Washington, DC
The for this project clients moved to Washington DC in search of a quieter lifestyle after spending ten years in a Manhattan apartment.
The existing house is a 1920s Tudor situated in an established Washington DC neighborhood, a dated and leaky 1979 family room addition and a dark kitchen were like a carbuncle on the side of this old gem.
A modern aesthetic was chosen to differentiate the existing house from the addition and gain as much light and garden view as possible. The kitchen, family room and breakfast room were made into a single space, with the goal of making the garden beyond seem to extend into the room. New flush steel beams and columns support the second floor above.
Two 10 foot tall doors flanked by floor to ceiling glass front the terrace. Mullions and structure were kept to a minimum–six 1½” diameter steel pipe columns are the only vertical members holding up the new addition. Deep overhangs shield the addition from the sun. A rotted out wood railing on the existing terrace was replaced with glass for uninterrupted views. From the street the addition appears as a garden wall, where ivy is being trained to grow around new horizontal windows.
Photography by Gordon Beall
Georgetown, Washington, DC
This Queen Anne-Era Georgetown House, built ca. 1880, was once the home of Mr. and Mrs. Auchincloss, the parents of Jacqueline Kennedy. This house is understood to be one of Georgetown’s more significant and historically important homes.
The client, an established Washington Family who entertain large groups of people regularly have over many years compiled a treasured art collection. It was surprising to all involved the shabby and somewhat crude state that the house was in – the years had not been kind to this old lady. The interior felt thoughtless and confused; a general lack of flow on the first floor made the house seem unnecessarily cluttered and dreary.
With a few moves the plan was opened up allowing the various living spaces to flow and communicate. A goal of both client and architect was to better bring the generous garden spaces into the interior. To that end, large glass panels and a glassy breakfast room blur the lines between the outside and the now bright airy inside.
Color, details and furnishing were selected to compliment the art collection all with the intention of creating a tranquil timeless interior.
The garden was carefully re-imagined. Hedges, lawns, trees and paving work together to give a sense of layered space, or a series of outdoor rooms. A long lap pool was place to re-center the terrace on the newly designed breakfast room and kitchen, strengthening the inside/ outside relationship of the renovated house.
Photography by Gordon Beall