Somerset Pop-up in Chevy Chase, Maryland
Project Overview
Our clients are working professionals in the DC area with two young children. They wanted to remodel their existing one-story with a walk-out basement into a two-story home with a primary suite upstairs, a much larger kitchen and dining area for entertaining, and an in-law suite downstairs. Of particular interest was creating the feeling of a serene natural getaway, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. The homeowners’ well-maintained collection of houseplants feel right at home in this top-to-bottom remodel filled with natural tones and minimally processed finishes, with tall windows looking out to terraced landscaping leading to the forested creek behind the house.
Design + Layout
The old master suite was situated on the first floor, taking up a great deal of the floorplan, and leaving little space for the kitchen and living areas. As our clients needed a good deal more square footage and privacy for their main suite, we elected to add a second story which would house the main suite, a long, spacious walk-through closet, and a home office/art studio. Making this their forever home necessitated accommodations for their whole family, from kids to grandparents. Therefore, we finished the previously dark and dated wood-paneled basement into a bright and comfortable in-law suite, living area, additional office, and wet bar, complete with a large awning window opening to serve drinks to guests on the walk-out terrace.
Style + Finishes
Our clients wanted a crisp modern look, but one that also embraced the natural materials they wanted to invite inside. In the kitchen, clean sliding glass panel doors create a physical enclosure that lets through all the light from the rear windows. A two-tone, white oak and macadamia cabinet scheme cleaves to the neutral palette. A textured fern wallpaper in the mudroom brings a pleasing character to the small room, and is duplicated as an accent wall in the main suite upstairs. More windows line the back wall of the bedroom, looking out to the forest, and a skylight in the adjoining main bathroom washes the space with sunlight. Round porthole-style windows throughout the home add to the sense of peering out into a hidden, sun-dappled world.