Story by Liesel Schmidt
Photography Courtesy of Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
After living in a small colonial home in McClean for 15 years, the family residing there reached a point where the older home’s peculiarities and layout no longer worked for their needs. The issues raised the question of whether to stay and renovate or cut their losses and find a new home. After enlisting the experts at Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes, the family landed on a plan that would make their home everything they dreamed of—and possibly more.
The home was in great need of attention, beginning with the exterior, whose old brick façade was one-dimensional and lacked curb appeal. To make the home more attractive from the street, the team at Michael Nash implemented a front porch with stone columns and a flagstone floor with a new walkway leading to the front elevation. The entire exterior of the house was painted in a soft cream and new architectural roof shingles and fascia were installed. Additionally, three new dormer windows were added in front, with a 10-foot dormer installed at the rear, allowing a great deal of light into the newly created attic space, which was accomplished by raising the ceiling throughout this space. A new craftsman-style front door was the perfect finishing touch to the home’s reimagined exterior.
Inside, the front hall was tight, with a closet and dining room walls to the left that created a dark and narrow hallway. To open the space, the closet and dining room walls were both removed, the side wall of the staircase was opened and the old slate floor was replaced by dark-stained hardwood floors.
Addressing the issue of their small kitchen, the load-bearing walls between the dining room and kitchen were taken out so that the kitchen expanded all the way into the dining room. A new pantry space with a pocket door was installed and a workstation space was created under the front window of the old dining room. The kitchen was also extended a few feet to allow more space.
“The big challenge of this job was opening up the 30-foot solid brick and block wall between the kitchen/dining area into the adjoining family room,” says Sonny Nazemian, Master Designer of Kitchen/Bath at Michael Nash. “Installing a steel beam across the entire width allowed us to open the space to the adjacent cathedral ceiling family room.”
A large window was installed along the back wall of the kitchen and the space was fitted with custom cabinetry to allow more storage and increased counter space. A large, multi-functional island in the center of the kitchen and dining room added an upscale feel to the space.
All the details were seen to, from new wood flooring throughout the home’s three levels that created a sense of cohesion to new French doors leading to the screened-in back porch area. The old, outdated fireplace was refaced with stone and the TV was placed above it.
On the second floor, the smallest bedroom was sacrificed in order to relocate the master bath and closet. The master bedroom was enlarged and the new bathroom was given a double vanity space, a large walk-in shower and a his-and-hers closet.
By framing the attic and raising a portion of the ceiling, a new bedroom and bathroom were built on the second floor to accommodate the family’s needs. This new space included a new window, new flooring, a ductless heating and cooling system, a built-in closet and a new stairway. “The massive transformation of this small home to become a craftsman home with an entirely revamped interior has given this family more years to stay and enjoy their home,” says Nazemian.