Along, slow train whistle sounds, triggering thoughts of yesteryear as you approach the Garrett Park home of Boots Harris. In fact, the whole community – with its Town Hall, block parties, Fourth of July parades, and streets that close during snowstorms so kids can go sledding – is like something from a vintage picture postcard.
“It’s like a neighborhood from 100 years ago. It’s Mayberry – 10 minutes from downtown Bethesda,” Harris says, savoring the slice of Americana he now calls home.
When Harris, founder and owner of Discovery Galleries, bought his house in late 2004, it was dark, rundown, and a little odd. In less than two years, however, with help from friends, he’s transformed it into a charming house loaded with character and his delightfully engaging art collection.
In Need of Repair
“The first time I saw this house was a shock to my system,” says Harris, remembering the rotted floors, dreary knotty pine paneling, the awkward bathroom in the blue Formica kitchen, and the mature trees growing in front of the garage that precluded anyone from driving up the driveway unless they wanted to drive on the lawn to dodge the trees.
After his initial shock, Harris called Ken Weinstein, owner of KAW Associates Inc., to confirm the feasibility of renovating the house, which was built in 1941, to meet his needs. “I wanted him to design the house so I could hang as many paintings as possible,” says Harris, who collects inspiring works by Rob Gonsalves, Tina Palmer, Joseph Michetti, and many other remarkable artists. Weinstein, Fiona Newell Weeks, owner of Fiona Newell Weeks Interiors, and Mike Rusnak, co-owner of Enhancements Inc., dramatically transformed Harris’ home both inside and out.
A Complete Makeover
“It was kind of a scary house. There was a lot of pre-existing damage we weren’t aware of until we got into the job,” says Rusnak, the builder, mentioning extensive termite and water damage they discovered and structural beams that were “sort of hanging in air.” Back to those later.
The Harris house is warm and welcoming now. For starters, Weinstein created a more pleasing curb appeal. “Originally, there was only one big gable on the front and no rhythm or cohesion across the elevation,” the architect says. He redesigned the façade by breaking up the monotonous roofline of the original residence. Four dormers and a gabled, inviting front porch were added to complement the existing elevation. He also had the red brick house painted pale yellow and accented it with pale yellow vinyl siding with a cedar-shake look.
Weinstein gave the house a complete makeover inside, too. “Originally, the house was compartmentalized as older houses tend to be,” he says. “We opened the kitchen to the old screen porch, enclosing it for a breakfast room with a pass-through effect to the dining room. Now the spaces breathe into each other. Even though the spaces are sort of small, you don’t feel that because one opens into another in an appropriate scale and fashion.”
Private Gallery
Weinstein dramatically opened what was originally the living room and is currently the dining room when he added a great room and gallery. He created one large opening that flows from the new dining area into the great room. He also created a coffered ceiling effect by replacing the existing structural beams that had been hanging by a thread and adding other beams.
A special feature with access from two sides of the great room is a gallery with wonderful views of the wooded backyard. So Harris gained all the wall space that the great room provides, plus more in the 20’ x 8’ rear gallery, pictured left.
Since he enjoys playing poker with friends on a regular basis and has done so for decades, Harris commissioned Brent Benger to create a painting of him and his poker pals, which is one of the three large paintings displayed in his home gallery.
The French doors and floor-to-ceiling windows in this gallery are enhanced by glorious striped silk chiffon sheers that alternate between muted golden, burnt orange, and sienna shades. “One of the reasons I bought the property was to see the outside, so we didn’t want to block it with curtains. We needed sheer, but I like color,” says Harris, who also selected his lighting carefully.
“Lighting is very important to me,” he says. The nine exquisite Niermann Weeks chandeliers and sconces and 138 swivel lights throughout the house prove his point. “Light puts an exclamation point on the art,” Harris adds.
An Intimate Suite
Upstairs, Weinstein substantially improved the flow from what is now the owner’s bedroom suite to the rest of the second floor by removing a back spiral staircase. Before, the stairs provided the only access to the bedroom above the garage, which felt disjointed from the rest of the house. By removing the staircase, filling in the floor, and opening a wall, the architect created a sitting room connected to the second floor and open to the owner’s bedroom. He also added a bathroom, ultimately creating a cozy bedroom suite that feels especially intimate because of the slant of the existing roofline. Harris’ big white teddy bear on the bed helps, too.
While Weinstein and Rusnak were working on the structural elements of the renovation, Weeks was working on the design. She chose yellow tones that subtly darken from the foyer through the dining room to the great room beyond.
Reflecting a Colorful Personality
“Finding the right way to give Boots’ home warmth, show off his extensive art collection, and reflect his dynamic personality came easily. We had to use a warm color palette that complemented all of those requirements,” Weeks says. But when Harris saw the first coat of paint on the walls of the empty house, he called her in a panic.
“I raced over, worried that I had misjudged the outcome. By the time I arrived, the paint had dried and the whole place glowed,” Weeks says. “I assured Boots that the art would anchor the space and encouraged him to have the painters continue. By the next day, he was in love with the color.”
Harris learned to trust her judgment. “Fiona and I agreed on 90 percent of everything. It was so easy it was amazing. She helped me choose colors, moldings, fabrics,” he says. One thing they didn’t agree on, however, was the roof. “I picked a roof that was light brown. She turned to me and said, ‘It looks like an old man’s trousers.’ “ Harris acquiesced and bought the flecked black and brown asphalt shingles Weeks suggested.
The house, which sits on a beautiful acre of flat, wooded land, has another new feature – an upstairs deck where Harris can relax outside on warm evenings, feel the balmy breezes, and listen to the sound of that train whistle every hour.
