This modern home addition to this lovely home on one of Washington’s most picturesque streets adjacent to the national park overlooking the Potomac river, was inspired by the simple need for a larger kitchen, better internal circulation and to better utilize existing “left over” and under utilized spaces throughout the home.

The new work features the relocation of the entry from the “front” street elevation to the side of the house to create more privacy and seduction at the entry condition. The entry is capped by a new glass and steel canopie to protect the entrant from weather while providing a clear view of the guest from the new second floor window above. We added an elevator in a camponile style architectural element on the front façade with an illuminated vertical light shaft to mark the entry and highlight the uniqueness on the interior. We added a modest rear addition which doubled the kitchen into a new triangular configuration which visually explodes into the rear yard through large plate glass windows, bringing the outside in as a real part of the new living space. At the second floor above the kitchen we added a new guest room.

We cantilevered a new Brazilian cherry terrace and enlarged the picture windows on the second floor front elevation off the master bedroom to provide the perfect perch above the Potomac river for bird and people watching. The site was re-landscaped to highlight and reinforce the new architectural circulation around the site, installing a new cedar privacy fence along the west, entry side of the house which provides privacy and crates a cozy entry condition on a generous side porch. A new triangular rear deck off the kitchen reflects the triangular layout of the new enlarged kitchen. The broad rear deck stairs also serve as casual stadium style seating for guests enjoying the rear yard, pool house and dipping pool.

Finally we replaced the existing non-functional garage with a new modern, multipurpose pool-house-guest house-garage with a full bath, interchangeable space and an exercise area that easily converts to a single car.

The materials were matched to the original house architecture to seamlessly integrate the new with the old and create a new, more functional home for the client.

Photographer: Andy Ramirez