The owners of a 1929 home in Northwest DC’s Woodley Park turned to McInturff Architects to transform their first floor with an airy, modern aesthetic. “They wanted to open the house up internally as well as to the back garden beyond,” recounts project designer Jeffrey McInturff, who conceived the project with principal Mark McInturff, FAIA.

Working with construction company Added Dimensions, the team replaced load-bearing walls with a structure of steel columns and beams that allows free flow between spaces. The traditional center-hall staircase made way for a bold, modern version that lets in the light. “We wanted the new stair and the steel structure around it to work together as one design element,” Jeffrey McInturff explains.

The stair leads up to the second floor and down to the lower level. Fabricated off-site by Majer Metal Works, it was disassembled and then reassembled on-site. White oak treads and glass-and-steel railings complement the surrounding white oak floor and steel structural supports to sleek, harmonious effect.

Renovation Architecture: McInturff Architects, Bethesda, Maryland. Renovation Contractor: Added Dimensions, Takoma Park, Maryland.