By Lauren Masterson 

What: The Warehouses at Union Row

Where: 14th and V Streets, NW

Expected Delivery: Fall 2007

Number of Units: 59

Price Range: High 400's to mid 800's.

Doormats are important this time of year, when every time you walk through the front door, the nasty “wintry mix” comes inside with you. But most doormats stress function over style—although it’s easy to find a durable mat in a neutral color, it’s more difficult to find one that adds some color or fun to your foyer.

On the third weekend of every month, an old general store in Southern Maryland comes to life. Called The Vintage Source, the abandoned building-turned furniture market is run by local resident Michelle Radez, a former schoolteacher who has a knack for finding and restoring furniture and decorative pieces.

Radez travels to auctions, flea markets, and garage sales on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Virginia, and Pennsylvania looking for “funky and eclectic” pieces to fill the store every month. The result is a little bit of everything—gilded mirrors, painted dressers, upholstered wing chairs, vintage dishes and teapots, and lots more.

This simple, elegant sofa is going for the discounted price of $798 at Design Within Reach. Although it usually retails for $1,298, DWR wants to sell through its stock before relaunching the piece with new fabric options next fall.  

Click here for more.  

If $800 is still too steep for your budget, check out Ikea's Klippan Loveseat (shown below). A stylish, less-expensive alternative, it would be great for a first apartment. Cost: $199

Here's a rundown of the ten most expensive home sales in the region this week: 

$3,430,596 - 1172 Windrock Drive, McLean
$3,200,000 - 10904 Cripplegate Road, Potomac
$2,187,474 - 8604 White Post Court, Potomac
$2,150,000 - 4050 Lorcom Lane, Arlington
$2,092,316 - 13091 Belle Cote Lane, Fairfax
$1,963,917 - 12833 Talley Lane, Gaithersburg
$1,950,000 - 896 Chinquapin Road, McLean
$1,875,000 - 8500 Stony Point Court, McLean
$1,850,000 - 6612 Marywood Road, Bethesda
$1,850,000 - 2625 Stedding Hill Road, Oakton

This week, 71 sales broke the $1 million dollar mark—which areas had the most million-dollar-plus sales?

• McLean (6)
• Ashburn (5)
• Potomac (5)
• Vienna (5)

Thanks, American City Business Leads. 

Encompass Design/Build took home the "Best Whole House Remodel in the $250,000 to $500,000 range" for this project in Vienna.

To transform the outdated split-level above into the Craftsman-Style home below, Encompass created a multi-level roof with gables and dormers and built a new wrap-around porch with trim details. On the inside, the contractor opened everything up—raised the ceiling on the main floor, expanded the dining room, and added another level with a master suite—without going beyond the home's original footprint. 

Front porches always seem to make a house feel more friendly and inviting. I love that they have experienced a surge in popularity in recent years. NPR's All Things Considered did a cool series on the front porch's role in American history, architecture, community, literature, and culture last year called Summer on the Porch—you can read some of the stories here.

This oval-shaped, mahogany tilt-top table is being offered for $180. The painted eagle gives it a unique look—and I bet you could haggle the price down. 

Craigslist was packed with cool, hard-to-find furniture today. Here are a few that jumped out at me:

• Persian wool and silk rug for $1,995
• Oriental armoir for $1000
• Antique end table in dark wood for $400
• 6 Art deco dining room chairs for $250
• Green Trunk with wreath motif for $225
• Iron lamp for $30
• Walnut entertainment center for $125
• Two-tiered glass cocktail/coffee table for $175
• Wicker ottoman from Pier One for $40
• Two bar stools with tan leather seats and iron frames for $20

Thanks, Craigslist!