The appeal of a gracious center-hall Colonial was diminished by a poorly constructed addition, so the owners called on Reena Racki to remedy the situation. She and her team remodeled the kitchen and replaced the existing addition with a new one that encompassed a family room and eating area, a mudroom leading to the garage and a powder room.
Since a front porch blocked sunlight from entering the interiors in the older part of the home, Racki wished to emphasize light and airiness in the south-facing addition. Nine-foot ceilings give way to an 11-and-a-half-foot ceiling in the addition, which is kept bright by white walls and floors in a pale, sand-hued porcelain tile, warmed in winter by radiant heat.
Seven-foot-tall casements open for cross ventilation, with transoms above and fixed window panels below. The windows are Jeld-Wen Custom Wood Clad low-E glass for low heat gain in summer and heat retention in winter. “We emphasize energy conservation in the context of climate control,” Racki explains.
A partial wall separates the mudroom and powder room from the rest of the family room; Racki added transoms at ceiling height to bring in more light. A large Velux skylight, positioned in the angled family-room ceiling, directs light through French doors into the otherwise-dark living room.
Racki worked around a 60-foot oak tree in the backyard that created obstacles to the new construction, in part because the tree provided passive sun control. A separate screened porch echoes the style of the addition.
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: Reena Racki, AIA, Reena Racki Associates, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: Acadia Contractors, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: Alan Karchmer.
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