Project Description
Priorities
• Add a family room, office, and guest room to the first floor and a master suite and office to the second floor
• Renovate and repurpose existing rooms for improved flow between spaces
Solutions
To accommodate guests at large public receptions, the owners of this
1930s brick house in Bethesda, Md., contacted Muse Architects to plan a
renovation and addition. Stephen Muse and Marc Langhammer’s design
included a new family room, office, and guest room on the first floor
and a master suite and office on the second floor. The rest of the rooms
in the house were renovated to create better circulation and give the
spaces an updated look.
Most impressive about the completed
project is the seamless connection between the addition and the original
house. According to the architects: “Matching the existing brick and
replicating the intricate belt, soldier, header, rowlock, corbel, and
dogtooth coursings allows the addition to be a comfortable and natural
extension of the existing structure." Using reclaimed materials, such as
the existing slate from the roof and hardwood floors, was also
important in melding old and new.
Many rooms were repurposed as a
result of the renovation and, throughout the home, large openings
connect rooms and improve circulation. To maximize space in the entry
hall, the stair was relocated to the area between the existing house and
the addition, making it an integral part of the old/new transition.
Skylights, lay lights, and a wall of glass block bathe the stairwell in
light. A new library takes the place of the dining room, which was moved
to the end of the entry hall. In the living room, larger windows of
leaded glass replace the existing windows.
The addition expands
the home into the landscape, with brick walkways and walls integrating
the building into the yard and the parkland beyond that. The new open
family room has three walls of windows that provide views of the park
and admit natural light. Outside, a new private dining terrace connects
to the new dining room and updated kitchen.
Judges’ Comments
“Seamless additions" to a “gorgeous house," proclaimed the judges, who
appreciated the special care taken to match the salvaged brick—one of
the finished project’s unifying elements. They also praised the use of
the leaded glass windows and the transitional stairwell with its
glass-block wall.
Specified Products
Bathroom plumbing fittings: Jado , Kohler
Bathroom plumbing fixtures: Bain Ultra , Kohler, Toto
Bathroom cabinets: custom Abernethy Sticks
Brick products: new and salvaged brick
Dishwasher: Bosch
Entry doors: Norwood
Interior doors: TruStile
Kitchen cabinets: custom Abernethy Sticks
Kitchen plumbing fittings: Rohl
Oven: KitchenAid
Refrigerator: Sub-Zero/Wolf
Skylights: Velux
Windows: Norwood
Windows: Pella Corp.