Located in the sleepy residential enclave of Shady Side on the bay just south of Annapolis, the peninsula of McKinley Point yields panoramic views from three sides for homeowners lucky enough to live along the waterfront.
Since moving into their home on Maryland’s West River in June 2012, a couple with grown children has been among the lucky ones. They already had a property in Shady Side when they fell in love with the white clapboard house with prime views on more than five acres. “We were supposed to be downsizing,” laughs the wife, a librarian. “But waterfront property was hard to pass up.”
She and her husband, an attorney, also had a house in the Wesley Heights neighborhood of DC, where they spend much of their time as both maintain careers in the District. Smitten with their find, they decided to sell their landlocked Shady Side home and their DC home and make the waterfront abode their full-time residence. They also bought a Washington town house that comes in handy on nights when work keeps them in the city.
Built by German immigrants in 1907, their newly acquired five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home had its quirks. As was customary for the period, its original main entry faced the water—not the road. When previous owners shifted the entry to the street side, the one-time entry foyer—complete with its original pillars—became a sitting area. Later, when a C-shaped porch was built around it, the pillared room was enclosed in glass. Eventually, the porch was also glassed in. Now a sitting room and sunroom respectively, both spaces make ideal spots for the family to gather and enjoy views of the bay.
Today, visitors approach the house via a drive bordered on one side by a pool and outbuildings housing a three-car garage, guesthouse and pool house. The front door opens to a wide hallway flanked by twin parlors (now the family and living rooms). At the end of the hall, the vista beckons through the sitting room. The sunroom houses the dining room, a sitting area that opens to a patio and a play area for grandkids when they visit. A path leads out to the dock where the couple’s boat is moored.
The house was last renovated in 1984. Since then, “it was maintained but not decorated,” says the wife. She and her husband tapped Kelley Proxmire for the job of updating and making it feel like home. For the designer, who has decorated four other homes for the couple over the years, this was an easy task. “Kelley really knows us and knows everything we have,” comments the wife.
The goal was to lighten the dark, dated interiors while emphasizing dramatic water views. Proxmire chose a palette of cream and white with blue and green accents to connect the interiors with the outdoors. While she recarpeted the floors throughout, she left the windows unadorned or framed in treatments that “finish the rooms without obstructing the views.”
She worked with the unconventional configuration of the sitting room and sunroom, selecting fabrics and white-painted or wicker pieces that lighten both spaces. “I wanted it white with blue and green accents,” she says of the sitting room, which is a focal point for guests entering the house. “This way your eye doesn’t stop, but continues to the view.”
Throughout the house, Proxmire repurposed furniture and artwork from the couple’s former residences to convey a fresh, new vibe. Sofas and chairs have been reupholstered and occasional chairs painted white and recovered. “It’s fun to repurpose,” the designer says. “I love the challenge of moving things around to create something new.”
Upstairs, a master bedroom and renovated bath share space with a home office and two guestrooms, one of which Proxmire beautifully appointed in lavender and white. Two more bedrooms occupy the third floor. To one side of the house is a screened porch. “We lived out here all summer,” observes the wife. “No matter how hot it gets, there’s always a breeze off the water.”
Photographer Kip Dawkins is based in Richmond, Virginia.
Interior Design: Kelley Proxmire, Kelley Interior Design, Bethesda, Maryland.
Italian Style Simpatico, Italy’s Finest is a taste of the Old Country nestled in picturesque St. Michaels. The store is devoted to products imported from Italy, and its wares include hand-painted ceramics, which can be custom ordered; specialty foods such as balsamics and olive oils by Cipriani; pasta and olive paste; and books on travel, wine and food. Italian ceramic Christmas ornaments and handmade wooden Pinocchios are also on offer. simpaticostmichaels.com
Bountiful jumpstarts the season in Easton, Maryland, with its Holiday Kickoff on November 6. The 20,000-square-foot interior design showroom will overflow with decorations ranging from accessories for Thanksgiving to Christmas tablescapes. Items are available for purchase during the event and throughout November and December.
Twenty percent of the proceeds during the Holiday Kickoff will be donated to the Talbot Hospice Foundation. The event is free and open to the public. Visit bountifuldecor.com for details.
Dubbed “The O” by its owner, Ophiuroidea is definitely a mouthful to pronounce. But it’s also a go-to destination in St. Michaels, Maryland, for coastal-inspired home furnishings, art and gifts. Showcasing the work of local artisans, the store offers a range of products, from sea-glass jewelry and posters to handcrafted pottery and hand-painted furniture. Pictured above, an array of playful pillows and plaques evokes the lazy pleasures of life on the shore. ophiuroidea.com
An 1860 plantation on the National Register of Historic Places is the site of the Brampton Bed and Breakfast Inn, located a mile outside Chestertown. The main house boasts seven rooms and suites, while six cottages are housed in outbuildings or newly built structures on the grounds. A screened porch in Mulberry Cottage boasts a luxurious soaking tub. Breakfast offerings include pancakes with fresh fruit. Rates start at $229 per night. bramptoninn.com
Easton Escape ’s Bartlett Pear Inn began life in 1790. The stately home changed hands often over the years, belonging at different times to a Confederate sympathizer and a U.S. congressman. Chef Jordan Lloyd and his wife, Alice—both Easton natives—bought the historic building in 2009, converting it into a seven-room boutique hotel with comfortable accommodations including the Green Anjou Room. Fresh from stints at Citronelle in New York City and The Four Seasons in DC, Lloyd opened the adjoining Bartlett Pear Restaurant, which emphasizes farm-to-table ingredients. Rates start at $179 per night. bartlettpearinn.com
For 10 days each fall, buildings in and around Washington, DC, become the canvases within which photographers can showcase their most inspiring and innovative work. FotoWeekDC, held this year from November 7 to 16, offers exhibitions, competitions, lectures and workshops bringing world-class photography to our region and providing exposure for emerging artists.
Amidst three pastoral acres in Annapolis, Marta Hansen plies her craft. Housed in a quaint, ivy-clad cottage, her studio feels like an extension of the surrounding landscape—which was why she bought the property originally. “It had been a plant nursery with a concrete building they used as an office,” she explains. “I decided to convert the building into a studio because I loved how it related to the outdoors.”
Among other changes, this entailed a massive overhaul to make the diminutive structure habitable. It encompassed one room with an attached shed—a raw concrete block with a wood-burning stove. Hansen took it down to the walls and rafters, using the two-room layout as a studio/sitting area and kitchen. She retained an existing exterior window between the two for light.
A charcoal-hued, poured-concrete floor sits atop the original cement foundation, scored to create the effect of slate sheets. Exterior pocket doors, each four feet wide, open out to a patio bordered by mature boxwoods. Beyond the patio, gardens and a wide, pea-gravel path lead to a fountain and obelisk. Hansen painstakingly moved existing plants around the property “to sculpt the space,” she says. “It’s really as much a landscape architecture project as it is an architectural one.”
Inside, open shelving separates the work space from the sitting area. The architect designed and welded her own conference table, which is made of birch with abstracted, Shaker-style tapered legs. Her desk overlooks the patio. In the kitchen, dark-stained walnut cabinets are paired with a Carrara marble countertop for a furniture-like effect. Cable and pendant lighting bring a modern element to the space.
Hansen’s favorite aspect of her studio? “I love how it opens to the landscape,” she says. “It’s always filled with light.”
It’s a common refrain in the Washington, DC, area: How do you reconcile modern tastes with traditional style during a home renovation?
An Arlington couple was faced with this question when they bought their 1942 side-hall Colonial on a street of homes from the same era. The house featured a one-story addition from the 1980s containing a dated kitchen. Small rooms made the original structure feel cramped. After living there for two years—with baby number three on the way—the couple was ready to renovate. The goal was to modernize their abode while retaining its fit within the neighborhood. They contacted architect David Ricks to spearhead the effort and soon after, interior designer Tracy Morris came on board.
“The owners described the look they wanted as transitional,” recalls Ricks. “They wanted to keep the exterior traditional with a new design that would be responsive to the old house.”
The consensus was that the first addition had to go. In its place would be a three-level addition: kitchen and family room, master suite and finished basement.
The architect created an open design combining the kitchen and family room in one 1,200-square-foot space. The husband, an attorney, and the wife, a French literature professor, both love to cook. “They needed a large kitchen for two proficient cooks as well as for entertaining,” says Ricks.
Morris helped select dark-stained bamboo cabinetry, white Caesarstone countertops and stainless-steel vertical backsplash tiles. “They wanted a modern look but not too cold or surgical,” Morris says. “And they were very specific. [The husband] wrote down what he wanted to keep in each drawer.”
In the family room area, a sectional and coffee table from Room & Board face a freestanding wall of walnut shelves that divides the seating area from stairs leading to the new basement. “The shelves are open and don’t go to the ceiling, so they let the light in,” explains Ricks.
The older part of the house presented its own challenges. “The addition has more of an open plan,” he continues. “Everyone thought the renovation would be more successful with some major change in the older part to make it commensurate.”
Since changing the footprint of the older structure was not an option, the team removed the wall between the living and dining rooms to create one large space. In the original floor plan, the front door faced the stairwell and a hall led back to the kitchen, with doors on one side opening to the living and dining rooms. Now, the doors are gone, replaced by wide entryways that flood the first floor with light. An upstairs closet by the stairs was removed—its floor included—making the stairwell airy and open. A wider opening between the hall and the addition invites visitors to the back of the house.
Morris reframed and repurposed the owners’ art collection throughout the house and helped them purchase almost
all new furniture. “They have amazing taste,” the designer observes. In the living/dining room, a mix of antiques and custom pieces creates a minimal, uncluttered look. The dining table by Mecox is paired with chairs from Furniture From Scandinavia. A former window well is now a niche showcasing a cupboard by Julian Chichester in the living area. The sofa is by Cisco Home and the rug is from Timothy Paul Home.
Beyond the fireplace in the former living room, a drab home office has been transformed into a charming alcove with built-ins lining its walls and a pitched roof with exposed support beams. “The clients had an antique Dutch art table that fits perfectly under the window sills, so we built everything around it,” Morris says. The fireplace is now clad in a limestone surround with an oak mantel that matches the dark-stained oak floors throughout the house.
Upstairs, the master bedroom feels airy, with a vaulted ceiling and a balcony. The luxurious, travertine-clad master bath includes a curb-less shower and a Caesarstone tub that incorporates bookshelves into its base.
On the exterior of the addition, Ricks created a stepback to separate the stone volume on the ground level from the clapboard room above. It’s a seamless transition that mirrors the home’s interiors: elegant and understated.
In fact, the renovation is exactly what the owners wanted. “We love it,” says the husband. “It really reflects who we are and how we live. We’re very happy with it.”
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: DAVID W. RICKS, AIA, design principal; Steven T. Crawford, RA, project manager, DW Ricks Architects + Associates, PC, Arlington, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN: TRACY MORRIS, Tracy Morris Design, Washington, DC.
STONE WORK
A geometric motif of interlocking triangles creates an eye-catching, three-dimensional effect in the Hannover Collection of ceramic wall tiles from Porcelanosa. Available in 12-by-35-inch format, they have the texture of brushed stone and come in white or tan. porcelanosa-usa.com
TOTAL CONTROL
FanSync by Fanimation lets you control your ceiling fan with a smartphone by pairing the two via Bluetooth. Install the remote receiver in the canopy of most pull-chain-operated ceiling fans. Then download the app to your phone. Available at Annapolis Lighting in Rockville, Maryland. annapolislighting.com
SLEEK STYLE
Italian bath-product manufacturer Laufen has teamed with Italy’s Kartell, a modern furniture company, to create Kartell by Laufen. This co-designed collection of furniture, accessories and bath products includes a washbasin and faucet atop a vanity and open shelf unit. kartellbylaufen.com
NEW WARMTH
Poggenpohl has launched a soft, neutral cabinet finish called Stone Grey, available either in a melamine resin coating or a hydro or high-gloss varnish. Stone Grey is a shade that complements natural wooden surfaces, adding warmth to spare, contemporary spaces. poggenpohl.com
STORAGE SOLUTION
SieMatic’s aluminum interior accessories system maximizes organization and efficiency in any kitchen. In-drawer cubbies, angled knife-blocks and anti-slip inserts are just a few of the innovative features available to homeowners who want to customize and streamline their storage space. Available through Konst; konstsiematic.com
BACK TO NATURE
Part of the Blended Look Collection from Best Tile, the Falling Water series of porcelain tiles combines the looks of petrified wood and stone polished by water. The tiles, in gray, beige and white tones, are created using digital inkjet technology; suitable for floor and wall use. besttile.com
After years in New York City—crammed into apartments where space was at a premium—Jennifer and David Stier relocated to the DC area. While house hunting, they soon found what they’d been missing in a spacious center-hall Colonial in Potomac. They loved the
expansiveness, location and layout—but both Jennifer, a software product manager, and David, an attorney, were less than thrilled with the interior decoration.
After scouring the Internet for DC-area interior designers, Jennifer came across Marika Meyer’s portfolio. “I loved her style,” she says. “Everything she did fit into my world.”
The couple bought the house, and Meyer was waiting in the wings before the closing even took place. By coincidence, designer and client were both far along in their second pregnancies when they embarked on the project. “We could really relate,” Meyer says. “I understood that she needed a beautiful home but that it had to work for a young family.”
By this time, Jennifer was busy gathering ideas on Pinterest. “I would pin a bunch of things and send them to Marika,” she recalls. The result was that Meyer quickly gleaned what her client was after. She looked at options based on what Stier sent her and, as Jennifer recounts, laughing, “she would then tell me what I really liked. She was always spot-on.”
The house was built in the 1980s and the décor had a bland, French Country aesthetic. Meyer and her client envisioned a casually elegant, family-friendly home with “a soft, ethereal look” embodied by light colors and a fresh, yet traditional vibe. While the Stiers brought very little furniture from their New York City abode—they hadn’t had room for much—the couple wanted select family heirlooms to be incorporated into the design scheme.
Meyer’s first task was to darken the traditional oak floors, which were bleached an unfortunate yellow hue. To counteract the home’s blandness, she also introduced extensive millwork that lends an architectural feel to the public rooms.
In the foyer, vertically striped wallpaper that seemed to elongate the two-story space was replaced with a restful teal paint color above white wainscoting, which continues up the stairs. Painted risers lighten the atmosphere while darker railings provide crisp contrast. A custom console and a dramatic metallic chandelier add vibrancy.
The dimensions of the living room were long and narrow; Meyer addressed the issue by installing built-in cabinets at one end of the room to shorten it visually. Open cabinet shelves display a collection of ceramic birds that Jennifer inherited from her grandmother. The shelf backs are painted in pale teal, which picks up accents of the same color in the upholstery and pillows, while a Masland rug in the same soft tones is a unifying element.
Tall, bright aqua table lamps rest on side tables, which are also family heirlooms. Standing at either end of the custom sofa, they break up the long expanse of wall, as does a series of antique botanical prints from Evelyn Avery framed in silver leaf. Armchairs by Lee Industries—one upholstered in a subtle zebra stripe and the other two in fabric by Hodsoll McKenzie—are grouped around a glass-topped coffee table. In front of the bay window, a console by Hickory Chair is paired with ottomans from Restoration Hardware.
The inspiration for the dining room was a set of dessert plates, a wedding present to Jennifer and David. Meyer covered the backs of the dining chairs with a Victoria Hagan fabric that mirrors the colors on the plates, and painted the wainscoting pale periwinkle. The sideboard—found by Jennifer at a shop in Brooklyn that imports furniture from India—has also been painted periwinkle, while a grasscloth wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries and a sisal carpet lighten the room. The circular dining table is from Horchow and the chandelier is from World’s Away.
“The family room is a departure from the tone of the other rooms,” says Meyer. Taking their cue from the heavy, fieldstone fireplace, she and her client opted for earth tones, with spool chairs and draperies by John Robshaw.
“This is the room where we spend most of our time,” Jennifer says. “It had to be comfortable.”
On the second level, an elegant bedstead, softened by a luxurious tester with custom tiebacks and headboard, grounds the narrow master bedroom. The adjoining master bath was the only area of the home to undergo structural changes during the project. The couple converted a former entry to the master bath—which once housed vanities—into a dressing room lined with mirrored closets.
The poorly designed bathroom has been transformed into a serene spa that now accommodates a large tub, separate W.C., double vanities and spacious shower. Clad in Carrara marble, the room boasts a particularly striking marble floor in a distinctive chevron pattern. “We wanted traditional materials in the bath, but with a modern twist,” says Jennifer.
The Stiers are thrilled with their redesigned home. And despite the travails of advanced pregnancy, Jennifer and her designer were able to enjoy the process. “It’s a luxury to be able to design your home,” Meyer observes. “So you have to have fun while you’re doing it.”
Photographer Angie Seckinger splits her time between Potomac, Maryland, and Spain.
INTERIOR DESIGN: MARIKA MEYER, Marika Meyer Interiors, LLC, Bethesda, Maryland.
It’s been a while since designing a landscape simply meant planting beautiful flowers and rolling lawns. Today, homeowners are looking for much more than a thriving garden: They want stunning poolscapes, elaborate stonework and charming water features—and these are often just the beginning. Starting on page 164, landscape professionals weigh in on how to incorporate these elements into their clients’ properties—illustrated by their own completed projects.
Set in Stone
For a patio design in Great Falls, Howard Cohen of Surrounds, Inc. (surrounds landscaping.com), chose reddish porphyry stone, installed using mortar with a concrete base. The stones are incredibly durable and stain- and chip-resistant. The downside is that they have to be imported either from Argentina or Italy—which makes them expensive. “Think of cost down the road, not just cost now,” Cohen says. “The longevity of better-quality stone will give you a return on your investment.”
Techo-Bloc (techo-bloc.com) pavers were the key to the look of a landscape design in McLean by Josh Kane of Kane Landscapes (kanelandscapes.com). Made from manufactured stone, the random-pattern pavers were used around the pool in warm Mojave Beige. “We usually recommend pavers in pool areas,” explains Kane. “They’re installed on compacted gravel, not concrete, so they can be lifted in case equipment underground needs to be fixed.”
Brian Hahn of Botanical Decorators (botanicaldecorators.com) relied on stonework to add interest to a nondescript side yard in Alexandria. Borrowing from the architecture of the house, he created rectangular and circular borders out of mini-granite cobbles that convey a connection between the lawn and the house. “Borders create a feeling that the lawn is flat,” Hahn says. “They invite you onto the grass.”
Make a Splash
When Mike Prokopchak of Walnut Hill Landscape Company (walnuthilllandscape.com) saw his client’s property perched along the Chesapeake, he immediately suggested an infinity pool that would emphasize the dramatic bay view. While the owners wanted a pool deep enough for diving, Prokopchak typically recommends a depth of 3.5 to 5.5 feet. “That way the whole pool is useful for pretty much everyone,” he explains. His designs also incorporate a solar shelf or bench.
Before designing a pool in his client’s compact Alexandria lot, J. Mark White of GardenWise (gardenwiseinc.com) considered the function and flow of the yard. “A pool should be properly sized for access and for views from the home,” he says. “A rectangular pool has an automatic focal point at one end.” He also plans for lounge seating, fencing, plantings, privacy and light. “Engage a designer to make sure it all gets done right,” he advises.
Julie Patronik of McHale Landscape Design (mchalelandscape.com) asked her clients how they would use their space before embarking on a pool design for their Bethesda property. “We talked about lifestyle, entertaining and exercise to figure out what would suit them best,” she recalls. The result was a rectangular pool flanked by a water feature and surrounded with travertine pavers that retain less heat than the more typical flagstone. “It’s a place of cool and peace,” Patronik says.
Falling Water
When Jane Luce of Through the Garden (throughthegardeninc.com) was called on to enhance a McLean project with plantings, she worked around a sleek water feature that was already being built. With a three-tiered waterfall spilling from a wall tiled in stones, the feature doubles as a spa designed to complement the modern house, but it requires plenty of upkeep. “Select your water feature with your eyes open,” Luce says, “Don’t only think about what’s going to feel special about it, but also about the time and effort to maintain it.”
By contrast, a rustic water feature by Greg Powell of Inviting Spaces (inviting-spaces.com) appears completely organic. Asked to create a watercourse that would empty into a manmade pond, he built a berm, giving the flat Middleburg property a slope, and concealed the inner workings of the feature behind mature plantings. For a natural look, he haphazardly placed a variety of stones, all native to Western Maryland. “Take advantage of any existing grade if you want a naturalistic effect,” he advises. “If you have flat ground, go with something more formal like a fountain. Don’t fight the way the ground naturally goes unless you have a lot of space.”
Located near the Capitol in Northwest DC, Dunbar Senior High School began life as America’s first public high school for African Americans. The venerable 1916 building was demolished in the ’70s to make way for a concrete behemoth typical of that era; in 2013, the firms of Perkins Eastman and Moody Nolan were elected to design a modern, functional school on its original location.
The new 280,000-square-foot brick, glass and steel structure can house 1,100 students and incorporates some traditional features of the 1916 building. Its design includes a sky-lit atrium with a food court and a media center (pictured) with Art Deco-style chairs and giant corkscrew pendants. The L-shaped floor plan encompasses one academic wing and another for sports and arts.
“We’ve created a building that reflects Dunbar’s past and looks to the future,” says architect Sean O’Donnell of Perkins Eastman. “Its flexible spaces support both the students and the community.” Dunbar is awaiting LEED Platinum certification.
ARCHITECTS OF RECORD: Perkins Eastman, Washington, DC, and Moody Nolan, Washington, DC. DESIGN ARCHITECTURE: Sean O’Donnell, AIA, LEED AP, principal-in-charge, Perkins Eastman. ASSOCIATE ARCHITECT: PATRICK WILLIAMS, AIA, Moody Nolan. CONTRACTOR: Smoot/Gilbane A Joint Venture, Washington, DC.
When Rui Ponte and wife Jean Assuncao bought the dilapidated 1940s Cape Cod house in Bethesda’s Edgemoor neighborhood in 1995, it didn’t even occur to them to tear it down and start over—even though they probably should have. “People just didn’t do that back then,” Ponte remarks. “It was a different era.”
Instead, they opted for a major overhaul, gutting the house and adding a 12-by-40-foot addition to accommodate a new kitchen and dining room. Ponte’s design opened up the interiors and introduced a more modern aesthetic, relocating the stairs to the center of the house and installing a skylight above to bring in natural light on both levels. First-floor bedrooms were moved to the second floor, which was completely rebuilt. A crawl space was dug out to create a full-size basement.
“The renovation was what was current at the time,” Ponte says. “We had a heavy fieldstone fireplace in the family room and an entertainment center with a big, wide TV where everything was exposed.” In the kitchen, blond cabinetry was paired with dark granite counters and stainless-steel appliances.
After the couple’s two kids left for college, they decided to update the kitchen and family room. “We were ready to simplify our lives,” says Assuncao. “Part of this was getting rid of the big, heavy stuff—the oversized couches, the big fireplace. We purged a lot and that was nice.”
The timing was also influenced by advances in technology. Ponte was waiting for Control4 home automation systems to be perfected, and when—in his view—they were, he explains, “it seemed like it was the right time to do it. We really wanted Internet-based, integrated technology. We were installing a lot of it in our clients’ homes so we saw how it was evolving.” Integrating whole-house technology would allow them to control all aspects of the lighting, heating and audio/video systems via one device. Ponte turned to Bobby Caras of Multi-Systems, Inc., in Vienna, Virginia, for the installation, then moved on to the renovation design.
Concealing the clutter and detritus of daily life had become a major priority for the couple, who found themselves attracted to a design with sparer lines. “Our aesthetic changed,” Assuncao observes. “It’s simpler now, more crisp and clean.”
The bulky fieldstone fireplace has been replaced with a sleek one clad in a textural tile from Porcelanosa and panels of dark macassar wood; the existing copper chimney has been partially wrapped in macassar to unify the look. The wall that held the giant TV and a messy, inefficient cupboard now contains only a flat-screen TV and a streamlined macassar cabinet. Spare, contemporary sofas by Italian manufacturer Incanto keep the room airy, and mechanized Lutron shades control light and impart privacy.
The kitchen, which had begun to look dated, has been transformed. Custom cabinetry by Wood-Mode combines cherry lower cabinets in a dark walnut stain with white-lacquered upper cabinets. Countertops are Calacatta Venato marble, and the one topping the long, rectangular island has waterfall edges that emphasize the cool, gray cast of the marble. A backsplash of Porcelanosa tile is imprinted with a subtle linen pattern. Xenon and LED lighting replaced incandescent bulbs, and a dropped ceiling above the island holds lighting so pendants aren’t necessary.
“The idea was to hide everything,” Assuncao says. “The dishwasher, the refrigerator, the ovens. We concealed everything as much as possible and made it look like furniture.” She points to the water dispenser, which is tucked inside a slide-out cupboard with another one beside it for spare bottles, while Ponte reveals a cabinet inside a niche that houses a full bar.
“It’s a very functional kitchen,” he says. “When we have people over it all flows easily with the family room.
“The house now is more about how we live,” he continues. “Before we started, we asked ourselves, ‘What are the rooms that are important to us?’ That’s what has been incorporated.”
The original Cape was brick with two dormers. Ponte’s 1995 design created a two-story structure with a whole new stucco exterior. The front façade has a subtle, modern edge reflected by a gently curving portico and unadorned windows. The look is still fresh almost 20 years later; the house stands out from the surrounding homes in its neighborhood, yet still seems to belong.
“We didn’t want to do anything too far out—we wanted it to be contextual,” Ponte explains. The home has been a hit in the neighborhood: To date, Ponte Mellor has renovated or custom-designed six other homes on the block—and counting.
Photographer Kenneth M. Wyner is based in Takoma Park, Maryland.
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: RUI PONTE, AIA, LEED AP, Ponte Mellor Architects, Ltd., Bethesda, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: JEAN ASSUNCAO, Edgemoor Custom Builders, Bethesda, Maryland.
Francisca Villarroel Alonso and Antonio Alonso both hail from Spain—but they met while studying architecture at Catholic University. After graduating, they married and pursued separate careers, then ended up pooling their talent in 2001 when they founded AV Architects, pllc. Within a couple of years, however, they realized they wanted more control over their designs in the construction phase of each project. At that point, they launched AV Architects + Builders—a full-scale renovation and custom-home construction company with architects and builders under one roof. “There are a lot of design/build companies,” Francisca points out, “but very few are headed by architects rather than builders. We have created an unusual niche.”
The Alonsos see many benefits to the way their firm does business. Among them is the sense that having an architect in the field during the building phase adds another level of value for the client. “We control costs during design and protect the design during construction,” Francisca explains. Adds Tony, “No one understands the design better than the designer. We’re the ones who can make necessary changes during construction without compromising the design’s intent.”
Over the years, AV Architects + Builders has developed a style of its own, rooted in the traditional European vernacular each partner experienced while growing up in Spain. “It’s a hybrid of traditional and modern. We use traditional materials like wood and stone that are warm and appealing, but add a modern touch in terms of design,” Francisca explains. “We offer modern floor plans that are in alignment with the lifestyles of our clients.” Open layouts, clean lines and lots of glass characterize the interiors of projects by AV Architects.
An example of this aesthetic is currently represented by a soon-to-be-completed spec home in McLean, Virginia, the couple has dubbed the “360 Home.” The idea was hatched after the Alonsos had completed numerous renovations in which they had to “solve the problems of traditional homes.” These included layouts in which there was unused space in the house, poor flow, an under-utilized yard and more. “Francisca had a list of the top 20 issues we needed to solve,” says Tony. “So we created a design that would address them.”
Measuring more than 10,000 square feet, with 2,000 square feet of pre-designed outdoor space, the 360 Home boasts an open-plan layout. Staircases are located at the ends of the house instead of in the middle to eliminate dead space, and only three doors—two to the bathrooms and one to the library—separate the ground-floor spaces from one another. The airy design emphasizes easy living, both for family and entertaining purposes; a functional, casual vibe; a seamless flow to a host of outdoor spaces that include balconies, patios, a grotto and a pool; natural materials like stone, wood, metal and glass; a low-voltage LED lighting system; and Control 4 home automation.
The 360 Home is a prototype; buyers can choose from other, similar designs. The house is currently on the market for $3.5 million.
Facts & Stats
In addition to its founders, AV Architects + Builders employs six staff members, including designers and administrators. The Alonsos personally oversee each project.
SPECIALTIES
The firm completes four to six projects per year. Twenty percent of them are custom homes and the rest are renovations. Most are located in Northern Virginia.
INQUIRIES
Francisca Villarroel Alonso, CEO, and Antonio Alonso, AIA, AV Architects + Builders, 1650 Tysons Boulevard, #1580, McLean, Virginia 22102; 703-865-5065; avarchitectsbuild.com
The stately, neoclassical National Academy of Sciences building in DC has been revitalized. Designed in 1922 by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, it was added onto in 1965 and 1970 but had remained untouched since.
Tapped to renovate this landmark, Quinn Evans Architects restored its historic envelope, overhauled outdated mechanical systems and implemented sustainable technologies. “We reconfigured it to create more public spaces,” says project manager Thomas Jester. “We made courtyards into atriums and restored gallery space for the Academy’s art collection.”
In the great hall (left), decades of dirt and smoke were removed from the dome, which was originally faux-painted and gilded in the 1920s by muralist Hildreth Meiere. LED lights now illuminate the space and wood surfaces have been rejuvenated.
The restoration received an award of excellence from the AIA’s Northern Virginia chapter and a 2013 District of Columbia award for Excellence in Historic Preservation.
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: Larry Barr, AIA, principal in charge; Thomas Jester, AIA, FAPT, LEED AP, project manager, Quinn Evans Architects, Washington, DC. CONSERVATION: The Gilders' Studio, Inc., Olney, Maryland & F.C. Vogt Company, Richmond, Virginia. CONTRACTORS: Gilbane Inc., Washington, DC & The Christman Company, Reston, Virginia. PHOTOGRAPHY: Maxwell MacKenzie.
