Architect Stephen Muse calls his work on this project “reconstructive surgery.” He reconfigured the floor plan and added a new wing to a 1930s center hall brick home just outside of Washington, D.C. With a neighbor on one side and parkland on the other, the original house was not designed for the site. “We reconstructed the plan to make it look like it really does belong there,” Muse says.
He began by placing the three most important ground-floor rooms on the side with the park view. To increase light in the living room, the old windows were swapped out for larger ones. The dining room was relocated from the front of the house to the rear, and a spacious family room was added to the back of the house. Three walls of windows highlight the natural setting and offer fresh, modern appeal without clashing with the home’s traditional exterior.
The owners entertain often and wanted a floor plan with open spaces and good circulation. To improve the flow at the front entry, the stairwell was moved, creating a gracious hallway. A skylight now illuminates the stairs and main body of the house.