homelifestylehome spring 2013...

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HomeLifeStyleHomeLifeStyleHomeLifeStyleSpring 2013Spring 2013

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Arlington Connection ❖ HomeLifeStyle Spring 2013 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com ❖ Local Media Connection LLC

By John Byrd

If you compare the current home remodeling market to 2007, it’s clearthat homeowners are less likely toexecute a top-to-bottom makeover in

a single stroke than they were five yearsago.

Home resales are rising again, but thebelief that every dollar spent on a NorthernVirginia home will be quickly recovered hasbeen suspended — if only temporarily —as homeowners reassess.

For most local homeowners, a house isan asset of enormous personal appeal: anexpression of identity and aspiration, peri-odically adapted to life’s changes.

While the scale of the average project maybe smaller, it’s evident that manyhomeowners middle age or older have cometo see the home as a long-term — even life-long — work in progress, one that they takeup passionately, and at regular intervals.

Veteran remodeler David Foster callsthese homeowners “incremental” improv-ers, and has come to see them them as theprimary focus of a home improvement en-

terprise he started 30 years ago.As president of Foster Remodeling Solu-

tions in Lorton, Foster regularly coaches histeam on the importance of understandingwhat these homeowners need, what theyare expecting and how to articulate theirbest options with clarity.

“Providing an experience that the home-owner will value unequivocally is probablyour most important marketing activity,”Foster said. “Our core belief is that thereare many homeowners who will make anotable home improvement every two tofive years, so we place a high priority onearning that person’s trust. In this sense,there is nothing more important than out-performing expectation.”

WHILE THERE MAY BE many reasonswhy a homeowner will remodel in stages,Foster said that the typical incremental im-prover has a pay-as-you-go orientation.

South Alexandria resident SandyNusbaum, for instance, attributes her peri-odic home upgrade inclinations to a gradualbut decisive recognition that the four bed-room colonial she has occupied for 28 yearswith husband Mike is the last single familyresidence the couple will ever own.

“We raised three children here, and whenthe last of them moved away, we looked atother houses in the area and even a retire-ment village in North Carolina,” Nusbaumsaid. “That’s when I renewed my apprecia-tion for the many advantages of this house.I recognized that everything we wanted was

already here; we just needed a few focusedimprovements that take us into the foresee-able future.”

Initially that meant introducing an open,“kitchen-centric” plan in the back half ofthe house, and creating an outdoor compo-nent in the form of a 16-by-16-foot backscreen porch that allows for easy warm-weather circulation.

Replacing a wall between kitchen anddining room with a three-stool diningcounter proved an effective starting pointto a more interactive entertainment space.The new surface is also well-positioned asa serving station for al fresco porch dining.

Although the needed structural changeswere relatively minor, a new shelled-inniche for the refrigerator allows for addi-tional storage. Maple cabinets with a Bartondoor style and honey-spice stain evoke aclean linear look within a softly lit ambi-ance. Likewise, the Silestone quartz surfacesin ebony pearl provide a tonal and texturalcontrast.

Once the kitchen had been transformed,it wasn’t long before the Nusbaums beganplanning the follow-on phase: an extensionof the rear family room, an open-air grill-ing deck and a layout that permits children,grandchildren and many guests to circulatefreely through a now wide-ranging enter-tainment space.

Then, just last year, the largely unusedlower level was converted into a multi-pur

For full schedule through April 27.

Visit www.vagardenweek.org.

Historic Garden Week 2013 willfeature approximately 200 pri-vate homes and gardens open on

32 separate tours throughout the state ofVirginia over eight consecutive days. It isthe largest ongoing volunteer effort in Vir-ginia and represents the coordinated effortsof 3,400 club members. One hundred per-cent of tour proceeds are used to enhanceVirginia’s landscape.Visit www.vagardenweek.org.

SATURDAY APRIL 20, 2013Old Town AlexandriaSponsored by the Hunting Creek Garden Club and

the Garden Club of Alexandria, 10 a.m to 4 p.m.All eight private properties on the historic Old

Town Alexandria tour are within an easy walk ofeach other, allowing visitors to enjoy strolling thequaint streets lined with charming townhouses andintimate walled gardens.

Tickets are $40 and available at the RamseyHouse Visitors Center at the corner of King Streetand North Fairfax Street on the day of the tour. Foradvance tickets contact Mrs. Donald [email protected] 703-684-3876. Formore information, please contact Tour ChairmenMason Bavin at [email protected], TwigMurray [email protected] or Catherine Boltonat [email protected]

TUESDAY APRIL 23, 2013Fairfax: Oakton/ViennaSponsored by The Garden Club of Fairfax10 a.m. to 4 p.m

The Fairfax County communities of Oakton andVienna have emerged from small rural towns intothriving family-oriented neighborhoods withhomes and gardens reflecting a wide range of ar-chitectural and personal style. Ticket price includesadmission to the Cosby Home, the Unger Homeand Garden, the Buster Home and Garden, theKampa Home and Garden, the Rosenthal Homeand Garden and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.

Advance tickets are $20 through April 9. ContactMarty Whipple at [email protected]. For moreinformation about the tour, contact BonnieRekemeyer at [email protected].

80th HistoricGarden Week,April 20-27

This home in the Vienna/Oaktonarea is featured on Virginia’sHistoric Garden Week.

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Over time, someowners makeover theentire house —one phase at a time.

Demand for Incremental Improvements

The Nusbaums’ initial goal was an open “kitchen-centric” plan that would make it easier for Sandy Nusbaumto entertain. A three-stool dining counter proved an effective starting point; the new surface is also well-positioned as a serving station for porch dining.

See Demand, Page 8

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Home LifeStyle

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

From floral arrangements that burstwith pastel bloomsto candles that fill

one’s home with scents remi-niscent of warm weather, lo-cal style experts offer sugges-tions for accents that wel-come spring.

Turn simple twigs andgreenery into a harbinger ofEaster. “Welcome guests intoyour home with a springwreath on the front doordecorated with greenery,flowers or eggs,” said Ann

Decorating for EasterEasy ideas to welcome spring intoyour ahome.

Local design experts suggest usingserveware imprinted with produce likelettuces that herald the new season.

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Hydrangeas in white or soft green, daffo-dils, tulips in yellow, hyacinths in pink orblue, Esperance roses and white or pinkhybrid lilies are popular for Easter.

Welcomeguests intoone’s homewith wreathsmade oftwigs, green-ery, springflowers andwooden eggsin colors likebright greenand lavender.

O’Shields of The Nest Egg inFairfax. “Scents of spring are a sureway to alleviate the end of win-ter.”

Laura Smith of The DandelionPatch in Vienna, Reston andGeorgetown recommends fillingair with crisp, fresh aromas.“There are candles with really nicespring scents, like jasmine or gar-denia and lemongrass. Citrusscents are also very big in springand summer.”

Smith suggests setting one’stable with serveware imprintedwith spring produce like lettucesthat herald the new season. “Youcan use cutting boards with arti-choke prints or platters with as-

paragus prints. They are entertain-ing and fun accessories,” Smithsaid.

“Welcome guests into your home with aspring wreath on the front door decoratedwith greenery, flowers or eggs.”

— Ann O’Shields

Festive baskets filled with papergrass, wooden eggs, bunnies andflowers make ideal home accents.“Using seasonal blooms are a greatway to welcome spring,” saidO’Shields.

A floral arrangement displayedin baskets covered with springflower petals make a chic center-piece for one’s dining table. “Whenit comes to floral arrangements,people are often driven by whattheir home décor is,” said

Potomac, Md., based floral de-signer Evelyn Kinville. “The mostpopular flowers for Easter are hy-drangeas in white or soft green,daffodils, tulips in yellow, hya-cinths in pink or blue, Esperanceroses, which are large pink andcream two-toned in color, andWhite or pink hybrid lilies.”

O’Shields said, “Pick one flowerstyle and repeat it in various placesthroughout the room for the mostimpact.”


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Remodelingoften affords anopportunity to re-purpose ex-

isting materials by donating to those lessfortunate. Ask your remodeler if there isa plan or policy for saving materials forre-use rather than sending it to a landfill. Every project is different. And somematerials are more easily removed andsaved than others. Here are a couple oforganizations that accepted used mate-rials.

A WIDER CIRCLEThis organization provides basic-need

items to families transitioning out ofshelters and those living without life’snecessities. If you wish to donate furni-ture and other home essentials that arein good condition (no rips or stains),you can drop off items at their Center forCommunity Service in Silver Spring,Md. You can also schedule a pickup inmost areas throughout greater Washing-ton, D.C. Visit www.awidercircle.org.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTOREReStore is a resale business that sells

new and used building materials andhome items to the general public. Alldonations are tax deductible and do-nated by individuals, local retailers,building contractors and suppliers. Do-nated items are then sold at 50-90percent off the retail price, with all pro-ceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity,an organization that provides safe andaffordable housing to low-income fami-lies. ReStore accepts appliances,furniture, cabinets, roofing and flooringmaterials, exercise equipment,countertops, electronics, lighting andplumbing fixtures, etc. For more, visitNorthern Virginia stores in Alexandriaand Chantilly - www.restorenova.org

GOODWILLFounded in 1902, Goodwill accepts

gently used clothing, furniture,housewares, working electronics, andother household items. These items arethen sold at their retail locations, withthe proceeds used to fund employment,job training, and placement services forthe disadvantaged and those with dis-abilities. To view their full list of goodsaccepted, and for the list of donationcenters and stores, visitwww.dcgoodwill.org.

BOWA HOME CLEANUP DAYSAs a thank you to the neighbors in the

communities in which we work, fromtime to time BOWA hosts Home CleanupDays. Home Cleanup Day is a great op-portunity to donate and recycle gentlyused household items, toys and cloth-ing, and dispose of any debris or otherunwanted clutter. A BOWA employeewill help folks unload their items and aGoodwill representative will be on handto accept donations and provide re-ceipts.

To find a BOWA Home Cleanup Dayin your area, please visit our http://info.bowa.com/communityblog/.

Josh Baker is founder of BOWA, learnmore at www.bowa.com.

Recycle,Reuse,Remodel

6 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ HomeLifeStyle Spring 2013 Arlington Connection ❖ HomeLifeStyle Spring 2013 ❖ 7Local Media Connection LLC ❖ www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com ❖ Local Media Connection LLC

out.”The owners requested an open

floor plan that allowed guests tomove freely between the kitchenand the backyard. “They werevery specific about how theywanted people to meander fromthe outside to the inside,”Kalmin said. “We had to relocatethe powder room so that people

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

From designing a kitchenwith a concave glass tilebacksplash to creating abackyard with a fire-

place and pool, some local homeremodelers were honoredrecently with the NationalAssociation of the RemodelingIndustry’s (NARI) 2013 RegionalContractor of the Year awards fordesign acumen. Winning projectsran the gamut from historicpreservation projects to environ-mentally conscious conceptions.

HARRY BRASWELL of HarryBraswell, Inc. in Alexandria, wasnamed Contractor of the Year inthe “Entire House $500,001 to$1,000,000” category for therenovation of a home that hadnot been updated since the1950s. “The house was outdated,too small for the family’s needs,”he said.

The renovation included akitchen outfitted with cabinet-front appliances and porcelainsinks including an apron farmsink and an island sink in a paleaqua. “That color is carriedthroughout the house,” saidproject manager GretchenBrown.

A concave glass tile backsplashsurrounds the durable, brown-toned quartzite counter. “Quartz-ite doesn’t stain easily,” saidBrown. “It is strong like granite,but is more expensive.”

The Braswell team also got anod for energy efficiency for thisproject, which was named “NARIGreen Project.” Brown noted thatthe team installed energy effi-ciency lighting and energy starappliances.

“The homeowners had specificcriteria about wanting to meet[Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design] certifica-tion because they are dedicatedto protecting the environment,”said Braswell.

CABIN JOHN, MD., BASEDfirm Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc. received kudos in the“Residential Exterior, $100,000and Over” category for a back-

yard space that includes a pooland fireplace. “The homeownerwanted four separate livingspaces in the backyard,” saidcompany spokeswoman DanielleFrye. “He wanted a dining room,a living room with a heat source,a place to sunbathe near his pooland a place to play cricket on hislawn.”

Frye said the Wilder team,which included architect GeorgeR. Bott and lead designer An-thony Wilder, developed abackyard plan that replacedovergrown grass with flagstoneand a badly worn fence withfoliage to create a sense ofprivacy. “There is a sundeck andspaces for a sofa and diningtable, but the fireplace is thefocal point,” said Frye. “We usedreally tall bamboo to shield theview from the hotel across thestreet.”

A BETHESDA HOME ADDI-TION garnered a top prize in the“Residential Addition Over$250,000” category for A.R.TDesign Build Inc. with teammember Grossmueller’s DesignConsultants, Inc.

“The client wanted to expandtheir one story house to have aseparate area for [bedrooms] andcreate a more functional firstfloor with more communalspaces, the kitchen, family room[and] dining room,” said CindyG. McClure of Grossmueller’sDesign Consultants, Inc.

The design team added a newsecond floor to the home, whichaccommodates a laundry room, amaster suite, two additionalbedrooms and a bathroom. Astair tower and cathedral foyercreate an open floor plan andconnect the first and secondlevels.

“Elements of the old house, likethe wide chimney on the frontand the contemporary 1960 stylewere played upon and accentu-ated,” said McClure. “The resultis a functional home that meetsthe needs of today’s family,remained within budget and wascompleted on time.”

FAIRFAX-BASED FIRM RJKConstruction, Inc. received top

honors in the category of “Resi-dential Addition $100,000 to$250,000” for a home in theMantua area of Fairfax County.Company president RobertKalmin says the homeowners’goal was to blend their interior

The Region’s Best Home DesignsHome LifeStyle

Local contractors get top honors forremodeling projects

This backyard oasis, designed by Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.,

Harry Brawell of Harry Braswell, Inc. in Alexandria, wasnamed Contractor of the Year in the “Entire House$500,001 to $1,000,000” category for renovating a homethat had not been updated since the 1950s. Braswell andhis team installed cabinet-front appliances and a concaveglass tile backsplash that surrounds the durable, brown-toned quartzite counter. The kitchen also features porce-lain sinks, including an apron farm sink.

and exterior spaces. “Theywanted to make their exteriorlandscaping a visual pointbecause they entertain a lot,” hesaid. “The windows act as muralsto the exterior landscaping bringthe outdoors in and the indoors

are able to use the restroomwithout having to go anywhereelse.”

An abundance of windowsallows natural light to flowthroughout the home. “Thekitchen has red oak flooring andother colors and finishes thatcompliment the natural sceneryoutside,” said Kalmin.

A MCLEAN KITCHEN byBOWA took top honors in the“Residential Kitchen Over$120,000” category. Thehomeowners were looking to

create a free-flowing, light-filledspace.

“Their kitchen was not as openas they would have liked,” saidJosh Baker, founder and co-chairman of BOWA. “Theywanted to make it more inte-grated and useful for the family.”

To accommodate a largerkitchen, the design team, which

“The key to a successful project is findinga person or company that youcommunicate very, very well with andwhose process is in line with how you liketo do business.”

— Josh Baker, founder and co-chairman of BOWA

included BOWA’s George Hodges-Fulton, built an addition andadded a sitting room, screenedporch and additional windows toallow an abundance of naturallight to stream into the space.The new kitchen also included abutler’s pantry and a familydining area.

What is the key to turningone’s home into an award-winning, showcase house? Baker,who founded BOWA with hiscollege friend Larry Weinberg,says an open dialogue is essentialto a successful remodeling

project. “The key is finding aperson or company that youcommunicate very, very well withand whose process is in line withhow you like to do business,” hesaid. “This is a customer servicebusiness. It is not just a construc-tion business. The entire processis important, not just the endresult.”

Photos courtesy of NARI


pose suite that serves as both an exerciseroom and guest accommodation.

“The built-ins with closets flank eitherside of a new Murphy bed — one exclu-sively for guest use,” Nusbaum said. “Wealso made the laundry room more func-tional and added a full bath with handi-capped access.”

Meanwhile, Nusbaum mainly uses theremade lower level daily for her daily tread-mill workouts: “It’s a real luxury having somany useful things exactly where you wantthem.”

JUST BLOCKS AWAY, Steve and DianePiper purchased a circa 1980s Colonial afew years ago, pleased with the home’slovely wooded setting, but keenly awarethat original builder-grade kitchen hadnever been improved in 30 years.

“The rear of the house was designed as agreat room with a kitchen and designatedbreakfast nook that segues to a family roomwith a brick hearth. There’s also a sizableback porch along the rear of the house,which you had to access from the familyroom,” Diane Piper said.

“Our goal was not simply to improve theamenities, but to really develop a betterrear-house circulation plan — one that con-

fers privacy where needed, and also makesit easier to take advantage of the porch.”

Piper said several comparatively simplechanges implemented by Foster made all thedifference. A food preparation island, sup-planting the existing U-shaped counter,makes it easier for Piper to both cook and

entertain. Better yet, the wet bar room di-vider between the kitchen and family roomgives the area around the hearth a sense ofintimacy while retaining sightlines.

Relocating the door to the kitchen-sideof the wet bar has also coaxed the backporch into the home’s mainstream.

“The wet bar is a significant step-saver,”Piper said. “The whole back of the house ismuch better rationalized.”

And success breeds success. The Piperswere, in fact, so pleased with the kitchen,they pressed on with a master bathroomupgrade less than a year later and lastmonth remodeled the first floor powderroom in a plan that includes a Mediterra-nean-style foot bath ringed in glass andmosaic tiling.

The artfully-executed first floor facility —planned with an assist from FosterRemodling Solutions designer Sarah Wolf— includes a vessel basin with exposed cop-per piping, marble floors and a cofferedceiling with concealed lights.

The Pipers — who often travel interna-tionally — say the foot bath is a pleasantconvenience in the summer when they areoften wearing sandals.

“I wouldn’t say it adds anything to theresale value,” Diane Piper said, “but thenwe do plan to be in this house for at leastanother ten years.”

ON A SIMILAR NOTE, Vienna residentKelly Grems has executed four remodeling

Demand for Incremental ImprovementsFrom Page 3

HomeLifeStyle

The elevated sunroom faces north, with sunrise on the right and sunsetto the left m — a perfect spot to enjoy beautiful woodland light.

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See Demand, Page 9

The custom vanity in the Pipermaster bath was designed to bringspecific personal items close athand while maintaining the foot-print of the original bath.


projects with Foster startingwith a kitchen addition in2003.

“We bought the house in1995 when I was pregnant,”Grems said. “My husband[Ed] and I had been living ina much smaller house inMaryland, but envisioned atraditional home that wouldoffer our growing family lotsof useful activity areas.”

A kitchen with a sizablebreakfast room was the firstitem on the wish list, an as-signment complicated by thefact that the home’s rear el-evation backs into a wood-land set-aside and a precipi-tous drop.

“The ground level deckingwas already in place,” Gremssaid, “but David showed us aplan for an elevated break-fast room extension built onpilings that wouldn’t requirea ground level foundation.Turns out, this solution cre-ated a welcome canopy forthe ground level patio. And it was also a more sen-sible, economical choice for us at the time.”

Grems said her first step was handing Foster a fileof articles on kitchen interiors she had clipped fromSouthern Living; the Foster design staff then tookover from there, helping the couple visualize designideas with the aid of a computer program. The teamalso provided an array of relevant finish work op-tions, mostly pointing to readily available consider-ations on display in the company’s showroom.

“The selection and pricing process was transpar-ent, and really anticipated what we needed,” Gremssaid. “When you’re as busy as we are, you really ap-

Demand for Incremental Improvements

HomeLifeStyle

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The custom wetbar effectively separates the chef’s activity zone from the hearth-sidesitting area. It’s also convenient to the porch, the kitchen and the family room.

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The Pipers’ new powder roomincludes a Mediterranean-style footbath ringed in glass and mosaictiling.

preciate this quality of sup-port.”

Apart from budget consid-erations, Grems said takinga pause between projects al-lowed the couple to pay moreattention to how the familyis actually using the house,and to develop ideas thatwork or everyone.

The recently completedfamily room upgrade didn’tbecome an immediate actionplan, for instance, becausethe family design processwere fomenting slowly —again starting with magazinearticles and other sources.

“Frankly, we’re particular;we let the basic interior de-sign come to us piece bypiece, then we collaboratewith professionals” she said.

In the end, Foster design-ers created interior eleva-tions that bear no resem-blance to the original.

The half-brick floor-to-ceil-ing backwall was replaced byperfectly symmetrical built-

ins, crown molding and an elevated hearth with amarble surround and Edwardian-style mantle.

“It’s an entirely different mood from the sun room,”Grems said, “and perfectly satisfies another dimen-sion of our lifestyle.”

Staff at Foster Remodeling Solutions periodicallyoffer workshops on home improvement topics at theLorton showroom. Call 703-550-1371 or visitwww.FosterRemodeling.com Foster also maintains anAlexandria facility in the @Home Real Estate Loungeand Design Center on north Alfred St. Call 703-791-1167 or visit www.AtHomeDCMetro.com.


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In January 2013, 132 Arlington homes

sold between $1,500,000-$75,000.

Address ................................. BR FB HB ... Postal City .... Sold Price .... Type ....... Lot AC .. PostalCode .......... Subdivision ........... Date Sold

1 1719 BARTON ST ................. 5 .. 4 . 1 .... ARLINGTON .... $1,500,000 .... Detached .... 0.13 ........ 22201 ............. LYON VILLAGE ........... 01/15/13

2 1730 HARRISON ST N ........... 5 .. 4 . 1 .... ARLINGTON .... $1,332,100 .... Detached .... 0.22 ........ 22205 ............. LARCHMONT ............ 01/04/13

3 5934 14TH ST N ................... 5 .. 4 . 1 .... ARLINGTON .... $1,265,000 .... Detached .... 0.17 ........ 22205 ............... WESTOVER ............. 01/31/13

4 4125 26TH RD N .................. 6 .. 4 . 1 .... ARLINGTON .... $1,120,000 .... Detached .... 0.23 ........ 22207 ........... LORCOM GROVE ......... 01/25/13

5 1137 JOHNSON ST N ............ 4 .. 3 . 1 .... ARLINGTON .... $1,100,000 .... Townhouse . 0.07 ........ 22201 .. BROMPTONS@CLARENDON . 01/24/13

6 2207 19TH CT N ................... 4 .. 3 . 2 .... ARLINGTON .... $1,097,621 .... Townhouse . 0.04 ........ 22201 ............. LYON VILLAGE ........... 01/18/13

7 1213 VERNON ST N .............. 4 .. 4 . 0 .... ARLINGTON .... $1,090,000 .... Detached .... 0.19 ........ 22201 ............... BALLSTON .............. 01/04/13

8 888 QUINCY ST #2104 .......... 2 .. 2 . 1 .... ARLINGTON .... $1,065,000 .... Hi-Rise 9+ Floors ........ 22203 .... RESIDENCES@LIBERTY CT .. 01/31/13

9 3920 8TH ST S ..................... 5 .. 3 . 1 .... ARLINGTON .... $1,035,000 .... Detached .... 0.20 ........ 22204 .......... ALCOVA HEIGHTS ........ 01/15/13

10 3335 RANDOLPH ST N .......... 5 .. 5 . 0 .... ARLINGTON .... $1,020,000 .... Detached .... 0.42 ........ 22207 ..... BROYHILL FOREST/HILLS ... 01/11/13

11 1615 QUEEN ST N #M407 ..... 2 .. 2 . 0 .... ARLINGTON .... $1,005,000 .... Mid-Rise 5-8 Floors ...... 22209 ... WOOSTER&MERCER LOFTS . 01/24/13

Copyright 2013 RealEstate Business Intelligence. Source: MRIS as of January 15, 2013.

Arlington REAL ESTATEArlington REAL ESTATEJanuary 2013 Top Sales

Photos by Louise Krafft/The Connection

1 1719 Barton Street— $1,500,000

2 1730 Harrison Street North — $1,332,100

4 4125 26thRoad North —$1,120,000

5 1137 Johnson Street North — $1,100,0007 1213 Vernon Street North — $1,090,000

10 3335 Randolph Street North —$1,020,000


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Home LifeStyle

By John Byrd

For The Gazette

Challenging times demand cre-ative thinking — so you don’thave to look far to findhomeowners executing remod-

eling projects with far-reaching objectives.Take, for instance, the case of Mary and

Harry Warren of Mount Vernon, both intheir mid-70s.

Scrolling back a few years, the Warrenswhere weighing various retirement optionswhen they learned that their daughter andthree grandchildren would be moving backto Virginia from the midwest and might beamenable to participating in a three-gen-eration household.

“There was really a lot for us to consider,”said Mary Warren. “Harry and I thought thatif we expanded the house to incorporate theextended family, we could eventually passit on to the next generation. We could alsomake some changes that would help us tomove around as we get older.”

On the other hand: the more the Warrensscrutinized the existing property, the morethey wondered if their vision was even fea-sible.

FOR STARTERS, at 1,500 sq. ft., the three-bedroom split-level the couple had occupiedsince 1994 was neatly centered on a smalllot in a neighborhood with strictly observedset-back requirements.

To provide all three generations with thenecessary space and privacy, the Warrensfigured they would have to increase usableliving space by 40 percent or more.

A carefully planned addition along theproperty’s western side offered promisingpossibilities. But even if you could find theneeded lot space, the floorplan configura-tion that would satisfy everyone’s privacyrequirements remained elusive.

It was at this juncture that the Warrensturned to Craig Durosko, founder and prin-cipal of Sun Design Remodeling.

“The program was certainly tricky,”Durosko said. “The Warrens wanted a func-tionally independent suite that would in-clude a luxury bath, lots of custom built-

transitional zones suitable for easy every-day interaction.

TO ACCOMMODATE the elder Warrens,Durosko and team designed a 650 sq. ft.wing adjacent to a newly formed rear court-yard. The perfectly-integrated one-leveladdition features two large bedrooms, amaster bath and large reach-in closets. Aformer family room now serves as thecouple’s sitting room.

By extension, Meg and the grandchildreninherit sleeping quarters in the existing bed-room wing — a configuration of rooms thataffords everyone with the sufficient conve-nience and living space. Both families sharethe newly upgraded kitchen.

The makeover also allowed the Warrensto introduce a number of Universal Designfeatures. Hallway widths in the new winghave been expanded to 44”; doors are 34”wide — compliant with American Disabili-ties Act requirements. The rear entrancehas, likewise, been designed to accommo-date a ramp, should a wheelchair be re-quired in the future.

“We’re just thinking ahead,” Mary War-ren said.

More recently, Mindy Mitchell — SunDesign’s certified Aging-In-Place Specialist— followed Universal Design principals inrenovating the original circa 1960s kitchen.Revisions included removing unneededwalls, widening doors and hallways andintroducing roll-out cabinets with drawerpulls. There’s also task lighting, easily ma-neuvered faucets and a multi-level islandsuitable for standing or sitting.

“The new kitchen feels significantly ex-panded, yet it’s very efficiently designed —a great solution for a family like ours,” saidMary Warren. “The changes have made lifeeasier for everyone.”

All in the Family With solid planning and skillful remodeling,seniors convert personal residence into amulti-generational household.

The multi-generational solution introduced by Sun Design Remodelingincludes a one level seniors wing supplemented by a sitting area thatexits through French doors to the newly formed courtyard. Hallways anddoors in the new section are wheelchair friendly.

Initially, the Warrens were not sure if the existing three-bedroom splitlevel could be converted to a larger home accommodating their newplans.

ins and interior design improvements. Ourthought was: if we could satisfy this require-ment from the ground up, Meg and thegrandchildren could take over half of theexisting house as their own wing.”

“We particularly liked the considerationto everyone’s privacy needs,” Mary Warren

said. “Their plan allows for independencewhere you want it.”

Thus, stripped to its essentials, Durosko’ssolution called for converting the three-bed-room split-level into a five bedroom two-level structure that provides the Warrenswith private quarters, yet also incorporates

MoreSun Design Remodeling frequently sponsors

workshops on specific remodeling topics as wellas tours of recently remodeled homes. Headquar-tered in Burke, the firm recently opened asecond office in McLean. Call 703-425-5588 orvisit .www.SunDesignInc.com.

Photos by Bryan Burris Photography

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