Home & Design

COTY 2013 Awards At a sold-out gala event on January 18th, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) Metro DC Chapter announced the 2013 Contractor of the Year (COTY) Awards, given to a wide range of remodeling and custom-building projects in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. An independent panel of judges reviewed nearly 115 projects over three days to select the 2013 winners in 29 categories. All award-winning projects can also be viewed on the NARI website, narimetrodc.org.

To find the stories behind these award-winning renovations, and the beautiful photos to match, check out Home & Design's coverage of the following award-winning homes.

Modern Counterpoint
A design team transforms a barren yard into a resort-like oasis for entertaining

Kalorama Cool
A design team revives a dilapidated Victorian near Embassy Row

Penthouse Appeal
Architect John Heltzel imbues a sleek bachelor pad with a family-friendly vibe

House Proud
Anthony Wilder marries charm and function in a 1937 Bethesda home

Find the full listing of award winners, by category below:

HOME & DESIGN AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
KohlMark Group.

RESIDENTIAL KITCHEN UNDER $40,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes;
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes.

RESIDENTIAL KITCHEN $40,001 TO $80,000
GRAND: Lofft Construction, Inc.;
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes;
FINALIST: RJK Construction, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL KITCHEN $80,001 TO $120,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes;
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes;
FINALIST: Gilday Renovations;
HONORABLE MENTION: Landis Construction.

RESIDENTIAL KITCHEN OVER $120,000
GRAND: Gilday Renovations;
MERIT: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists, Inc.;
FINALIST: Bowers Design Build, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL BATH UNDER $30,000
GRAND: TriVistaUSA, LLC;
MERIT: Smiley Renovations;
FINALIST: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes.

RESIDENTIAL BATH $30,000 TO $60,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes;
MERIT: Doman Custom Carpentry, LLC;
TEAM MERIT: Reico Kitchen + Bath;
FINALIST: Landis Construction.

RESIDENTIAL BATH OVER $60,000
GRAND: Landis Construction;
MERIT: Foxcraft Design Group, Inc.;
TEAM MERIT: Marblex Design International, Inc.;
FINALIST: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR UNDER $250,000
GRAND: ART Design Build;
GRAND TEAM: Grossmueller’s Design Consultants, Inc.;
MERIT: Synergy Design & Construction;
TEAM MERIT: Ferguson Enterprises and Barrons Lumber;
FINALISTS: Daniels Design & Remodeling;
HONORABLE MENTION: NVS Kitchen & Bath, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR $250,000 TO $500,000
GRAND: Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.;
MERIT: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR OVER $500,000
GRAND: Heltzelhaus, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR SPECIALTY
GRAND: Case Design/Remodeling, Inc.;
MERIT: Daniels Design & Remodeling.

RESIDENTIAL ADDITION UNDER $100,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes;
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes.

RESIDENTIAL ADDITION $100,000 TO $250,000
GRAND: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists, Inc.;
MERIT: Bowers Design Build, Inc.
FINALIST: Wentworth, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL ADDITION $250,000 TO $500,000
GRAND: Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.;
MERIT: TriVistaUSA, LLC;
FINALIST: Bowers Design Build, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR UNDER $100,000
GRAND: Pagenstecher Group;
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes;
FINALIST: ART Design Build;
FINALIST TEAM: Grossmueller’s Design Consultants, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR $100,000 + OVER
GRAND: Gilday Renovations;
MERIT: Merrill Contracting & Remodeling, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR SPECIALTY
GRAND: Gilday Renovations;
MERIT: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists, Inc.

ENTIRE HOUSE $250,000 TO $500,000
GRAND: Bowers Design Build, Inc.;
MERIT: Abrams Design Build;
FINALIST: Capital Area Construction.

ENTIRE HOUSE $500,000 TO $1,000,000
GRAND: Hayes Construction Corporation;
MERIT: Harry Braswell, Inc.

ENTIRE HOUSE OVER $1,000,000
GRAND: Glass Construction;
MERIT: Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.

UNIVERSAL DESIGN
GRAND: Landis Construction.

COMMERCIAL INTERIOR
GRAND: Synergy Design & Construction;
MERIT: Ajalli Architects PLLC.

COMMERCIAL SPECIALTY
GRAND: Landis Construction;
MERIT: Doman Custom Carpentry, LLC.

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS UNDER $15,000
GRAND: Landis Construction;
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes.

RESIDENTIAL DETACHED STRUCTURE
GRAND: KohlMark Group.

BASEMENT INTERIOR
GRAND: TriVistaUSA, LLC;
MERIT: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists, Inc.;
FINALIST: Blue Moon Construction LLC.

CUSTOM HOME UNDER $1,000,000
GRAND: Superior Home Services, Inc.;
MERIT: Ajalli Architects PLLC;
FINALIST: Harry Braswell, Inc.

CUSTOM HOME OVER $1,000,000
GRAND: KohlMark Group.

GREEN REMODELING INTERIOR
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes.


Contractor of the Year 2012 Awards

COTY 2012 Awards Winning Designs
Presented by the Metro DC Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), the Contractor of the Year Awards showcase the work of our region's finest design and renovation professionals. To find the stories behind these award-winning renovations, and the beautiful photos to match, check out Home & Design's coverage of the following award-winning homes:

Labor of Love
Anthony Wilder updates a 1930s Chevy Chase Colonial with an eye to preserving the history

A Wrinkle in Time
An Alexandria remodel calls on modern green-building techniques to channel a home's 1930s spirit

Georgetown Gem
Superior Home Sevices transforms an 1886 townhouse into a haven for 21st-century living

Find the full listing of award winners, by category below:

HOME & DESIGN AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
*Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL KITCHEN UNDER $50,000
*GRAND: RJK Construction, Inc.; 
*MERIT: Thomas Archer LLC;
*FINALIST: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes;
*HONORABLE MENTION: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes.

RESIDENTIAL KITCHEN $50,000 TO $100,000
*GRAND: Trivista USA LLC;
*MERIT: NVS Remodeling & Design;
*FINALIST: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes;
*HONORABLE MENTION: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes;
*HONORABLE MENTION: ART Design Build;
*HONORABLE MENTION TEAM: Grossmueller’s Design Consultants.

RESIDENTIAL KITCHEN $100,000 TO $150,000
*GRAND: Bowers Design Build, Inc.;
*MERIT: NVS Remodeling & Design;
*FINALIST: Superior Home Services, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL KITCHEN OVER $150,000
*GRAND: BOWA;
*MERIT: Landis Construction Corporation;
*FINALIST: Superior Home Services, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL BATH UNDER $30,000
*GRAND: RJK Construction, Inc.;
*MERIT: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes;
*FINALIST: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes.

RESIDENTIAL BATH $30,000 TO $60,000
*GRAND: FSI Renovations;
*MERIT: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes;
*FINALIST: Moss Building and Design
*HONORABLE MENTION: Superior Home Services, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL BATH OVER $60,000
*GRAND: Kingston Design Remodeling;
*MERIT: Bowers Design Build, Inc.;
*FINALIST: Superior Home Services, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR UNDER $250,000
*GRAND: Wentworth, Inc.;
*MERIT: Trivista USA LLC;
*FINALIST: Landis Construction Corporation.

RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR $250,000 TO $500,000
*GRAND: BOWA;
*MERIT: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists.

RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR SPECIALTY
*GRAND: Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.;
*MERIT: Superior Home Services, Inc.;
*FINALIST: Schroeder Design/Build, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL ADDITION UNDER $100,000
*GRAND: Smiley Renovations;
*MERIT: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes;
*FINALIST: RJK Construction, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL ADDITION 100,000 TO $250,000
*GRAND: Landis Construction Corporation;
*MERIT: Natelli Homes LLC;
*FINALIST: RJK Construction, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL ADDITION $250,000 TO $500,000
*GRAND: Merrick Design and Build Inc.;
*MERIT: BOWA;
*FINALIST: Bowers Design Build, Inc.

RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR UNDER $100,000
*GRAND: Commonwealth Home Remodelers;
*MERIT: Thomas Archer LLC;
*FINALIST: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes.

RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR OVER $100,000
*GRAND: Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.;
*MERIT: Insite Builders LLC.

RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR SPECIALTY
*GRAND: Doman Custom Carpentry, LLC.

ENTIRE HOUSE UNDER $250,000
*GRAND: Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.;
*MERIT: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes.

ENTIRE HOUSE $250,000 TO $500,000
*GRAND: ART Design Build;
*GRAND TEAM: Grossmueller’s Design Consultants;
*MERIT: Greg Smith Company, Inc.

ENTIRE HOUSE $500,000 TO $1,000,000
*GRAND: KohlMark Group;
*MERIT: Harry Braswell, Inc.;
*FINALIST: Thomas Archer LLC.

RESIDENTIAL HISTORIC RENOVATION/RESTORATION
*GRAND: Thomas Archer LLC;
*MERIT: Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.;
*FINALIST: Trivista USA LLC.

RESIDENTIAL UNIVERSAL DESIGN
*GRAND: Landis Construction Corporation;
*MERIT: CARNEMARK.

COMMERCIAL INTERIOR
*GRAND: Synergy Design & Construction;
*MERIT: Smiley Renovations;
*FINALIST: Landis Construction Corporation.

CREATIVE DESIGN
*GRAND: Smiley Renovations;
*MERIT: ART Design Build;
*MERIT TEAM: Grossmueller’s Design Consultants.

COMMERCIAL SPECIALTY
*GRAND: Landis Construction Corporation;
*MERIT: Doman Custom Carpentry, LLC.

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS UNDER $15,000
*GRAND: Schroeder Design/Build, Inc.;
*MERIT: Morris-Day Architects and Builders;
*FINALIST: Landis Construction Corporation.

RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR SPECIALTY
*GRAND: The Ley Group;
*MERIT: Apple House Contracting, Inc.;
*FINALIST: Shanco Companies.

RESIDENTIAL BASEMENT INTERIOR
*GRAND: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists;
*MERIT: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes;
*FINALIST: RJK Construction, Inc.

CUSTOM HOME OVER $1,000,000
*GRAND: KohlMarkGroup;
*MERIT: Natelli Homes LLC.

GREEN REMODEL, ENTIRE HOUSE
*GRAND: Harry Braswell, Inc.;
*FINALIST: Michael Nash Design Build & Homes.

GREEN HOME CONSTRUCTION
*GRAND: The Alexander Group, Inc.

LCA 2013 Awards The Excellence in Landscape Awards, sponsored by the Landscape Contractors Association (LCA) of Maryland, DC, and Virginia, recognize exceptional garden design throughout our region. This annual competition is judged by industry experts, who vote in more than a dozen residential and commercial categories. The winners of the LCA’s 2013 residential awards are listed below.

To read the stories behind four of these award-winning projects be sure to check out:

All in the Details
McHale Landscape Design, Inc.

Grand Vision
Surrounds, Inc.

Private Retreat
Walnut Hill

Outdoor Oasis
Rolling Acres

DECADE AWARDS
John Shorb Landscaping, Inc., Kensington, MD
Bethesda Residence, Residential Maintenance.

McHale Landscape Design, Inc., Upper Marlboro, MD
Ingalls Residence, Total Residential Contracting.

GRAND AWARDS
Botanical Decorators, Inc., Olney, MD
Melvern Drive Residence, Total Residential Contracting 
(Design/Build);
Russell Road, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build);
Russell Road, Craftsmanship (Design/Build);
Boswell Lane Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build);
Melvern Drive Residence, Craftsmanship (Design/Build);
Garfield Street Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

Grow Landscapes, Falls Church, VA
Private Residence Arlington, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

John Shorb Landscaping, Inc., Kensington, MD
A Residence in Northwest Washington, Residential Maintenance.

Kane Landscapes, Inc., Potomac Falls, VA
Kagan Residence, Residential Maintenance.

McHale Landscape Design, Inc., Upper Marlboro, MD
Vienna Residence, Outdoor Living Area;
Harbortown Residence, Front Residential Planting & Entranceway;
Seneca Knoll Residence, Outdoor Living Area;
Vienna Residence, Craftsmanship;
Mitchellville Residence, Front Residential Planting & Entranceway;
Towlston Road Residence, Craftsmanship;
Kentland Drive Residence, Outdoor Living Area;
Tradeswind Drive Residence, Craftsmanship;
Great Falls Residence, Craftsmanship;
Hunting Crest Residence, Craftsmanship;
Miles River Residence, Residential Maintenance.

Quayle & Company Design/Build, Inc., Severna Park, MD
Severn Heights Residence, Craftsmanship.

Surrounds, Inc., Sterling, VA
Great Falls Residence I, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build);
Silcott Meadow, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

Walnut Hill Landscape Company, Inc., Annapolis, MD
Spa View Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build);
Villa Dei Fiori, Total Residential Contracting.

DISTINCTION AWARDS
Bob Jackson Landscapes, Inc., Owings Mills, MD
An Artistic Landscape, Total Residential Contracting 
(Design/Build);
An Owings Mills Residence; Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

Colao Stone & Design, Fairfax, VA
Aldie Residence, Outdoor Living Area;
Oakton Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

J&G Landscape Design, Inc., Spencerville, MD
Keitelman Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

John Shorb Landscaping, Inc., Kensington, MD
A Residence in Bethesda, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

Landscape Contractors of Annapolis, Inc., Annapolis, MD
Sanctuary at the Vineyards, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

McHale Landscape Design, Inc., Upper Marlboro, MD
Lovettsville Residence, Outdoor Living Area;
Evonshire Lane Residence, Outdoor Living Area;
Baltimore Pool Garden, Outdoor Living Area;
North Fillmore Residence, Outdoor Living Area.

Rolling Acres Landscape/Nursery, Brinklow, MD
Patterson Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

Sunrise Landscape + Design, Sterling, VA
Serrano Pool and Patio Landscape, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

Surrounds, Inc., Sterling, VA
Great Falls Residence II, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build);
Tuscan Influence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

HONORABLE MENTION AWARDS
Grow Landscapes, Falls Church, VA
Private Residence Arlington, Total Residential Contracting.

Live Green Landscape Associates, LLC, Owings Mills, MD
Marino Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

Quayle & Company Design/Build, Inc., Severna Park, MD
Ticonderoga Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).


Excellence in Landscape 2012 Awards

LCA 2012 Awards Each December as winter socks in, members of the landscaping industry gather to celebrate a sunnier time of year with the “Excellence in Landscape” awards. Sponsored by the Landscape Contractors Association (LCA) of Maryland, DC, and Virginia, this annual awards competition is judged by industry experts who vote in more than a dozen residential and commercial categories. These innovative projects reflect the finest in landscape design, with inviting outdoor kitchens and fireplaces, spectacular pool houses and lush plant scapes—in a range of styles and colors guaranteed to get you in the mood for spring. See the complete list of award-winning projects below.

To find out the stories behind four of these award-winning projects be sure to check out:

ZEN SANCTUARY
McHale Landscape Design, Inc.

WOODLAND STYLE
Botanical Decorators

GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Surrounds, Inc.

RIVER VIEW
Walnut Hill

The Best in Landscaping

DECADE AWARDS

*McHale Landscape Design, Inc., Upper Marlboro, MD
Camp Roosevelt Property, Total Residential Contracting; Digiamarino Residence, Total Residential Contracting; The Willows, Total Residential Contracting.

HERITAGE AWARDS

*McHale Landscape Design, Inc., Upper Marlboro, MD
Bethesda Property, Total Residential Contracting; Childs Point Residence, Total Residential Contracting.

*GardenWise, Inc., Arlington, VA Rogers/Melman Residence, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

GRAND AWARDS
*Scott Brinitzer Design Associates, Inc., Arlington, VA
North Arlington Residence, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Arlington Residence, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Fitch Residence, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

*Botanical Decorators, Inc., Olney, MD
Alexandria Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Lloyds Lane, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

*Graham Landscape Architecture, Annapolis, MD
Cathedral Heights Garden, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

*Walnut Hill Landscape Company, Inc., Annapolis, MD
Chesapeake Bay Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Rhode River Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

*McHale Landscape Design, Inc., Upper Marlboro, MD
Annapolis Residence, Total Residential Contracting; Edgewater Residence, Outdoor Living Area; Bethesda Residence; Front Residential Planting & Entranceway; Georgetown Pike Property, Front Residential Planting & Entranceway; Great Falls Residence, Total Residential Contracting; Kalas Residence, Craftsmanship; Martingham Property, Front Residential Planting & Entranceway; Mattingly Residence, Craftsmanship; Peitsch Residence, Craftsmanship; Potomac Residence, Total Residential Contracting; Potomac River Road Property, Outdoor Living Area; Rockville Residence, Craftsmanship; Sedmak Residence, Outdoor Living Area.

*Hawkins Signature Landscapes, Bowie, MD
Conley Residence, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

*Korfonta Landscape Company, Aldie, VA Fairfax Station Residence, Outdoor Living Area; Great Falls Residence, Craftsmanship; Vienna Residence, Craftsmanship; Vienna Residence, Residential Maintenance.

*Colao Stone & Design, Arlington, VA
Gainesville Residence, Craftsmanship (Design/Build); McLean Residence, Craftsmanship (Design/Build).

*Surrounds, Inc., Sterling, VA
Great Falls Residence, Craftsmanship (Design/Build); McLean Residence, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Mt. Airy Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Nature’s Beauty, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Avenel Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); White Falls Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

*J&G Landscape Design, Inc., Spencerville, MD
Kelly Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

*Fine Landscapes, Ltd., Sterling, MD
McLean Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); McLean Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

*River’s Edge Landscapes, Bluemont, VA
The Moler Project, Outdoor Living Area; The Parks Project, Total Residential Contracting.

DISTINCTION AWARDS
*Bob Jackson Landscapes, Inc., Owings Mills, MD
Aldendell, a Newburgh, NY Residence, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

*GardenWise, Inc., Arlington, VA Courchane/Zorn Residence, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

*Kane Landscapes, Inc., 
Potomac Falls, VA Dineen Landscape, Residential Maintenance.

*Clearwater Landscape & Nursery, Ijamsville, MD
Glenelg Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Wildcat Retreat, Outdoor 
Living Area (Design/Build).

*Outdoor Spaces LLC, Leesburg, VA
Hamilton Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

*McHale Landscape Design, Inc., Upper Marlboro, MD
McLean Residence, Residential Maintenance.

HONORABLE MENTION AWARDS

*Kane Landscapes, Inc., Potomac Falls, VA
Barbee, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Maloney, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

*Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape, Alexandria, VA
Caldwell Charleston Porch, Craftsmanship.

*J&G Landscape Design, Inc., Spencerville, MD
Dick Residence, Front Residential Planting & Entranceway.

*Through the Garden, Inc., Harpers Ferry, WV
DiMaggio Outdoor Sanctuary, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

*McHale Landscape Design, Inc., Upper Marlboro, MD
Northwest Residence, Outdoor Living Area.

*Live Green Landscape Associates, LLC, Reisterstown, MD
Miller Residence, Outdoor Living Area.

*GardenWise, Inc., Arlington, VA
Wolf/Gilbert Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

Out of the Box After more than 10 years in her dark DC townhouse, Nina Olson was ready to let in the light. The main floor—which housed an open-plan living/dining room—was illuminated from the back by windows, but the south-facing front was problematic, as the one window at that end opened into the galley kitchen. “You walked in and the kitchen to the left was enclosed so that it blocked off all the light to the rest of the space,” Olson recounts. “I often found myself in the living room looking towards the kitchen and thinking ‘I have to knock down that wall.’”

Built in the 1960s, the townhouse was part of an urban renewal effort in Southwest DC. The kitchen hadn’t been redone since the original construction, so Olson turned to architect Bruce Wentworth for a major overhaul that would update it in clean-lined, modern style while bringing in as much light as possible.

Wentworth had previously remodeled three bathrooms for Olson and she felt he understood her style and sensibilities. A tax attorney by day, Olson is also an avid textile enthusiast who has served on the board of The Textile Museum and creates her own textiles in a dedicated sewing room on the lower level of her home. After gleaning her fascination with texture and pattern, Wentworth and his team shared three possible concepts for her kitchen, and she selected parts of each option for the final plan.

“The kitchen was like a box. The goal was to open it up for a more cohesive main-floor plan,” explains Wentworth. “Removing the kitchen’s interior walls would bring in light while creating an environment more conducive to socializing. Nina could prepare meals while her guests sat nearby. And it would satisfy the functional requirements of a modern kitchen.”

To the left of the front door, the hall closet was made smaller to accommodate the new kitchen space and the wall beside it was replaced by an island that holds the cooktop. The architect was able to enlarge the kitchen by extending the cabinetry along the outside wall into the adjacent dining area. “I loved the idea of cabinets on the side wall towards where the table is,” Olson comments. “It unites the spaces and everything flows.”

Wentworth added structural touches that give the kitchen area character and make it more functional. For example, a dropped ceiling over the island conceals ductwork and wiring while supporting the range hood and recessed lights. The gently curving shape, which is echoed in the porcelain floor tiles, delineates the kitchen from the rest of the room in a subtle, pleasing way. In front of the kitchen window, the ceiling height is angled up to let in as much light as possible, while wrap-around open shelving makes space feel larger.

For Olson, the materials and finishes were of paramount importance. “I felt the kitchen needed focal points,” she observes. She fell in love with a terracotta tile collection, Sitio, by Los Angeles-based Commune Design in a Modernist geometric pattern for the backsplash, and ordered it online from Exquisite Surfaces. She then opted for a beautiful Danby marble waterfall countertop—quarried in Vermont rather than imported—on the island. Wentworth selected clean-lined Black Creek cabinet faces, made of rift-sawn oak stained a gray hue that shows the texture of the wood, and offset the cost of the marble with less expensive gray-hued Silestone on the peripheral countertops.

Olson was ready to replace her rectangular black-glass dining table with a round one when she came across what became her favorite focal point: the Skygarden Pendant, designed by Marcel Wanders for FLOS, which boasts an elaborate floral design in plaster on the inside. When the fixture was installed over the table, she recalls, “I discovered the inside reflects in the glass surface and I thought, ‘I am definitely keeping the table!’”

Olson is thrilled with her new kitchen, as well as her experience with Wentworth, Inc. “The kitchen is exactly what I wanted,” she says. “It was a very good project all around. If I had it to do over, I wouldn’t do a single thing differently. And that’s saying something!”

Photographer Geoffrey Hodgdon is based in Deale, Maryland.

RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE, CONSTRUCTION & KITCHEN DESIGN: BRUCE WENTWORTH, AIA, principal; STEVEN BARNARD, production manager; MIKE HARRIS, lead carpenter, Wentworth, Inc., Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Montana Retreat Buying real estate was not on Tom Gilday’s agenda when he took a family ski trip to Montana back in 2004. But on a drive to see a friend’s new vacation property, he spotted a split-level home for sale at the edge of a pristine lake with an idyllic view of the Swan Mountains—and was smitten.

“It was breathtaking. You look across the lake and the mountains are right there,” recalls Gilday, vice president of Silver Spring-based Gilday Renovations. “The house is on a peninsula. If you stand in the living room and look right and look left, there’s nothing but water.”

Gilday and his wife Karen considered the possibilities and commitments of owning a vacation getaway 2,700 miles away from their Maryland residence. The idea of skiing and ice skating in a winter wonderland and spending summers hiking in nearby Glacier National Park won them over. They bought the property and have gone West—with four kids and their dog in tow—once or twice a year ever since.

Though lackluster in style, the 1990s-era, five-bedroom house had good bones, was well insulated and made a perfect base for the family’s outdoor pursuits. But over the years, Tom Gilday studied architecture prevalent in the area and gathered ideas for a future renovation. “The original house didn’t take advantage of the views,” he says. “I kind of knew what was possible but it took me a while to figure out how to do the transitions.”

A few years ago, the Gildays decided the time was right to update the house in order to improve the views and also to create an aesthetic that would better reflect its surroundings. While Gilday’s design would add about 108 square feet to the existing structure, it would ultimately create a more spacious feel by reconfiguring rooms and introducing more windows.

First, he eliminated the raised front entry door and split-level staircase and landing. A new front door on the ground level now opens to a streamlined staircase, making room for a large closet in the entry foyer and built-in bookcases in the living room above.

On both gabled ends of the second floor, walls with modest windows were traded for great expanses of glass. In the living room, Gilday added a large fireplace—curiously missing in the original home, given its location—and bumped out new glass windows to offer unencumbered mountain views. A new covered porch on the west-facing dining room side helps eliminate solar gain and offers a perfect outdoor perch.

Gilday also shifted the master bedroom to the mountain side of the house for better views, expanding it by four feet. A new master bath built into the bedroom left space for a home office in the bedroom’s former location. He completely gutted the kitchen, replacing it with new cabinetry, Silestone countertops and updated appliances.

Gone are the builder-grade drywall and painted masonite exteriors, replaced by a rugged material palette that lends the home authentic Western style inside and out. Working with J. L. Halverstadt of Wild Wood Eccentrics in Whitefish, Montana, Gilday selected a wide range of reclaimed materials to be used throughout the property for style and sustainability. “All the lumber, siding, stone, everything used in the house was reclaimed—the beams, the siding on the inside and the outside and the horizontal logs. This is about as green as you can get,” he says.

Montana-based Brian Quay oversaw construction on-site for Gilday, who managed the project remotely. One of the most challenging details was executing Gilday’s window design: The glass was installed into notches in massive reclaimed-wood beams. “It looks like the glass comes out of the beams themselves,” explains Gilday.

Karen Gilday furnished the interiors in comfortable, rustic style and selected all of the kitchen and bath cabinetry and materials to complement the home’s new look. Artwork the couple has acquired in the region also reflects a Western theme.

The family now enjoys vacations in the newly completed home more than ever. In the summer, they gather with neighbors around the fire pit and enjoy meals on the new porch. “The family is always together out there,” says Gilday. “We play chess, read—and there’s not as much emphasis on TV.

“The first time I went out there when it was all done,” he recalls, “I remember sitting on the porch and looking through the house towards the mountains at dusk. They turned purple, then they turned golden when the sun set. It’s a magical place.”

Photographer Heidi Long is based in Kalispell, Montana.

RENOVATION DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION: TOM GILDAY, principal and designer; KAREN GILDAY, interiors, Gilday Renovations, Silver Spring, Maryland. CARPENTER: BRIAN QUAY, Kalispell, Montana.

HOME&DESIGN, published bi-monthly by Homestyles Media Inc., is the premier magazine of architecture and fine interiors for the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia region.

The company also publishes an annual H&D Sourcebook of ideas and resources for homeowners and professionals alike. H&D Chesapeake Views is published bi-annually and showcases fine home design and luxury living in and around the Chesapeake Bay.

The H&D Portfolio of 100 Top Designers spotlights the superior work of selected architects, interior designers and landscape architects in major regions of the US.

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