Bargain hunters' home

Nick and Ana Lazarides and their three children sit in the living room of their home. (Sun photo by Kenneth K. Lam / January 22, 2008)

When it came to purchasing a new home and subsequently furnishing it, Nick and Ana Lazarides knew exactly what they wanted - even if the acquisition was slightly less than conventional.

"I learned through a friend about houses being built in Carroll County," said Nick Lazarides, referring to the Peppermint Springs development in Westminster.

"The builder there, John Sweeney, had a model that didn't appeal to us, but said if we found a house we liked, he'd build it."

And so, after checking a variety of new homes elsewhere and deciding on a style they liked, the couple took Sweeney to see the model they picked out. They then purchased an acre of land on the development's hilly topography for $108,000. Construction on their dream home began soon after.

"It saved us a lot of money," said Ana Lazarides. "We got all the extra things that we wanted early on [and] we knew what we were getting."

What they got was a 4,400- square-foot, two-story Georgian colonial of red brick and vinyl siding. Building costs totaled $340,000 with an additional $40,000 spent on the construction of exterior side and back patios, a second-story laundry room and a mud room off the kitchen.

Spacious and open in layout, the first floor of the home features a two-story entrance hall, a living room, dining room, library, full bath, family room and kitchen. Four bedrooms and three bathrooms constitute the second level, ample space for the couple and their three children - Alec, 11, Marina, 8 and Nicholas, 6. (Each child has a room, with the boys sharing a bathroom.)

Coming from a 1,400-square-foot house in Catonsville in April 2003, the couple faced the task of furnishing the much larger home. So Ana Lazarides got to work.

"I'm a bargain shopper," Ana Lazarides said. "Nothing gives me a bigger high than to get a deal and buy quality."

The myriad deals throughout the Lazarides' home have come from a liquidation outlet in East Baltimore. Close to Nick Lazarides' business (a home improvement company he's owned since 1999), the couple tries to visit the outlet at least once a week to check out the sales.

While it is not the most attractive of stores, Ana Lazarides notes that "you have to be able to look at the possibilities [of the goods], to look beyond their surroundings" to see how each piece will fit into the decor.

An example is the chandelier in the couple's dining room. Fashioned of cascading Swarovski crystals, the piece was a return in a tattered box and priced at $250. While that was hundreds below the going retail price, they held out for a lower price and ended up getting it for $125. Likewise, they picked up a three-piece oak entertainment center for the family room for $500.

In addition to homey furnishings, Ana Lazarides' keen sense of color is evident on walls painted in shades of taupe, burgundy and olive. All combine to present a feeling of warmth and relaxed elegance enhanced by oak floors.

What the couple calls the "hub" of the home is in the back. Here, the octagonal-shaped sunken family room is surrounded by columns giving the space a gazebo-type feel and features a large stone fireplace. Next to the family room is a large country kitchen that is dominated by a two-tiered island capped with granite countertops. Oak cabinets are 42-inches high and coordinate well with black appliances. A 150-year old cherry chiffonier from England completes the rustic feel.

The Lazarides say they will continue to look for bargains to fill the large house they call home.

"Sometimes I walk around and still can't believe I live here," Ana Lazarides said.

Related topic galleries: House and Home, Catonsville, Land Price, Homes

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