, 24-hour front desk coverage; units have dishwashers, built-in microwaves, washers and dryers · PARKING: Garage, $150...

Lynne Kolkmeyer, 64, who taught at Wood Acres Elementary School in Bethesda from 1993 to 2010, died Dec. 23 at her home in Chevy Chase. She had cancer. The death was confirmed by a friend, Deborah DeMille-Wagman. Ms. Kolkmeyer taught at public schools in Illinois and, in the Washington area, at the private Beauvoir and Holton-Arms schools before joining the Montgomery County Public School system. She was known in her classrooms for emphasizing the importance of memorizing poetry, DeMille-Wagman said.

BETHESDA, Md. — Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is holding its staff appreciation day in Bethesda. Friday's celebration will include skydivers and a performance by actor Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band. Last week, Britain's Prince Harry visited the hospital, the largest military medical center in the United States, to talk to wounded soldiers. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tai Chi Chuan This drop-in exercise class stresses relaxation, balance and coordination. Thursday, 10 a.m. Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. 240-777-8086. Free. Power Foods and Healthy Aging A discussion followed by food sampling. Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Fox Hill Senior Condominiums, 8300 Burdette Rd., Bethesda. 301-968-1850. Free, reservations required. Vision Support Lunch and Learn Marti Bailey from Sibley Senior Association and Community Health will...

Drusilla A. Dworshak Bethesda homemaker Drusilla A. Dworshak, 83, a Bethesda homemaker who in the early 1950s was a secretary in the office of Vice President Richard M. Nixon, died May 4 at the Village at Rockville retirement community. The cause was pneumonia, her daughter, Wendy Pullano, said. Drusilla Ann Nelson was a native of Newport, N.H., and graduated in 1951 from the University of New Hampshire, where she majored in French. She moved to Washington and joined Nixon's staff, when he was a Republican senator from...

Since going 7-10 in his first season at the helm, Bethesda-Chevy Chase baseball Coach John Schmidt has seen his team increase its win total each year. But after losing the middle of his batting lineup as well as his top three pitchers to graduation or transfer, Schmidt braced for his fourth season to be a rebuilding one. Instead, as the Barons enter Friday's playoffs with the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Maryland 4A West region bracket, Schmidt leads what he calls "the best team I've...

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Montgomery County's 22nd annual Affordable Housing Summit is happening this week. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen is scheduled to speak at the event in Bethesda on Friday. He is scheduled to talk about the importance of affordable housing options in Montgomery County and the damaging impacts federal budget cuts have had on the affordable housing community. This year's conference is focusing on programs aimed at reinvigorating local and regional affordable housing and community...

David Silver, 82, a leader of an investment fund association who played a key role in the growth of mutual funds and individual retirement accounts as investment opportunities for middle-class investors, died of pulmonary interstitial fibrosis April 30 at Montgomery Hospice Casey House. He was a resident of Bethesda. His son, Daniel Silver, confirmed his death. Mr. Silver spent 25 years with the Investment Company Institute, including 14 years as president and chief executive.

WALTER REED Army Medical Center's move to Bethesda in 2011 is a boon for wounded soldiers but a burden for already congested roadways. Officials predict that ensnarled roads could smother a facility Pentagon officials describe as the "crown jewel" of military medicine. Ambulances carrying critically injured soldiers will struggle to maneuver through the traffic, experts warn. The Defense Department has so far shirked its responsibility to alleviate the congestion caused by the move. It comes as a relief, then, that the Pentagon has agreed to pay $1 million...

Everyone has a favorite comfort food. At the moment, mine is a bowl of steaming ramen. Sure, this rich noodle soup fills the bill when it's cold. But I also look forward to slurping away in spring and even summer. One meal at Ren's Ramen can hatch that sort of addiction in a person. About 15 years ago, Yoko Nakamura and her husband, Eiji, moved to New York from Osaka, Japan. Eiji's culinary career eventually brought them to Washington, where he worked for a time at the Mandarin Oriental hotel before the couple broke out on their own. ...