Gurney oriented the living room’s soaring, double-height window to frame the view of Old Rag Mountain. Interior finishes and furnishings are simple and clean-lined to not distract from the setting.
When a client bought nearly 100 acres in Etlan, Virginia, with views of Old Rag Mountain, he hired Robert Gurney to design a house. Needing a place to lodge while the main residence was being built, he also asked the architect to design a 1,700-square-foot contemporary farmhouse on five acres he parceled off. Readily available materials such as clapboard siding, asphalt shingles and corrugated metal siding were used. Composed of three gabled volumes with minimal ornamentation, the house took its inspiration from the vernacular red barns that dot the region’s landscape. “The idea was to do something that responded to the setting,” explains Gurney.
While the home’s footprint and materials are relatively modest, its 14-foot ceilings impart a sense of grandeur; strategically placed windows celebrate majestic mountain views. Adds Gurney, “when you walk in and the ceiling opens up, it’s a drop-your-jaw moment.”
Architecture: Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, principal; Matt Stephens, project architect; Robert M. Gurney, FAIA Architect, Washington, DC. Landscape Architecture: Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. General Contractor: Fajen & Brown, Hyattsville, Maryland.