Homeowners in Baltimore County hired Stephanie Gamble to update the interiors of their abode, a task that included revamping the lackluster living room. Gamble created “a very clean, modern, yet classic space,” she says, where her clients could entertain family and friends.
| Then | Now |
| The living room was forgettable, with dilapidated floors and a lack of architectural detail. The ineffective recessed lighting made the room dim. | Gamble refinished the floors and painted the walls light beige, punctuated by cream-colored trim. Draperies allow for maximum light. |
| Despite the fireplace, with its boring surround, the room felt like it needed a focal point. | The fireplace wall provides a strong focal point, with a new surround embellished with crisp molding and a dramatic painting above it by Michael Carson. |
| In its previous iteration, the room was informal, which didn’t fit the owners’ vision of it as a space for entertaining. | Simple but elegant furnishings include a Thibaut sofa and Hickory Chair chairs. Hickory White cabinets flank the fireplace; cream-painted interiors lighten them visually. |
Interior Design: Stephanie Gamble, Stephanie Gamble Interiors, Baltimore, Maryland. Photography: Jennifer Hughes.
After severe flooding destroyed a McLean, Virginia, basement—including a home theater designed by Integrated Media Systems in 2005—the owners decided to overhaul the space. IMS reconstructed and updated the theater area, collaborating with designer Barry Dixon, who selected its elegant furniture and finishes.
| Then | Now |
| The theater was state-of-the-art for 2005 but needed its audio/video systems upgraded for today’s technology. | The new A/V package allows for ultra high-definition resolution and audio-encoding formats. The system is integrated with the existing whole-house Savant Control System, operated via iPad. |
| The projector was ruined and other components had to be removed and reinstalled later. | IMS installed a new Sony receiver and video projector. Undamaged components, including the speakers and screen, were reinstalled. |
| Theater-style seating limited the room’s functionality. The owners wanted a space that would feel more like a regular room, decorated in a timeless, inviting style. | Barry Dixon created a multi-purpose area with Tomlinson sofas of his own design and swivel chairs from Coup D’Etat. Phillip Jeffries grasscloth on walls and ceiling define the space, lit by Apparatus sconces. |
Home Automation: Tom Wells, Integrated Media Systems, Sterling, Virginia. Interior Design: Barry Dixon, Barry Dixon, Inc., Warrenton, Virginia. Photography: Bob Narod.
While renovating their home, a McLean couple tapped McHale Landscape Design to transform their lackluster yard into an inviting outdoor environment where they could entertain family and friends. The elaborate master plan included a complete overhaul of the front entry.
| Then | Now |
| A steep slope from right to left caused drainage problems and an uneven appearance. | A cut-and-fill project leveled the front yard while a new drainage system manages stormwater. |
| Mundane azaleas blocked the front entry—and served as deer food. | A new flagstone arrival circle complements the home’s entry portico and welcomes guests in style. |
| The spare, nondescript plant palette did not provide a succession of color or textural variation. | Masses of annuals and perennials, along with blooming crape myrtle, create year-round color and interest. |
| A barren lawn was a “wasteland” in front of the house. | Flagstone pavers set into the turf forge an informal connection to the street. |
Landscape Design: Phil Kelly, McHale Landscape Design, Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Photography: John Spaulding.
The new owners of a home in McLean sought to upgrade their master bath, which was dated, dark and cramped. They turned to Case Design/Remodeling to transform the awkward space into a modern, spacious and airy retreat.
| Then | Now |
| The bath was narrow with all of its components crammed together. An old built-in tub was wedged into a small space at one end of the room. | The design team borrowed space from a wet bar and closet in the adjacent master bedroom to enlarge the bath. A roomy shower occupies the once-cramped space that housed the tub. |
| A dark wood vanity didn’t offer much in the way of storage or useful surface area. | Twin Ronbow vanities provide storage while a Jacuzzi soaking tub creates a focal point. |
| Dark wood and dingy reddish-brown tiles made the whole room look dim, despite skylights. | White vanities, marble tops, and pale, wood-look porcelain floors are light and airy. A stacked-quartzite veneer on the wall behind the tub adds interest. |
Renovation Design: Jim Wrenn, project developer; Loren Sanders, project manager; Kevin Shore, CKBD, architectural designer; Elena Eskandari, CKBD, Allied ASID, bath designer, Case Design/Remodeling, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, Falls Church, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg.
The owners of a mundane 1960s split-level in Silver Spring hired architect Bruce Wentworth to refresh its uninspired front façade and introduce a modern look. A commanding front entry, new windows and an attractive two-car garage realized the changes his clients were looking for.
| Then | Now |
| A front entry with a small overhang and nondescript front door was easy to overlook. | A projecting front porch is delineated by stucco cladding and framed by the wood, brick and stone of the rest of the house. A bold red entry door and sidelite capture attention. |
| A ramshackle-looking carport was an unappealing appendage on the side of the house. | A two-car garage with cedar doors is a vast improvement. Wentworth balanced the garage visually by also cladding the other end of the home in cedar. |
| A small, dated picture window to the left of the front entry was flanked by double-hung windows. | Four large windows replaced the smaller original windows beside the door, conveying a modern vibe. All the window frames are now painted black. |
Renovation Architecture & Construction: Bruce Wentworth, AIA, Wentworth Studio, Chevy Chase, Maryland. Photography: Morgan Howarth.
The owners of a Georgetown condo wanted to brighten and modernize its dark spaces while adding functionality and efficient storage throughout. They hired Boffi Georgetown to overhaul the kitchen and bathrooms and to replace inadequate closets—including the one in the front hall.
| Then | Now |
| The hall closet was set into a drywall frame with doors that folded back. The design was inconvenient for accessing the closet’s contents. | The finished project features a streamlined closet system built without a drywall frame. The doors open easily, while interior shelving caters to the owners’ specific needs. |
| Traditional design elements like moldings and expanses of drywall looked stodgy. | The new closet system replaces moldings with reveals at the top and bottom of the closet, wrapping around the side at the top to create a decorative feature. |
| Dark-stained wood floors and red-painted closet doors made the front hall feel dark and dated. | White-painted cabinetry and off-white, cement-look porcelain-tile floors keep the convo light and bright with a sleek, contemporary aesthetic. |
Closet Design & Fabrication: Julia Walter, Boffi Georgetown, Washington, DC. Photography: Angie Seckinger.
Homeowners who purchased a dated split-level in Vienna tapped Gyan Manu of the design/build firm G. Manu & Associates to overhaul the interiors and create a visually appealing exterior using natural building materials and a clean, modern aesthetic.
| Then | Now |
| A nondescript brick façade and traditional windows and shutters made the house look faded and boring. | A porch area wide enough for a bench draws the eye to the new, modern front door, which is painted an eye-catching brick hue. |
| A ramshackle carport was an eyesore, offering little storage space and only accommodating a single car. | The brick has been covered in stucco, painted in two colors for contrast. Panels of Western red cedar accent the corners of the left volume. Sleek, modern windows add to the clean-lined look. |
| The house offered no sense of arrival, with a mundane front door that seemed to blend into the front façade. | A two-car garage with frosted-glass doors replaced the carport. The roofline is enlivened by the addition of a second-story master suite. |
Renovation Architecture & Contracting: Gyan Manu, Associate AIA, NCARB, G. Manu & Associates, Falls Church, Virginia. Photography: Jason Flakes.
Homeowners with a cramped, dated abode hired Broadhurst Architects to redesign the kitchen and add on a third floor to accommodate visiting family members. They also requested an exterior makeover so the home would blend in with its upscale, traditional neighborhood.
| Then | Now |
| The kitchen was too small and needed an overhaul. There was no side entry from the driveway, making it inconvenient to bring in groceries, etc. | An attractive addition enlarged the kitchen and created a side entry. It conveys the impression of an existing porch that was later enclosed—similar to other houses in the neighborhood. |
| The squat, gambrel roofline stuck out in a neighborhood of classic, colonial-style homes. | A third-floor addition replaced the dated roof. The new, gabled roofline harmonizes with its setting. |
| A nondescript front entry and dull brick façade meant the house had no street presence. | A front portico provides a commanding entry to the brick-and-clapboard home, which has been uniformly painted white with traditional dark-green shutters. |
Renovation Architecture: Jeffery Broadhurst, AIA, Broadhurst Architects, Rockville, Maryland. Builder: O’Neill Development, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Photography: Anice Hoachlander.
