Home & Design

Before

Muse and his team replaced a defunct garage with a second, smaller hip that houses a new master suite (on the right).

Before + After: Remodel

A Bethesda renovation and addition by Muse Architects seamlessly harmonizes with the original 1930s brick abode

“The house had good detailing and nice, simple forms, but it needed to be more gracious,” says architect Stephen Muse. In adding onto the glassed-in family room, he and his team replaced a defunct garage with a second, smaller hip that houses a new master suite. The front hip, which used to contain three cramped bedrooms, now holds two larger ones. The family-room addition is topped with a flat roof; it extends into a deep overhang for protection from the sun.

ThenNow
The homeowners, who frequently host large-scale receptions, needed better circulation and expansive spaces where guests could congregate; the house had no family room.Muse Architects designed a side addition to house a spacious family room, and reorganized other rooms to improve flow.
A park bordered the property, but the home was not designed to take advantage of it. A small side porch did not foster enjoyment of the view.The addition affords views of the park, and the small porch was repurposed as a portico to the front entry.
The vintage house had typically small windows and suffered from a shortage of natural light.The addition steps down, raising the ceiling height and allowing for transoms above French doors and windows that let in the light. Divided panes mimic the existing windows, which were enlarged during the renovation.

Renovation Architecture: Stephen Muse, FAIA, Muse Architects, Bethesda, Maryland. Builder: Horizon Builders, Inc., Crofton, Maryland. Photography: Erik Kvalsvik.

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