says the CEO, explaining that the main entry opens to the bedroom level, requiring guests to go downstairs to the public rooms.
When they bought it, the house lacked a connection between its
terraces and the majestic parkland below. It was too dark, the
kitchen needed work and there was no family room—a must for
the twosome, who had their first child on the way.
Fortunately, they had already assembled a crack design team.
Architect Scarlett Breeding; Washington interior designer Helen
Sullivan; Bret Anderson, president of Pyramid Builders; and landscape architect Kevin Campion had collaborated on either the
owners’ post-fire rebuild, their remake of a getaway home on the
Chesapeake Bay or both projects. In 2010, these design pros were
tasked with adapting this newly acquired home to fit the clients’
functional needs and aesthetic while preserving the old-home
character that made it so special.
Initially, the conversation focused on adding a family room, but
the program evolved into something a bit more ambitious. First, a
comprehensive renovation upgraded the existing house, including
complete makeovers of the kitchen and bathrooms. Next, Scarlett
Breeding masterminded an addition that would remedy many of the
home’s shortcomings without overwhelming its beguiling façade.
Built into the slope to the left of the main entry, the now-complete, three-story addition is accessible via a small front pavilion.
From here, a stairway and an elevator lead down to a light-filled
courtyard. Guests then arrive at a glass-enclosed entryway that
connects the old and new wings of the house.
To the left of the entry, the addition unfolds. A large, comfortable family room invites visitors to curl up on a sofa and enjoy the
On the north side of the house, a
stone stairway with a rustic water
feature (above) leads into the newly
revamped kitchen (right). Its clean-lined,
modern design combines a limestone
backsplash, concrete countertops
and steel-blue painted cabinetry. In
the existing dining room (top), Helen
Sullivan re-purposed furniture, a rug
and antique mirrors from the owners’
previous home. The Valley Craftsmen
applied Venetian plaster to all walls in
the house, as well as the kitchen ceiling.
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