Brightwood, DC - Residential Addition & Kitchen Remodeling

NARI CotY "Merit" Award Winner 2006

Brief Explanation of the Scope of Work

The goal of these homeowners was a larger and more functional eat-in area in the kitchen and a new large family room. The customer was very concerned about having enough natural light and integrating the back yard with the addition. It was also important that the addition would integrate aesthetically with the rest of the house. To do this we had to remove a smaller existing family room that did not look out on the back and a dark tiered kitchen.

Unusual Constraints or Challenges & Creative Solutions

The house had a formal dining room, which they wanted to maintain.  By opening up the kitchen to the new family room and bumping out the back of the house, a comfortable space was created for every day living and entertaining. It also enables the parents to keep an eye on the children as they watch TV or do their homework.  By creating access through an existing closet from the kitchen from the main hall, we also improved the traffic flow through the existing home.

A careful coordination of architectural details and finishes creates a space, which is both grand and intimate. We used the architectural vocabulary of the house on the exterior, large eves, stucco, & wood trim. Natural light is brought into the kitchen through skylights and into the addition as a whole through plenty of carefully placed Pella windows and French Doors.  Three piece crown molding around the kitchen and family room, and four individual coffers with cove rope lighting tie the kitchen and family room together. The kitchen has a striking mix of shaker style Cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances, Granite counters, large ceramic floor tiles on the diagonal and a unique glass tile backsplash.

Attention to construction and finishing details is evident inside and out of this addition. The unique stucco pattern on the addition was carefully installed and painted to match the stucco on the existing house. The brick knee wall and the exterior trim were also carefully chosen and installed to match the existing. Inside existing walls were leveled and squared to facilitate the cabinet installation.  Miter joints are barely perceptible in the three-piece crown molding and new Oak flooring was feathered in for a seamless family room transition from old to new.

The glass tile which chosen by the owner and shipped from Italy, features gold leaf.  On the breakfast counter between the kitchen and family room, there is a unique and striking glass shelf. Instead of traditional fluorescent lights, we used rope lighting as cove lighting for the individual coffers.

Because the basement was finished and because the addition was to be built over an existing basement stair, egress requirements dictated that we build a new basement stair in a new location.  The only feasible location was at the side of the house in an existing flower bed.  Because of a narrow driveway and a tight space, it was challenging to design and build the retaining sidewall for the stairs, which ended up under the side driveway. The side stair with a full light door added greatly needed light from the southern exposure to the basement media/play room. In addition to having a narrow driveway, the home is also on a busy DC thoroughfare.  These two issues combined to make deliveries and debris removal a difficult logistical issue throughout the project.

Overall Results

The homeowners are very happy in their new large eat-in kitchen and are able to wow their frequent dinner guests with the new space.