5709 Northfield Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817

There's a reason this house is hard to leave. Mornings start on the covered front porch of this 1949 painted-brick Colonial, set on a quiet, tree-lined street in close-in Bethesda. The home's best feature is the main-level primary suite: a true retreat with skylights, ductless heating and cooling, and a spa-style bath with a glass-enclosed subway-tile shower, so you can live comfortably on one floor. Sunlight fills the rooms and the hardwood floors glow. The living room is built around a working fireplace and opens straight out to the deck. The dining room still has its arched built-in china cabinet, a detail you won't find in newer homes, and it flows into a bright white kitchen with granite counters, stainless appliances and a breakfast bar where everyone ends up gathering. Upstairs, three more bedrooms with hardwood floors share a full hall bath. The finished lower level adds a big recreation room, laundry and a storage room lined with built-in shelving. Out back, the deck looks...