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Tear down and reconstruct from scratch? Restructure and renovate? Or rebuild portions or zones of a home? What way is the right way when considering renovations? It depends.
Most homeowners have a mental list of must-haves and maybes when it comes time to remodel, says Bruce Bowers, president of Bowers Design Build Inc., who has been remodeling and building in the Virginia area for 15 years. But most owners have a hard time putting those visions into words or down on paper. This wasn’t the case with Ann and Jeff.
After living in their stucco-style home for seven years, the couple knew what worked, what didn’t, and what they had to have. “When we first met with Ann and Jeff, Ann had a sketch of what she wanted. She’s very talented,” Bruce says. So the builder collaborated with the homeowners to determine how to take the bones of the original 1940s split rambler, and the owners’ suite and garage of the 1980s remodel, and give Ann and Jeff the guest room, home office, and bedroom suites they wanted. Taking it from an outdated floor plan to a Tuscan treasure meant the builder and the owners had to be in the zone, or in this case, three zones.
Initially Speaking
“Bruce often asks homeowners on the initial visit, ‘when your guests walk into your home, how do you want them to feel?’ ” says Wilma Bowers, co-owner of Bowers Design Build Inc. With an appreciation for what homeowners go through when they renovate because Bruce and Wilma have completed three major home renovations in the last 10 years on their own homes, Bruce listens to clients’ desires and needs as the first step in the home design and build process.
“Our designs are about our clients,” Bruce says. “We want to reorganize the current space before making the home bigger,” if possible. The designs have to be practical and functional with a sense of coziness and importance. Bruce might ask, “How is the room going to be used and furnished? How does the light from the windows affect what’s in the room? How can views and wall space be maximized – where can built-ins, nooks, and window seats be added?” It’s all about how clients live their lives, he says.
“Residents often know what works and what doesn’t after living in a home a number of years,” Bruce adds. It’s a matter of defining all the steps to get to that point.
Savor the Flavor
Bruce will ask, “What style or flavor of home do you want?” For Ann and Jeff, the answer was easy – keep it the same. “Lock in the karma,” Ann told him, which Bruce did by taking the existing Mediterranean stucco-style exterior and interior and carrying it through to the new portions of the home. Bruce expanded on that theme and rebuilt the home for their lifestyles.
The house became three zones, Bruce says, with the main level “public” spaces, a few steps up to bedroom suites, and the top floor office and guest bedroom. The unique handle on the entry door hints at what’s behind it, including a gracious new foyer with natural light, art niches, and a low boot nook. “I initially pictured the stairwell in a different location,” Ann says. But after seeing Bowers’ drawings, Ann knew they were right to suggest that the stairs be near the foyer. The English Hall Lantern from Gore Dean reflects light on the French limestone flooring from Perchance to Dream and the new oak staircase by Superior Floors LLC. The owners also used 6” rustic-grade cherry flooring in the bedrooms and the new upper level office and guest suite.
Beyond the foyer is the new gallery with triple sets of arched doors opening to the terrace, as well as a pizza oven remaining from the gallery’s former use as the kitchen. Ann collaborated with Jeff Akseizer, principal of Akseizer Design Group, for interior design advice here and in other rooms, as well as with Kathy Middleton, owner of Perchance to Dream and the previous owner of the home, for authentic Mediterranean-style accents, including windows and doors imported from France.
The lower level expanded by digging out the space under the existing garage, while stabilizing the owners’ suite above it, and adding entertainment corners, including a putting green, a billiards room, and a wine cellar installed by Mark Wilkinson of St. Vincent Wine Cellar Design. A new mudroom with a second laundry room and Bowers-designed cubbies connects the lower level with the current three-car garage, which includes a basketball hoop.
European to the Core
“The house of 1,000 arches” now has even more arched doorways, Ann says, with Bruce carrying the archways and beamed ceilings into the new kitchen and family room. They also added beams in the owners’ suite. The combination of archways, beams, and tiles works for this family, says Akseizer. “The home has an organic, natural feel to it,” he adds.
Before entering the kitchen and family room, one must pass through the former kitchen, which is now used as a gallery, where Jud Tile Ltd. in Vienna replicated terra-cotta tiles to match the existing flooring. The gallery now doubles as a banquet room for parties.
When creating the new kitchen from the former family room, Bruce and the owners wanted to establish an open central hub, but with a sense of where you were in the home. It was important to have a line of sight all the way through to outside, Bruce says. Also, the fireplace stayed in its original setting where it became the focal point of one end of the cooking center. The alcove for the salvaged Garland stove seemed like it was always there with the existing clerestory windows along the left side of the kitchen crowning the new Antique White wall cabinets with Vandyke Brown glaze and honed Seaweed granite counters.
The owners purchased unfinished cabinetry by Crystal Cabinets from Kleppinger Design Group for the center island and then had Faux Creations Inc. distress custom-blended paint to make it appear like it had been worn over time. Lisa Tureson and Patrick Kerwin of Faux Creations Inc. also restored and recreated the walls’ faux painting, incorporating glazing and stenciling techniques. Baskets taken from the former kitchen fit snugly below the island’s honed Yellow Dream granite counters, while Tech Lighting’s Hanging Wok pendants above it shed light on the central gathering room. Kohler’s brushed nickel Vinnata series faucets purchased at Ferguson Enterprises in Chantilly accent the kitchen’s two sinks. Bill Murray of Bowers Design Build Inc. was the project designer.
Marc Shaw, site manager with Bowers Design Build Inc., accompanied Ann to The Brass Knob in Adams Morgan to find the antique door for the pantry. “Marc said ‘anything’s possible,’ ” Ann says, such as finding an old light wood door she envisioned for the space. Shaw then added the glass, chicken wire, and reclaimed mail slot they also found at the salvage shop to complete the pantry door. “The kids love passing snacks through the slot,” Ann adds.This corner storage unit meets the Knotty Alder wood cabinets finished in distressed Autumn Gold surrounding the opening to the family room. The whole house stereo system installed by Tweeter in Tysons Corner complements the entertainment spaces.
Collaborative Efforts
Ann also worked closely with Middleton to expand on the Mediterranean finishes she installed in the 1980s during the home’s first remodel. The owners consulted with Middleton to match new beams with old, both in size and stain color, as well as to incorporate new mahogany doors and windows from France that replicate what was there. French placards Middleton added earlier were also repurposed throughout the home with Italian cement tiles accessorizing bathrooms.
“Kathy was my consultant and confidant through the whole project,” Ann says. “She created the mini-version of my house when she did the first remodel, bringing a little bit of Mediterranean style into the home. We basically expanded on that to fit our needs.” Middleton also designed the exterior’s hardscapes, including incorporating Italian ceramic-tile flooring along the back arches. A mosaic of Spanish tiles from the original home was removed and reinstalled along the rear of the home.
The Door’s Always Open
If clients aren’t sure if something will work in their own home and Bruce and Wilma have that component in their personal residence, then they invite the clients over to test the item, such as the beverage center installed near their kitchen, to see if the clients like it or how they might like to modify the item for their own space.
“We use our home as a model” in a sense, Bruce says, where clients are welcome to visit and get design solutions. “How do you live and how can you make living more efficient?” he asks.
For Ann and Jeff, it meant living elsewhere for a year while Bowers Design Build Inc. removed the center of their home, repurposed what they could, reconfigured rooms, and created a three-zone home to fit their lifestyles. It’s a new floor plan blended with old and new elements.
“My home has kept its family feel,” Ann says. “We’re pretty casual around here and Bruce helped us remodel a house that fits our personality and style of entertaining. Bruce made our home larger, added continuity, and most importantly kept the karma.”
