Home Addition in Chevy Chase, Maryland
Project Overview
A fair amount our home additions and full remodels are in Chevy Chase, Bethesda Maryland, and elsewhere in Montgomery County. Larger lots allow homeowners to not only renovate the interior of the house, but expand the footprint. In this case, the plan was to come up with a new design for the home that included a kitchen and great room, as well as a master suite. Of all our home addition and remodeling requests, this is by far the most common. The clients wanted to stay in the home during construction, and therefore we phased the remodel completing the kitchen and powder bathroom first and the master suite as phase two.
Design and Layout
The basic solution was simple – (as it often is in the freestanding homes that cover most of the suburbs in Montgomery County) – extend the rear of the house with a remodeled kitchen on the first floor and the master bedroom and master bathroom on the second floor. More challenging was designing the home addition so as not to overshadow the existing house due to the grade change on the lot. In addition, the Town of Chevy Chase has zoning restrictions that apply and are often stricter than what is required for a remodel in Montgomery County generally. The kitchen ended up completely in the new addition with the butler’s pantry and powder room in the old house. The most efficient layout for the kitchen ended up being a single row of cabinetry against one wall with an island with seating. The second floor occupied a smaller footprint, with a gabled roof and dormers on both sides to provide adequate headroom. To achieve a connection with the rear yard, French doors and floor to ceiling windows were installed at the back of the addition.
Style and Finishes
Because much of the original home remained untouched, the challenge was creating a space that felt updated but didn’t stick out as being “stuck on”. White oak flooring matched the original flooring, and was finished to match. The kitchen cabinetry used a neutral grey, with honed absolute black granite for a countertop. The clients opted for a recessed panel cabinet door to achieve a transitional feel. Upstairs, the master bath in the addition used classic marble for the wall tile, a neutral grey for the floor, and blue cabinetry to give it some life. The newly remodeled hall bath used the same color palette.
Construction and Final Product
Our biggest challenge during construction was planning the schedule so as to both be efficient, and to allow the clients to stay in their home while the addition was being built and the interior remodeled. Additionally, like many older homes in Chevy Chase, Washington DC, and Bethesda, the original walls were built with terra cotta blocks which do not have the same bearing capacity as traditional masonry. When creating a large opening to connect the original home with the newly built addition, the load is either picked up with steel posts going down to the footing, or spread out with concrete inserted in place of the terra cotta tile. One of the challenges in building a home addition is prioritizing and scheduling materials order and deliveries. Because we had plenty of time to plan, everything came in on time.
What the Customer Said
“We have had a wonderful experience with Four Brothers LLC. We renovated our 1920s tudor home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, extending the kitchen and adding a second floor extension, along with bathrooms. The architects did an incredible job of maintaining the integrity and tudor style of our home. In addition to the beautiful design, they were able to make modifications to our roof line and gutter system to correct drainage issues. We could not have been happier with the execution of the project. Everyone who worked at our home renovation was courteous and respectful — making the entire process run smoothly. We were also regularly informed and updated on the progress of the project — and were informed of the budgetary considerations. All of our concerns were addressed immediately. We couldn’t be happier with the end result and would gladly recommend them for a large home addition (like ours) or smaller projects.”