Our clients had been eying property on Lake Barcroft in Northern Virginia for some time. When a lake-side lot finally came available they jumped at the chance and purchased a house with the intent to renovate and add on to the house. While both were Architects, neither worked in the residential field and hired us to help create a modern lakeside dream home for them.

Using the existing house as a starting point, we conceived a renovation and addition to expand and modernize the existing house. The goal was to have as many rooms as possible with lake views. The original house had the kitchen at the “front” facing the street, with a large masonry chimney in the center of the house effectively cutting the space in half. The shape of the additions to the home was designed to allow each of the major living spaces on the first floor a view of the lake. The large chimney was removed, and the kitchen was relocated to the back of the house to allow for a lake view through a large folding door opening onto a deck. The dining room, adjacent to the kitchen, opens onto a lakeside screened porch. The new family room was added and angled to focus on the lake as well, with a modern, linear fireplace on the interior wall against the garage.

Guests enter the house at the front door through a two story foyer that provides a direct lake view upon entry. This slot allows for both a visual and a physical separation between the primary suite and the rest of the second floor, with only a bridge across the foyer to connect these spaces. Each of the second floor bedrooms have a lake view, with the Primary Bedroom opening onto a walk-out balcony above the screen porch.

The exterior of the house is clad with Nichiha siding using a combination of both wood look and gray panel siding for ease of maintenance and a modern appeal. The large amount of wood looks siding also blends nicely with the natural surroundings and trees on both this owners’ and neighboring properties. The roofs are a hipped style, reminiscent of prairie style architecture with deep overhangs.

The interior fixtures and furnishings were selected by the Owners, and integrate perfectly with the Architecture.

Photography: Anice Hoachlander

Scroll down for two photos of the pre-renovation house.

Venturing about an hour outside of Washington, DC in the Virginia countryside, our Clients purchased a large property with an existing, historic farm house with the intent to renovate and expand the structure.

The project was to include a first floor primary suite, new kitchen, family room, mudroom, powder room, screen porch and garage.

We structured a largely one-story addition around the existing house with a breezeway to connect the new two-story garage.  To embrace the symmetry of the existing house, we split the project into two “wings” with one containing the new primary suite, and then a second wing with the more communal spaces.  The two spaces are connected with a light filled galley along the back of the house.

Construction by: J.D. Eicher 

Photography by: Jennifer Howell Photography

A tenant fit out for a high end dental office in Chevy Chase, Maryland. This project was a collaboration with Ella Scott Design and built by Sugar Mill Construction

Our Clients for the project purchased a mid-century modern style home in Bethesda, MD with the intent to renovate. The main focus was to update the façade. The original siding was replaced with a combination of vertical Boral siding that was painted charcoal, and a wood-look siding from Nichiha that added a nice element of visual interest.

Contractor: Mission Exteriors

Photography: Geoffrey Hodgdon

This project is a result of a collaboration with developer POUNDS. We worked together to design the renovation of this mid-century modern home in the Kent/Palisades Neighborhood of Washington, DC. It was a gut renovation of a house originally designed by Cross & Adreon whose firm traced their lineage to Charles Goodman and Walter Gropius. We embraced the original modern design and worked to create smart updates to improve upon and highlight the original mid-century design.

Project Developer: POUNDS

Photography: Anice Hoachlander

Working in collaboration with i29 Interior Architects, we were the Architects of Record for an interior renovation and glass box addition to a historic row house in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington, DC. Given the historic designation of the property, the front facade was left in its existing condition, and the interior of the house was renovated with the addition of a glass enclosure to the rear of the house to allow light to spill into the basement.

Construction by Impact Construction

A realtor who specializes in modern properties approached us with their current clients who had seen our original MacArthur Modern house and loved it. Luckily, the neighboring house was for sale as a “fixer-upper”. We met the realtor and potential clients on site to discuss the possibilities of a full house renovation with fairly simple goals; working within the existing footprint of the house, design a renovation that simplified the floor plan while embracing the existing mid-century modern architecture of the home.

The renovation included a new kitchen that we brought forward in the house for a stronger connection to the family room area, further aided by the removal of the closet and fireplace wall. We used walnut cabinets with an orange accent at the island to add a pop of color and embrace the existing mid-century architecture of the house. As a special request of the client, the family room has three televisions with custom built-ins below each to hide the electronics. Another fun feature is a bar shelf hidden behind walnut doors with a little 007 flair in a vintage Roger Moore photograph as the backlit paneling

Going up to the second floor, we designed a replacement stair with open risers and an open rail to allow for natural light to flow a bit more down to the main hall. The second floor was simplified with an enlarged primary suite, and guest room with an en-suite bathroom. The existing studio space was converted into a library lounge with floor to ceiling bookcases along one of the walls that took advantage of the natural light in the volume space.

Interior Designer: Michelle Borden; M.R. Borden Interiors

Contractor: Impact Construction

Another basement wine cellar in Bethesda, MD. This project took an existing basement closet and expanded it to create an approximately 500 bottle, climate controlled wine cellar. We used specialty, insulated glass for the family room side of the cellar. This cellar has a more modern flair with metal racking from Vintage View.

Photography: Geoffrey Hodgdon

Working with Ley Ltd, we designed a conversion of an existing free standing garage into a calming retreat for work and yoga in the client's back yard. Just steps from Connecticut Ave in the Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. we couldn’t be happier with how our design turned out and the expert craftsmanship of the team at Ley Ltd.

When one of our Clients from Maryland asked us to help design a vacation house in Teton County, Idaho we jumped at the chance. The Client wanted a small retreat for their family and guests. Working closely with the family we created a design that included a main house, complete with a repurposed silo recreation room, and a separate guest house. After completing the schematic design, we worked a local firm, Love | Schack Architecture for the permitting and construction documents. Needless to say, we can’t wait to go visit!

For a pair of wine enthusiast clients in Bethesda Maryland, we designed a finished basement with a custom wine cellar and a new stair down into the basement from the main foyer. The wine cellar has a stand alone cooling system to keep the wine at the appropriate temperature to age to perfection, while the glass door and windows add to the visual enjoyment of the space and display of the wine.

Construction by Wexford Homes

Photography by Anna Meyer Photo

This project was an addition and interior renovation to a home in the Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington, DC. The original kitchen became a mudroom and butler’s pantry space, while the addition is the new family room, kitchen and breakfast space.

Construction by Spectrum Contractors, Inc.

Addition and renovation to a home in Arlington, VA. As part of the design, we relocated the central hallway stair to the addition. In doing this, we created an open foyer to the living and dining room, and transitioned to the rear addition were we added a new kitchen and family room on the first floor and a master suite on the second floor. We were also able to leave the original stone of the rear facade exposed along the new stair up to the second floor.

Construction by Clifton Contracting

Interior Designer: Brion Design

Office fit out for a local General Contractor

We helped the owner of a new Pilates studio in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC convert a vacant basement space in a low-rise commercial building into a bright, fun, and welcoming Pilates studio