BEFORE
A one-story brick rambler in McLean’s Franklin Park was cramped and unattractive. The owners hired architect Dwight McNeill to design a spacious, light-filled renovation that would better complement the mid-century neighborhood’s bungalow-style homes.
| Then | Now |
| The front façade of the house was nondescript and sat low on its site. | A charming addition to the front encompasses a porch, foyer, and office. |
| The garage conspicuously took up the lower level, which the owners hoped to utilize as living space. | McNeill relocated the garage under the porch addition, freeing up the former garage for use as a bedroom. Windows replaced the garage door. |
| The one-story house lacked sufficient bedrooms and natural light. | A second floor now houses additional bedrooms. Dormers admit plenty of light. |
| The house was clad in unremarkable red brick. | A combination of stone, clapboard and cedar shingles evokes the Craftsman era. |
Architecture: Dwight McNeill, AIA, McNeill Baker Design Associates, McLean, Virginia. Builder: MBC Design/Build, Inc., Fairfax, Virginia. Landscape Design: J. Mark White, GardenWise, Inc., Arlington, Virginia.