A classic foursquare undergoes a dramatic restoration and expansion that is consistent from room to room throughout the house.
"Absolutely amazing," said the judges of the whole-house renovation of this 98-year-old four-square. "An extremely skilled period piece that is consistent from room to room."
"The project was part restoration and part invention," says architect Greg Wiedemann. A sagging, neglected relic when his clients bought it, he nearly doubled its living space, to 4405 square feet, by capturing the attic and crawl-space lower level. The project "demonstrates that one can substantially increase the useful area of a historic home without major changes to its character," he says.
"We created spaces and details in the house that were consistent with the language of the home, while transforming it to serve a 21st century family's needs," says architect Wiedemann. In the foyer, custom millwork created cubbies for storage, a bench, and window and banister moldings.
View of dining room from entry hall. The home required major structural and finish work, including all-new plumbing and electricial and the custom-milling of period interior natural oak trim.
Kitchen countertops are honed granite. Storage cabinets around the high ceilings and throughout the large center island maximize space. The kitchen designer was Glenda Powers of Bethesda Design Group.
The all-new master bath is reclaimed from the original sleeping porch, whose influence remains in the large custom windows. The claw-foot tub was found at a salvage store.
The small breakfast room repurposes a small porch and is the only part of the home that extends beyond the original footprint.
The large attic was reconfigured from a storage-only zone to accomodate an office with built-in shelves, dormer bench, and trundle bed, as well as bathroom, closet, and mechanicals.
New wood detailing and and French doors enhance the room's natural warmth and connection to the outdoors. The chandelier was found in an antique store.
The addition of a satin mat-finished stained oak fireplace surround and distinctive tile -- with an Arts and Crafts stem-and-flower motif -- connect the original fireplace seamlessly to the home's predominant style.
Looking toward the front of the home, with French doors connecting the dining room to the yard.
