Purchased for weekend getaways, a tiny 1970s-era cottage near Deep Creek Lake in Western Maryland was starting to feel cramped and awkward to its DC-area owners and their two kids. So they turned to architect Greg Uekman for help. Assuming a teardown would be in order, he recalls, “When I visited the site, I realized they had bonded with the house and wanted to work around what was there.”

Taking inspiration from rural homesteads augmented over time with additions and outbuildings, Uekman developed a plan that would double the original home’s 800 square feet. A new roof mimics the lines of the original, now covering an enlarged master bedroom on the second floor. While the footprint of the main building remains the same, a new guest room is housed in a separate structure connected via a glass bridge. Red-cedar siding recalling a barn exterior, a new wraparound deck and an outdoor ski closet near the front entry clad in standing-seam metal put a modern spin on the “homestead” vernacular.

The owners love sharing their improved retreat with friends and family. “When I think of what the house is all about,” Uekman concludes, “it’s joy.”

Renovation Architecture: Gregory Uekman, AIA, Uekman Architects, LLC, Bethesda, Maryland. Contractor: Stan Eggleston, Eggleston Construction, Oakland, Maryland.