Rejuvenated Cape Cod in McLean

This 1961 cape cod was well-sited on a beautiful acre of land in a Washington, DC suburb. The new homeowners loved the land and neighborhood and knew the house could be improved. The house had never been updated and was in need of repair and renovation. However, the owners loved the charm of the home’s façade and wanted the overall look to remain true to the original home and neighborhood. Inside, the owners wanted to achieve a feeling of warmth and comfort. The family does a lot of casual entertaining and they wanted to achieve lots of open spaces that flowed well, one into another. So, circulation on the main living level was key. They wanted to use lots of natural materials, like reclaimed wood floors, stone, and granite. In addition, they wanted the house to be filled with light, using lots of large windows where possible.

Every inch of the house needed to be rejuvenated, from the basement to the attic. However, one of the biggest challenges to the design was that the house had an unconventional septic system that had been “grandfathered” and could not be feasibly altered. As a result, the client’s wish list had to be accomplished while not adding more than 50% of the existing space per county building permit code. This design/ build team was able to accomplish this feat, but it wasn’t without making some hard trade-offs within the design. When all was said and done, the homeowners got a home they love on the land they cherish. Included in the renovation was a new kitchen with separate beverage area for entertaining. The kitchen is separated from the family room by a two-sided, stone, fireplace. Next, a bright, window filled sunroom was a must. Below the sunroom is an exercise room for this health conscious family. His and hers home offices were a necessity. The basement was developed to extend the entertaining space. The bedroom area upstairs required a great degree of creativity. The owners have two children. They wanted both children to have private bedroom spaces with dedicated bathrooms. Bound by the septic/space ratio, one bedroom became a two story space to take advantage of the large, unused, existing attic space. The master bedroom was built over the new sunroom/exercise room addition and the master bath took the place of an existing porch.

Two sets of two-car garages were added to the house. The garages fell outside the septic/space requirements and were therefore a great way to extend the storage capacity of the home. The homeowners also wanted to be able to do lots of outdoor living and entertaining. A new blue stone patio, with grill and refrigerator make outdoor dining easier, while an outdoor fireplace helps extend the use of the space all year round. Brick and Hardie board siding are the perfect compliment to the slate roof. The original slate from the rear of the home was reused on the front of the home and the front garage so that it would match. New slate was applied to the rear of the home and the addition. This project was truly satisfying and the homeowners LOVE their new residence.

The before front elevation was charming and reminiscent of a Williamsburg Cape Cod.

The before rear elevation led to a wonderful back yard.

The former dining room was generous, but it was closed off to the rest of the house.

The old kitchen was functional at best.

His office is upstairs, above the new dining room space.

The former attic was a great setting for a scary movie.

The before basement had been neglected for year and was filled with mold.