The existing 2-story home, situated on a corner lot in Brookland, had been an electrical facility in the past. The original entrance to the home, which was centered along the main long façade, had been abandoned and closed-in, and a 1-story addition on the north side of the house served as an entry and a main bedroom. The house had 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths, with a stair connecting the floors that was on the opposite side of the house from the entry door. The original brick structure appears as a one story structure with dormers that provide light and air to the original 2 bedrooms on the second floor.
The floor plan of the original home was awkward; the entry hall was shallow and unimpressive, and the main stair to the 2nd floor was on the opposite site of the house from the main entry door. In the new addition, a large entry hall provides a connection between the existing house and the new spaces, with a proper stairway visible directly upon entry. A powder room was tucked into the space under the new stair. A main suite is set off of the entry hall with walk in shower and large walk in closets. At the top of the open stair are two new bedrooms and a new shared bath. While the rooms in the original house remained largely intact, one of the bedrooms was opened up to connect to the addition on the second floor.
The main challenge of the new addition, in place of the existing addition, was to create a new, well-marked entry way, and to add 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a new stair, without the addition overpowering the brick structure which was to remain. The main façade o f the addition continues the look of a 1-story structure with dormers in the roof; however, the new addition appears slightly more modern, with a metal roof, larger window openings and a large metal dormer at the back that allows for more vertical clearance in these rooms.
Photography © old city design studio
