White House Spotlights Innovative Financing for Resilience

A recent White House Forum on Smart Finance for Disaster Resilience looked at strategies for incentivizing pre-disaster mitigation and innovative financing options – and gave NAHB a chance to emphasize that any solutions be based on sound science and ensure that consumers can still afford to get a mortgage. The forum was a follow-up to […]

BALA Deadline Extended to Sept. 7

If anyone understands that a successful project takes time, it’s the builders, designers, architects and land planners behind today’s most amazing homes and communities. So we’re giving you even more time to submit your best work to the 2016 NAHB Best in American Living Awards: The deadline has been extended to Sept. 7.

Homes that Take 1st Place with Grade 1

The ICC/ASHRAE 700-2015 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) was released in March. This post is the fifth in a series of eight that will examine what’s different in this new edition – and what’s changed in the world of sustainable construction since the 2012 NGBS. This week: Updates to Energy Efficiency.

Credit Conditions Ease for Builders in 2nd Quarter

NAHB’s quarterly survey of builders and developers revealed that credit conditions for acquisition, development and single-family construction loans were easier in the second quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter.

Apply Today for SAFE Awards

Applications are now open for the SAFE Awards, honoring jobsite safety programs that go the extra step to protect employees.

FHA Extends Condo Project Approval Policy

The Federal Housing Administration has announced it will extend its temporary condominium project approval policy provisions without changes until Aug. 31, 2017.

Making Zero Energy Equal a Perfect 10

Zero-energy homes, also known as net-zero homes, produce as much energy as they consume on an annual basis, sometimes producing more energy from solar panels, wind power, or other sources. These homes are far from mainstream, but home builders like South Carolina’s Todd Addison, guest writer for this blog post, are leading the race to get them there.

Hiding the Toilet with a Bathroom Remodel

Of course, every bathroom needs a toilet. But what you often want to avoid when you are remodeling a bathroom is making the toilet into a centerpiece. In this quick guide, we go over some modern ways to make your toilet a less prominent feature in your bathroom remodel.  

Partitions

Try adding in a partition that separates the toilet from the rest of the bathroom, if only a little. This may mean a low wall between the cabinetry and the toilet. You may have a thin storage shelve separating the toilet. A decorative partition adds a nice touch. Or you might consider an angled wall that reveals your bath and shower but manages to hide the majority of your toilet.

Subtlety

There are actually many types of toilets available today that are much less intrusive in your design plan. One thing you might look into is finding a toilet close in color to your décor. This way, it seems to fit in just right—rather than only serving as a necessity placed in wherever it fit.

There are toilets that appear to be mounted onto the wall, with the tank and plumbing components hidden from view behind it. This is an excellent option for a bathroom with a modern minimalist design. It won’t take up so much space or detract from the design.

Distraction

When other features of the bathroom are more eye-catching, the toilet can be nearly unnoticeable. Part of the draw in your bathroom may actually be the partition separating out your toilet. Then there are mosaic options for tiling, adding in feature walls that catch the eye, or just a decorative light that draws attention.

Advanced Builders & Contractors has licensed and bonded contractors offering bathroom remodeling service in Bel Air and throughout the area. Call our friendly team today!

NAHB Senior Officers Discuss Arbitration Agreements with CFPB Director

NAHB Senior Officers met with Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Richard Cordray on Aug. 23 to air concerns over a proposed rule by the agency regarding arbitration agreements.

Clinton Releases Plan to Help Small Businesses

In another sign that issues of importance to the housing community are gaining traction in the 2016 election campaign, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has unveiled a plan to make starting a small business “as easy as setting up a lemonade stand in the front yard.”

Learn Everything About Whole House Remodeling Practices from Mega Builders

Nowadays, people are not buying new place to stay, but getting their old place remodeled. It helps in saving a lot of money, and can further provide you with the best strategies, around here. You can remodel the place just as you have wanted. On the other hand, with us, at Mega Builders, you are about to get some guidance in whole house remodeling practices. These remodeling ideas are always for those people, who want to add something new and unique to their sectors.

With our well-trained and experienced home builders in Los Angeles, it will not be difficult for you to deal with the finest home remodeling tips and guidance. If you are a newbie in this sector and want some remodeling ideas, go through our gallery section, for help. We believe, seeing is everything. Therefore, in our gallery sections, we have posted some of our previous works, for you. Being the guest, you have every right to talk with our previous clients as well, to know what they feel about our services and us.

Always be sure of your requirements and per-set a budget first, before joining hands with us. Let us help you in the finest remodeling services, as we would like to provide you with the utmost service. In case, you are looking for Complete Home Remodel service, it will definitely cost you more, than remodeling a part of your house. You just need to call us immediately, and we would like to solve all your queries, in no time, for sure

Mega Builders One of Best Home Remolding & Construction Company in Los Angeles, CA

You cannot deny the importance of construction company Los Angeles, can you, especially if you are willing to change the plans of your place. Well, the old place might have some emotional sentiments attached to it, but it’s time for you to change some parts of it. A few bits of remodeling service can help in providing a completely new look to your place. You can easily make your peers go green with jealousy and help you with the best strategies, ever. With our team from Mega Builders, you will never have to think about the constructional services. We are always there to help you!

Whether you are looking for partly remodeling services or complete remodeling project, contact our experts for help. We have been associated with this construction in Los Angeles industry for years now, and have used our experience and skill in satisfy our client’s needs. Other than some standard designs, we have even tried some customized services for our customers. We will never leave your side, unless you are satisfied with the result, we have in store for you.

We will only start on your project, after procuring a green node from your side. The best part is that, we believe in remodeling your place from the core, to give it a completely new shine and look. Well, thanks to the experts over here, we can tear down and rebuild your house now, for providing it with a great approach. Call up our experts now, and let us fulfill your dreams now!

Obtain Bathroom Remodeling Los Angeles from us at Mega Builders

You are in love with your house, as it has some sentimental values, with it. But, you need to change the small and cramped bathroom. You want to add a bathtub, and change the interior look with new tiles and mirror placements. For that, you are advised to take help of reliable professionals around here. They are trained in offering you with the finest Bathroom remodeling Los Angeles services, without asking for a hefty amount. With us, at Mega Builders, you do not have to worry about the money, as we would love to offer services within cost-effective rates. We are proud to offer help to the masses, and not that particular sector of the society.

Just like designing your bathroom, you can rely on our experts for kitchen design los angeles. These designs are just amazing and can offer you with the rightful service, you have been looking for. You can always rely on us for help, as we know the right kind of kitchen designs you have been looking for. The bathroom remodeling service or the kitchen designs will need a lot of patience and art work. Well, with us, you do not have to think about it, at all!

We know that Kitchen remodeling Los Angeles is vast, and there are so many packages involved in it. If you want to learn about it, and try out some of your unique ideas, we are all ears. Just grab the first chance and call us up, and discuss in details about your project, with us, and let us turn it into reality!

‘Building an Appetite’ Needs You

At the NAHB Midyear Board of Directors meeting earlier this month, Kathy MacDonald gave an impassioned presentation about the importance of the Building an Appetite cookbook project — and why you should submit your favorite recipes today.

A New Normal

An unusual home sits atop a hill in a neighborhood of ramblers, with a forested hillside as its backdrop. Located on two acres, the dynamic, modern structure belongs to Ed Slattery and uniquely reflects his life and vision.
The home’s story began six years ago when a trucker, asleep at the wheel, barreled into the car Slattery’s wife was driving; the couple’s two sons, Peter, 16, and Matthew, 12, were also in the vehicle. Sadly, Susan was killed and both boys badly injured. But while Peter recovered, Matthew sustained severe injuries that resulted in cognitive and visual disabilities. Henceforth, he would need to rely on a wheelchair for mobility. The family’s lives were changed forever.
Matthew endured six months in a coma before he was well enough to come home. His father began to consider how to create a space that would make his son’s life the best it could be; Ed’s sister has cerebral palsy, so he already understood the needs of a wheelchair user. “I wanted a house where Matthew could go everywhere and do whatever he wanted to do,” Slattery says. “I knew what the requirements were.”
After purchasing a lot in Timonium, Slattery, a retired economist, tapped Alter Urban Design Collaborative to create a universally accessible home that would also address another goal dear to his heart: sustainability. John Coplen and partners John Sage and Adam Bridge enthusiastically enlisted, making universal design the main priority but designing the project through a highly energy-efficient lens.
“A big goal was that the house not feel institutional,” says Coplen. “Matthew had spent enough time in hospitals; he needed something functional but beautiful.”
Alter Urban envisioned an open, wheelchair-friendly floor plan. An abundance of wood appealed to Ed’s rustic sensibility; the rest of the design is clean-lined and modern. A simple material palette includes cedar-paneled walls and ceilings, Douglas fir beams, accent walls of reclaimed barn wood and concrete floors with inlaid carpets that delineate living areas. “We thought about how universal design elements address different issues,” Coplen comments. “For Matthew’s impaired vision, we offered bright colors and changes in patterns and surfaces that help orient him in each space.”
Twelve-inch baseboards protect the walls from bumps and cantilevered built-ins accommodate wheels. Pocket doors and swing-away hinges ensure wheelchair movement from room to room, and push buttons at the front and back entries and on his chair allow Matthew to open doors. The design also leveled the steeply sloped property enough so an all-terrain wheelchair would be able to navigate it.
In the kitchen, shelves and a convection cooktop can be raised and lowered at the touch of a button while a low-hung second sink allows Matthew to wheel up to it. All the bathrooms are universally designed; Matthew’s features a harness that helps him get in and out of the walk-in tub on his own. Down the hall from his bedroom, an indoor resistance pool with an underwater treadmill beckons.
The home consists of four volumes. The center one, housing the public spaces, is protected by cedar planks that provide a rain screen about two inches away from the exterior walls. “It’s a shade structure that creates a cooler pocket of air,” Cop- len explains. Two flanking volumes are clad in white HardiPlank—one housing the bedrooms and garage is topped with a living roof, while the other contains guest bedrooms. In the back of the property, a three-story tower offers a quiet, meditative space with dramatic views.
In the tower, a chair lift designed by Versicor—an engineering firm run by Cop- len’s sister—calibrates weight and creates resistance to match the user’s capability. “Matthew can pull himself to the top or just use it as an elevator,” Slattery explains.
Outside, sustainable features abound. A concrete wall, created with a single pour, encloses one side of the house. It extends along the driveway in front and wraps around the tower in back. A “green screen” covers the garage in climbing vines. Solar and geothermal systems and robust insulation ensure energy efficiency. A pervious driveway absorbs runoff, and the landscape, designed by Betsy Boykin, highlights non-invasive species. In back, a patio slopes to a meadow of wildflowers.
Bisecting the green roof, a recycled- rubber path connects the upper floor of the tower and the loft, overlooking the home’s main living area. The loft was designed for Peter, who recently graduated from college. “The house had to be for Matthew,” says Slattery. “But the loft gave Peter one space that was his.”
Inspired by Matthew’s progress, Slattery, who recently remarried, launched Finding a New Normal (findinganewnor mal.com) in 2014. The foundation raises money for people who need universal accessibility for loved ones at home; John Coplen sits on the board. “My long-term goal is to surround families in crisis with the resources they need,” Slattery says. “Not everyone is as lucky as I was.” v

Photographer Rachel Sale splits her time between Washington, DC, and Los Angeles.

ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN: JOHN COPLEN, ADAM BRIDGE, AIA, and JOHN SAGE, AIA, Alter Urban Design Collaborative, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: J Paul Builders, Stevenson, Maryland. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: BETSY BOYKIN, ASLA, LEED AP, Core Studio Design, Baltimore, Maryland.LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION: Maxalea, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland.

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A view of the house from atop the concrete wall (opposite, top) reveals an extensive vegetable garden. Inside, the open living/dining area leaves plenty of room for Matthew in his wheelchair (opposite, bottom); furnishings are from Room & Board. The kitchen/dining area (this page) features a wall of reclaimed barn wood with a cedar-enclosed loft above. The dining table is from BoConcept.

The living roof boasts an herb garden and a recycled-rubber path (top, right) connecting the upper level of the concrete-clad tower (bottom) with the loft (above) that overlooks the kitchen/dining area. Inside the tower, a ladder and a chair lift (top, left) access the third level (left), where panoramic views await.

Throughout the house, rugs are inlaid into the concrete floors to assure easy movement for Matthew’s chair—even in the guest room (above, left). Like all of the home’s bathrooms, the guest bath (above) is brightly hued, with a cantilevered fir vanity and a concrete floor acid-etched in strips to create a non-slip surface. A harness on a pulley system hangs above the resistance pool (left).

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BUILD-PAC Opens War Chest for November Elections

To help advance the housing industry’s agenda on Capitol Hill, the BUILD-PAC Board of Trustees on Aug. 10 approved an additional $500,000 in contributions to federal pro-business candidates running for office this fall.

Cheers to the Top Spikes

We are recognizing the top recruiters in each region. Thank you to the individuals for recruiting the most new Builder and Associate members to our association in July.

Out & About: NKBA Masquerade Ball

JUNE 17, 2016—The Baltimore-Washington Chapter of the National Kitchen & Bath Association celebrated the NKBA’s 50th anniversary with a masquerade ball at the Top of the Town in Arlington. Guests enjoyed dramatic views of Washington landmarks across the Potomac River.

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Out & About: July/August Inside Look Party

JUNE 21, 2016—Home & Design celebrated the launch of its July/August 2016 Designers’ Issue at T.W. Perry’s Silver Spring location. Attendees perused the latest in high-end building materials throughout the inviting new showroom and mingled over drinks and appetizers.

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Design Scene: Celebrating Architecture

The AIA Northern Virginia chapter gathered on June 14 for its annual Design Awards celebration at the headquarters of LMI; the McLean, Virginia, project designed by Gensler received a jurors’ citation. A jury of Austin, Texas, architects judged the competition, which included 124 submissions. Photos of winning single-family residential projects are shown on these pages; a listing of non-residential winners follows. To view a winners’ gallery, visit aianova.org/DA16.

NON-RESIDENTIAL WINNERS

Herlong Award
• Paola One Design – POD, Arlington Independent Media – AIM,
Arlington, Virginia.

Awards of Excellence
• Bonstra | Haresign Architects, Saint Mark’s Church, Washington, DC.
• Dewberry, Modular Hospital, Western Africa.
• Gensler, The Washington Post, Washington, DC.
• Michael Winstanley Architects & Planners, Capella Hotel,
Washington, DC.
• Michael Winstanley Architects & Planners, Mullins Complex,
Louisville, Kentucky.
• SmithGroupJJR, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Brock Environmental Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• SmithGroupJJR, University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law,
Salt Lake City, Utah.

Awards of Merit
• Cunningham | Quill Architects, The Hyde, Arlington, Virginia.
• Cunningham | Quill Architects, House of Lebanon, Washington, DC. • Cunningham | Quill Architects, Tucker Hall, The College of William
& Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia.
• Cunningham | Quill Architects, Dumbarton Oaks Fellowship House,
Washington, DC.
• FOX Architects, OGSystems, Chantilly, Virginia.
• Gensler, Washington 2024 Olympic Bid Master Plan, Washington, DC.
• Hickok Cole Architects, 1772 Church Street, NW, Washington, DC.
• KGD Architecture, The Visitors Center, location undisclosed.
• McGraw Bagnoli Architects, Theta Chi Fraternity at Randolph
Macon College, Ashland, Virginia.
• SmithGroupJJR, Georgia State University, College of Law, Atlanta,
Georgia.
• SmithGroupJJR, Architectural Office Washington, DC, Washington, DC.

Jurors’ Citations
• Bonstra | Haresign Architects, The Hive | Architect’s Studio at 1728, Washington, DC.
• Bonstra | Haresign Architects, 1728 Fourteenth Street, NW,
Washington, DC.
• Dewberry, The Beacon, New York, New York.
• FOX Architects, Hudson Institute, Washington, DC.
• Gensler, LMI Headquarters, McLean, Virginia.
• Gensler, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan Jiangsu Province, China. • Grimm + Parker Architects & Hartman-Cox Architects, Francis L.
Cardozo Education Campus, Washington, DC.
• Hickok Cole Architects, Fort Totten Square, Washington, DC.
• Jacobs, United States Naval Academy Parking Structure, Annapolis,
Maryland.
• KGD Architecture, 3100 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia.
• RNL, Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation
Administration and Maintenance Facility, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
• Reader & Swartz Architects, P.C., Shenandoah Valley Discovery
Museum, Winchester, Virginia.

NON-RESIDENTIAL WINNERS

Herlong Award  • Paola One Design – POD, Arlington Independent Media – AIM, Arlington, Virginia.

Awards of Excellence • Michael Winstanley Architects & Planners, Capella Hotel, Washington, DC. • SmithGroupJJR, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Brock Environmental Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia. • Bonstra | Haresign ARCHITECTS, Saint Mark’s Church, Washington, DC. • Michael Winstanley Architects & Planners, Mullins Complex, Louisville, Kentucky. • Gensler, The Washington Post, Washington, DC. • Dewberry, Modular Hospital, Western Africa. • SmithGroupJJR, University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Awards of Merit • KGD Architecture, The Visitors Center, location undisclosed. • Cunningham | Quill Architects, The Hyde, Arlington, Virginia. • Cunningham | Quill Architects, House of Lebanon, Washington, DC. • Cunningham | Quill Architects, Tucker Hall, The College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia. • SmithGroupJJR, Georgia State University, College of Law, Atlanta, Georgia. • McGraw Bagnoli Architects, Theta Chi Fraternity at Randolph Macon College, Ashland, Virginia. • FOX Architects, OGSystems, Chantilly, Virginia. • SmithGroupJJR, Architectural Office Washington, DC, Washington, DC. • Gensler, Washington 2024 Olympic Bid Master Plan, Washington, DC. • Hickok Cole Architects, 1772 Church Street, NW, Washington, DC.• Cunningham | Quill Architects, Dumbarton Oaks Fellowship House, Washington, DC.

Jurors’ Citations • Bonstra | Haresign ARCHITECTS, 1728 Fourteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC. • Hickok Cole Architects, Fort Totten Square, Washington, DC. • Grimm + Parker Architects & Hartman-Cox Architects, Francis L. Cardozo Education Campus, Washington, DC. • Reader & Swartz Architects, P.C., Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, Winchester, Virginia. • Gensler, Duke Kunshan University, Kunshan Jiangsu Province, China. • RNL, Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation Administration and Maintenance Facility, Harrisonburg, Virginia. • KGD Architecture, 3100 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia. • Bonstra | Haresign ARCHITECTS, The Hive | Architect’s Studio at 1728, Washington, DC. • FOX Architects, Hudson Institute, Washington, DC. • Gensler, LMI Headquarters, McLean, Virginia. • Jacobs, United States Naval Academy Parking Structure, Annapolis, Maryland. • Dewberry, The Beacon, New York, New York.

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Excellence in Custom Building

Sponsored by the Maryland Building Industry Association, the annual Custom Builder Awards honor quality architecture, construction and remodeling projects in the Greater Washington, DC, area. Following is a list of all 2016 MBIA winners; Gold-Award winners are pictured here.

CUSTOM TRADITIONAL HOME  

GOLD—GTM Architects. Builder: PKK Builders. Photography: Diego Valdez. SILVER—Three Brothers Land Company. Architecture: Claude C. Lapp Architects, LLC. Photography: Real Tour Inc.

CUSTOM CONTEMPORARY HOME

GOLD—Sandy Spring Builders, LLC. Architecture: GTM Architects. Photography: Michael Kress Photography.
SILVER—Studio Z Design Concepts. Builder: Sandy Spring Builders, LLC. Photography: Marlene Dennis Designs.

CUSTOM TRANSITIONAL HOME

GOLD—Finecraft Contractors, Inc. Architecture: Thomson & Cooke Architects. Photography: Suzie Soleimani.
SILVER—Sandy Spring Builders, LLC. Architecture: GTM Architects. Photography: Michael Kress. BRONZE—Douglas Construction Group, LLC. Architecture: Claude C. Lapp Architects, LLC. Photography: Doug Monsein.

SPECULATIVE TRANSITIONAL HOME

GOLD—Carter, Inc. Architecture: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC. Photography: Melissa McGowan. SILVER—Laurence Cafritz Builders. Architecture: GTM Architects. Photography: Stu Estler. BRONZE—Jeffco. Architecture: GTM Architects. Photography: MPI.

SPECULATIVE GREEN HOME

GOLD—Mid-Atlantic Custom Builders. Architecture: Lessard Design. Photography: TruPlace.

CUSTOM HOME 3,500-5,000 square feet

GOLD—Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC. Builder: Chase Builders. Photography: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC.
SILVER—Castlewood Consulting, LLC. Architecture: James McDonald Associates Architects. Photography: Marlon Crutchfield. BRONZE—Sandy Spring Builders, LLC. Architecture: Studio Z Design Concepts. Photography: Michael Kress .

CUSTOM HOME 5,000-7,500 square feet

GOLD—Baldwin Homes, Inc. Architecture: Robert Berry Jr., AIA. Photography: Baldwin Homes, Inc. SILVER—GTM Architects. Builder: Allegheny Builders. Photography: Diego Valdez. BRONZE—Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC. Builder: Cheshire Homes. Photography: HomeVisit.

CUSTOM HOME 7,500-12,500 square feet

GOLD—Sandy Spring Builders, LLC. Architecture: GTM Architects. Photography: Michael Kress.
SILVER—Battaglia Homes, LLC. Architecture: GBL Custom Home Design Inc. Photography: Battaglia Homes, LLC. BRONZE—Washington Metropolitan Homes. Architecture: Claude C. Lapp Architects, LLC. Photography: HomeVisit.

CUSTOM HOME over 12,500 square feet

GOLD—Castlewood Consulting, LLC. Architecture: Castlewood Consulting, LLC. Photography: Marlon Crutchfield.

SPECULATIVE HOME 3,500-5,000 square feet

GOLD—Washington Metropolitan Homes. Architecture: Claude C. Lapp Architects, LLC. Photography: HomeVisit.

SPECULATIVE HOME 5,000-7,500 square feet

GOLD—Zander Homes. Architecture: Joseph Brandli. Photography: Lauren Neivod. SILVER—Castlewood Consulting, LLC. Architecture: Castlewood Consulting, LLC. Photography: TruPlace. BRONZE—Washington Metropolitan Homes. Architecture: Claude C. Lapp Architects, LLC. Photography: HomeVisit.

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Energy Bill Heads to Finish Line

The House of Representatives has passed a bill that gives the Department of Energy a more common-sense and home buyer-friendly role in the building code process. The Senate passed a version of the energy bill that doesn’t include those key reforms. NAHB needs the help of all members of the Federation to fix that.

NAHB, HBRAM Ask Court to Review MS4 Permit

With its municipal separate storm sewer system permit for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Environmental Protection Agency is coming very close to regulating the number of homes that can be built on a site, and how the roads and driveways of a project must be laid out.

Design Inspiration

Two Maryland artisans have added the craft of wallpaper design to their portfolios. Decorative painter Stacey Tranter and textile designer Victoria Larson both bring special skills and perspectives to their work.

“It was a natural progression for me,” says Tranter. “We used our faux-finishing techniques and applied them to paper instead.” Tranter’s handcrafted wallpapers rely on stencils and texturing. Her collection includes French linen- and velvet-textured papers and Gold Thistle, pictured in gold leaf.

Larson’s collection was inspired by her textile designs. Fleur de Sel is “a modern take on damask,” Larson says. “It’s hand screen-printed by Peter Fasano, a master of the process. I wanted the depth of that technique.” Three other patterns—two on grasscloth and one on paper—will be digitally printed. staceytranter.com; victoria-larson.com

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Solar Power Prices Continue Descent

Two new “state of the market” reports released Wednesday by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have found that solar energy system pricing, such as solar photovoltaic (PV), is at an all-time low.

Apartment, Condominium Markets Dip Slightly in 2nd Quarter

Despite the modest drop, this is the 18th consecutive reading in which the majority of builders and developers view market conditions to be improving.

Case Study: Supporting a Brand Through Social Media

This recent case study featured in Sales + Marketing Ideas magazine highlights one company’s social media strategy, and how it helped them turn potential buyers into loyal brand ambassadors.

Show House Splendor

For the past eight years, the DC Design House has been the premier design event of spring in Washington—until this year when it moves to the fall. The 2016 show house will take over the stately Wesley Heights home that most recently housed French Ambassador Gérard Araud while the embassy residence was under renovation.

Twenty local design teams will revamp interior and exterior spaces using a creative mix of furniture, fabrics, art and accessories. Farrow & Ball is the exclusive paint sponsor.

“Visitors will see a great mix of styles in approachable, inspiring and inviting rooms that could actually be used and enjoyed,” says one of the design advisors,  Michael Hampton of Michael Hampton Design.

Participating designers are Eve Fay, Gina Palmer, Blake Dunlevy, Jonathan Senner, Kelley Proxmire, Kimberly Asner, Josh Hildreth, Victor Sanz, Pamela Harvey, Camille Saum, Betsy Barmat Stires, Nadia N. Subaran, Megan M. Padilla, Lena Kroupnik, Victoria Sanchez, Charles Almonte, Andrea Houck, Allie Mann, Rachel Dougan, Quintece Hill-Mattauszek, Melanie Hansen, Pooja Bhagia Mittra, Steve Corbeille, Barbara Brown, Stephen Wlodarczyk and Joshua Dean.

“There’s a nice group of newer designers along with some veterans,” says DC Design House co-founder Skip Singleton. “And it’s quite a marquee house.” The five-story, seven-bedroom property is currently on the market for $10.8 million; it was designed by GTM Architects and built in 2010 by Gibson Builders.

Proceeds from the DC Design House benefit Children’s National Health System. The event has raised more than $1.5 million for the organization since 2008.

The show house is located at 2509 Foxhall Road, NW, and will be closed on Mondays. Home & Design is a media sponsor. dcdesignhouse.com

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New Rules for Drones Will Launch Aug. 29

The growing number of builders using drones on the jobsite will want to keep an eye on the new rules being issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) if they want to avoid potential fines.

Building Homes, Trade Partners In Alabama

Alabama home builders are helping high school students find careers in the trades in a program that’s paying great dividends – in both community recognition and finding the next generation of workers. “With the housing market on the upswing and the construction workforce aging, there’s an ever-increasing need for qualified, skilled tradespeople entering the home […]

Suit Seeks Protection for 417 More Animals, Plants

The Center for Biological Diversity plans to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect hundreds of animals and plants under the Endangered Species Act, which in turn limits the land available on which to build homes.

Indulgences: Travel

TROPICAL GETAWAY  Located near the Vietnamese port of Da Nang, Naman Retreat hosts guests in modern villas, some of which are clustered around an expansive pool. A full spa and on-site tai chi and yoga foster a relaxed vibe; the resort is a perfect jumping-off point to My Son Sanctuary and Marble Mountains, both World Heritage sites. From $250. namanretreat.com

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND  Designed by Jeffrey Beers International, the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel blends urban glam with industrial style, as shown in its lobby bar and guest rooms. From its digital concierge to an interactive entrance wall, technology is one of the hallmarks of this 348-room Garment District hotel. Rates from $499. renhotels.com

A STAR IS REBORN  The legendary Ritz Paris has reopened with much fanfare following a four-year renovation by the New York design firm Thierry W. Despont. The makeover preserved the property’s landmark façade and revamped the Grand Jardin. Inside, everything from the luxurious pool to Bar Hemingway has been painstakingly restored in period style. Rates from $1,345. ritzparis.com

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Indulgences: Fashion

STEP IN TIME  Tiffany’s Art Deco Watches, part of the 2016 Blue Book Collection, combine a white-gold band with precious gems. Choose among pink and blue sapphires, diamonds and emeralds. From $75,000. tiffany.com

EMERALD STYLE  Perfect for autumn soirées, CH Carolina Herrera’s Emerald green silk evening gown features a fetching bow detail. $1,150 in the designer’s CityCenterDC boutique. carolinaherrera.com

STONE AGE  In a nod to nature, Christian Louboutin’s Paloma Malachite Patent Leather Tote sports a playful, faux-stone exterior. The nine-by-nine-inch bag has double handles and a removable shoulder strap. $2,000. saksfifthavenue.com

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Indulgences: Toys

SPEED RACER  With its sculpted body and aerodynamic profile, Mercedes Benz’s new AMG GT R is a sports car designed with a nod to the company’s motorsport models. Its V-8 biturbo engine powers from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. A nine-way adjustable traction control system lets this head-turner hug the road in style. Look for a mid-2017 debut; price to be determined. mercedes-benz.com

DANISH MODERN  The new Oslo speaker by Denmark-based Vifa marries a simple, compact design with electrifying sound. The five-pound, Bluetooth-enabled device can be moved around the home or easily taken on the road. Its textile cover by Kvadrat comes in Sand Yellow, Ocean Blue, Anthracite Gray and Pebble Gray. $549; vifa.dk

SMART SHOES  Using a built-in chip, Under Armour’s SpeedForm Gemini 2 Record Equipped running shoes track and store data including run time, duration, distance and splits. The shoe, which enables athletes to run device-free, sends data after workouts to smart phones and fitness monitors. $150. ua.com

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FEMA Proposal Will Affect Construction Beyond the 100-Year Floodplain

FEMA has proposed a rule that will require anyone using federal funds for new construction or to substantially improve existing structures to build two to three feet higher than the 100-year floodplain.

New Home Sales Climb to Highest Level Since October 2007

Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 12.4% in July from a downwardly revised June reading to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 654,000 units, according to newly released data from HUD and the Census Bureau. This is the highest reading in almost nine years.

BALA Awards Deadline Sept. 1

Whether you are a talented builder, remodeler, architect, designer, developer, land planner or interior designer, if you’ve redefined design excellence for homes and communities, the 2016 NAHB Best in American Living Awards are for you. But act fast: Entries close Sept. 1.

BuilderBooks Launches Web-Based Estimating Program

A new BuilderBooks partnership with ProEst is designed offer NAHB members discounted pricing on a powerful estimating tool for contractors in all specialties, allowing quicker responses to customer bid requests and accurate calculations of the cost of any size project.

Indulgences: Food

SEA CATCH  Fresh seafood takes center stage at chef Michael Schlow’s new 30-seat Conosci, which recently opened within his larger restaurant, Alta Strada. In Conosci, designed by Edit Lab, beaded chandeliers illuminate a counter, where chefs work their magic on creations such as Japanese octopus with spicy citrus juice, yellow peppers and pickled shallots. 465 K Street, NW; 202-629-4662. conoscidc.com

NEW LOOK IN OLD TOWN  The Majestic in Old Town Alexandria is serving up new décor along with its seasonal bistro fare by chef/proprietor Gaby Hakman. Beckman Architects and designer David Anthony Chenault collaborated on the makeover, inspired by the Art Deco roots of the original Majestic Cafe, which opened on the site in 1932. Arteriors chandeliers hang over the bar. 911 King Street; 703-837-9117.themajesticva.com

LATE BITES  Richard Sandoval’s Toro Toro now caters to the after-hours crowd with a late-night menu. Along with pan-Latin small bites and drink specials, night owls can enjoy the restaurant’s sleek décor by LW Design Group of Dubai. Tufted gold-leather couches and metallic chandeliers grace the sultry lower-level lounge. 1300 I Street, NW, 202-682-9500. richardsandoval.com/torotorodc

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Multifamily Builders Bring Floodplain Worries to White House

Steve Lawson, a multifamily builder from Virginia Beach, Va., and NAHB staff met last week with White House Office of Management and Budget officials to voice their concerns regarding HUD’s forthcoming regulation to implement the new Federal Flood Risk Management Standard.

Applause: Making History

On the eve of its September 24 grand opening, the long-awaited Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture beckons from its spot beside the Washington Monument. As unlike the iconic obelisk as it could be, the 400,000-square-foot structure was a long-term collaborative effort by four acclaimed architecture firms.

The museum’s three-tiered exterior was designed by architect David Adjaye using 3,600 bronze-hued, cast-aluminum panels. Drawing on imagery from both African and American history, it evokes ornate ironwork created by slaves in 19th-century New Orleans. The panels admit daylight through their dappled surface, while openings frame views of the Washington Monument, the White House and other landmarks, reminding visitors that they are viewing the world through the distinctive lens of African American history and culture.

Designed by architect Philip Freelon, the interiors span nine levels—four of them below ground—housing exhibition galleries, educational spaces, a 350-seat theater, auditorium, café and shop. The museum’s collection will trace 500 years of history, from 15th-century Africa to the present day. Highlights include the Harriet Tubman collection; an early-1800s slave cabin from South Carolina; a segregation-era Southern railway car; a Tuskegee Airmen trainer plane; an Angola Prison guard tower; and Chuck Berry’s red Cadillac. An 1874 log house built and inhabited by free slaves in Poolesville, Maryland, will also be on view. Visit nmaahc.si.edu.

LEAD DESIGNERS: DAVID ADJAYE, OBE; PHILIP FREELON, FAIA, Freelon, Adjaye, Bond/SmithGroupJJR. CONSTRUCTION: Clark/Smoot/Russell.

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Top-Mount Vs. Under-Mount Bathroom Sinks: A Quick Guide

Designing a bathroom is tough, as there are so many different options for layouts, tiling, shower type, cabinetry, and much more. When it comes to the sink, there are actually all sorts of options, including pedestal sinks and wall-mounted options.

Today, we’re going to look at two types of sinks that sit atop your cabinetry and tend to be most popular: top-mounted sinks and under-mount bathroom sinks. Either could be a great option for your home, but see why you might go with one or the other in the guide below.

Top-Mount Sinks

A top-mount sink, also called a drop-in sink, is one that is designed to be installed from the top of the counter (in other words, it’s dropped in). In a bathroom, this usually means that some of the sink material will rise above the level of the countertop.

There are many advantages to choosing this type of a sink. For one thing, it could cost a lot less to put in since it slides into place and hides any rough edges in the cutout, requiring less sanding. Additionally, many of today’s top-mount sinks add flare, as a chunky edge gives a remodeled bathroom a modern look.

Under-Mount Sink

This type of sink is flush with the countertop height. Due to the nature of installation, it may cost more to put in this type of sink. But this is important to many. It gives it a nice, clean look since you won’t be able to see the borders of the basin. In addition, it’s a little easier to clean. When you’re wiping down the counter with a cloth, you can easily wipe water right into the sink.

Our verdict: We’d say that a top-mount sink is a stylistic choice, whereas an under-mount sink is the practical option. Search around for images, consider your family’s habits, and talk to a contractor to decide what is best for your needs!

Call Advanced Builders & Contractors for bathroom remodeling contractors in Holmby Hills, CA.

Home of the Week: Potter’s Lodge

The primary residence of a tall, affluent hobbit? Nope. What started as a request for a “garden shed” evolved into a fully customized, fairy-tale-inspired, 900-square-foot cottage where its owners could create and display pottery.

Tampa’s Most Expensive Luxury Home Is a $13.9M Bayside Paradise

  realtor.com   With only six owners over the past century, the most expensive home in Tampa, FL, is seeking a new mogul to take the reins. Known as the Stovall-Lee house, the historic property is listed for $13.9 million. It includes several buildings totaling 8,930 square feet of living space set on a 2.59-acre lot stuffed with manicured gardens, fountains, and fruit trees. Built circa 1909 by L.T. Trousdale, then the general manager of Florida Brewery, Tampa Tribune founder Wallace Fisher Stovall […]

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A Real Challenge to Your Retirement Security

There are many threats to our future, and many are beyond our control, but we’ve hedged against them. We rely on our military to protect us from security threats, both foreign and domestic. We rely on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to protect us from food-borne pathogens. We rely on the CDC to protect […]

Timing, Networking Spur Growth for Louisiana Remodeler

Twelve years after becoming president of his own remodeling firm in New Orleans — shortly before Hurricane Katrina rocked the region — Steven Wobbema, the NAHB Remodeler of the Month for August, continues to maintain a steady stream of business. With a few tweaks in his strategy, he even sees the possibility of doubling the size of his business within the next five years.

Art Studio: Warp & Weft

Driving east on Richmond’s 295 bypass, the pace noticeably eases exiting onto Route 5. Along the winding, tree-shaded road, cyclists travel on a parallel path headed toward Williamsburg. Turnoffs lead to Virginia’s grand plantations that grace the north bank of the James River.

On the historic byway, one enduring farm in some ways mirrors centuries past. Acres of corn and bales of hay line the long drive to its white antebellum house, where a visitor approaches the entrance through massive columns and stairs sweeping up to a broad porch worthy
of a movie set.

Owner Dianne Nordt—dressed casually in a jersey shirt, black pants and flats—opens the door. For six years, she has been weaving ultra-soft blankets by hand, using wool from Merino sheep she raises on the property. She smiles and immediately asks, “Would you like to see how the loom works?”

Leading the way to a nearby room, Nordt sits down at one of two imposing wooden looms and steps on a pedal. Holding a boat-shaped shuttle that carries the yarn, she yanks it across an opening of taut wool threads. The stillness is broken by the clackety-plunk of wood harnesses rising and falling as they capture the thread. “Treadles control the harnesses,” she explains, “and the harnesses control which warp threads go up and down to make the pattern.”

Nordt pulls on a central beam, or beater bar, that moves the newly inserted horizontal thread (weft) down through the vertical strands (warp), which are strung like a harp. She then throws the shuttle device in the opposite direction, repeating the motions. It’s a rhythmic sequence dating back thousands of years.

“The act of weaving is peaceful, repetitive and tedious,” says Nordt. “For some reason, that appeals to me. I like dyeing the wool naturally using plants. I like the challenges that come with the mechanics of a loom. I like having a finished product that I can sell and that’s creative to make. I like all the steps,” she adds with a laugh, “except bookkeeping.”

With her pet collie by her side, Nordt heads out to check on the first part of the process: her 40 sheep. Past a wooden bridge arching over a ravine, the sheep barn was rebuilt of rough-cut oak after a fire four years ago. “I’m just going to put the sheep in the pasture real quick,” Nordt begins, explaining that the grass they eat is supplemented with feed and “all kinds of minerals. I want to be sure the wool quality is really good,” she says. “And if the sheep are healthy, they produce a lot of wool.”

Every year in February, a professional arrives from New England to shear the flock by hand. He completes the task in just four hours. On the barn floor, trash bags are filled with raw fleece that was rejected as too dirty to send to the mill in Michigan, where the wool is washed and spun into yarn.

The usable fleece returns from the mill wound on cones and grouped in natural shades of creamy white, brown, gray and black. “Those colors are the basis of each blanket,” says the weaver. “The palette is very neutral, with vegetable- or plant-dye colors added in as accents.”

The wool is then wound into loose skeins and immersed in dye baths extracted from plants such as blue indigo, orange-red madder root or yellow smartweed, which Nordt finds along the road. Dried leaf matter may be combined with the bark of osage trees or black walnut shells, also gathered nearby. She strains the liquid through a colander before submerging the wool, which remains in the bath for periods ranging from 20 minutes to overnight, depending on the color. Nordt uses the stove and sink in the home’s original ground-floor kitchen for this process. “We want to keep it separate from the family kitchen upstairs,” she says.

Once washed, dried and wound again onto cones, the wool—in an ineffable spectrum of roses, corals and robin’s-egg blues—sits on shelves in the loom room, ready for use. Nordt favors restrained patterns with just a few stripes. “I feel simplicity shows off the wool best,” she says. The blankets measure 50 by 70 inches for a throw, or 50 by 35 inches for a baby blanket. Two part-time weavers help Nordt complete eight to 10 blankets each week. Over this past summer, her teenage daughter earned extra money as a studio assistant.

Nordt and her husband, an orthopedic surgeon, discovered the 400-acre farm 17 years ago. After months of consideration, they moved there with their three children, trading downtown Richmond for the rural life of Charles City County. For the weaver, it was almost like returning home. She grew up outside Charlottesville, traveling between the farms of both sets of grandparents. “One had an apple orchard, the other raised cattle,” she remembers. “My dad taught horticulture at the high school.”

Attracted to the city, she attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond as a fashion-design major, but found that “something about the fashion business didn’t appeal to me. It’s all about disposal and trends.” Through the university’s craft department, she discovered a loom and learned to weave. “By the time I graduated, I knew I wanted to have a sheep farm,” she says. When her dad offered to buy her a car at graduation, she recalls, “I told him I’d rather have a loom; it’s the one I weave on now.”

Though the loom went into storage while her children were small, she never lost sight of her goal. In 2005, the first sheep arrived on the farm. Soon after, she remembers, “I took the kids down to the 17th Street Farmers’ Market to sell yarn.” She began selling blankets online in 2010, and two years ago started exhibiting at craft shows. In April, Nordt won the First Time Exhibitor Award at the 2016 Smithsonian Craft Show.

The family farm includes a small orchard, an old brick silo and a stable with four horses. Two hundred acres are leased to farmers growing crops.

Despite the workload, Nordt conveys an ethereal calm. “I feel like I’m from another time, related to a shepherdess,” she muses. Looking out across the James River from the home’s boxwood garden, she continues, “In this day and age to be a weaver and raise sheep, it’s such a basic thing to do. I like making things with my hands. I like starting from the beginning and doing the process to the end. It all comes from here. It’s so natural
and sustainable.”

Writer Tina Coplan is based in Chevy Chase. Dianne Nordt’s blankets are available at Virginia’s Waterford Fair, October 7 to 9 (waterfordfoundation.org/fair); at the Philadelphia Craft Show, November 10 to 13 (pmacraftshow.org); and through nordtfamilyfarm.com. 

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Report Unveils Trends Among First-Time Homebuyers

By Drew Knight The market for first-time homebuyers is ever changing, as are the wants and needs in the homes they’re shopping for. And the same goes for the economy. As the economy shifts, the buying process shifts as well, … Continue reading →

New Home Source Blog - Buying a New Home, Working with a Home Builder, Designing Your Custom Home

Expert Advice: Water Ways

When a couple purchased their Baltimore home, the three-acre property came with a whimsical water feature in the form of a sculpture. Inspired by the classic musical “Singin’ in the Rain,” the custom-designed brass figure of a dancing man, umbrella raised against the rain, captivated the homeowners. During a landscape redesign by Chapel Valley Landscape Company, the feature was moved from a pond on the property to a more visible spot by the house. Chapel Valley designed a stone pool for it with an electric pump beneath it that pushes water up through the sculpture to the umbrella, where it showers back down. The water circulates hourly and the pool refills automatically when evaporation lowers its level.

Not all water features are as unique as this one, but gone are the days when a swimming pool was the only way to integrate water into a landscape. Possibilities range from traditional fountains to gurgling brooks that span whole backyards. “They’re fun to design because each one is unique,” says Chapel Valley designer Lucas Castor.

SMALL SCALE  Clients working with Surrounds Inc., enhanced their Clifton, Virginia,  garden with a simple water feature: three ceramic planters fitted with a pump that gently forces water up, creating a pretty tableau and an appealing sound. “These are the most cost-effective features,” says Surrounds landscape architect Howard Cohen, adding that almost any container  will work that allows water to spill over. “We’ve used basalt columns, granite blocks, even boulders with holes drilled through them. You can add lighting and the birds love them.”

To create this ceramic-planter feature, Cohen and his team dug a hole for a submersible pump and an underground basin designed to support up to 2,000 pounds. They covered the basin with a porous surface and placed the planters on top. The water drips back down into the basin through a layer of gravel.

The owners maintain the fountain in summer with pool chemicals to keep the water clear and shut it down in winter so the equipment doesn’t freeze. But a heater with a thermostat could be added to keep the system running year-round.

LIVING LARGE  At the other end of the spectrum, an elaborate project designed by Ryan Davis of McHale Landscape Design created an Asian-style Zen garden in Darnestown, Maryland, with a pagoda and a koi pond. Punctuated by waterfalls, a meandering stream flows down to the pond.

This design required a more complicated system. “When you get into large-scale water features with fish, filtration is key because you have to keep the water healthy,” Davis says. Pool skimmers hidden in the rocks pre-filter the water and a bead filter breaks down algae and other gunk, converting it into healthy bacteria. The filter should turn over all the water in the pond every hour, and the whole body of water should be back-flushed weekly.

According to Davis, the right size filter is imperative—too small and it won’t do its job; too large and it will move the water too fast to be effective. The volume of water, elevation of the land, length of pipe and power of the pump are all factors to be considered during the planning stage. Partial shade also helps keep water healthy; lily pads are a better bet than shade trees, which drop leaves that will need to be removed.

A rubber liner is typical for the pond bottom, but,  “Liners can be tricky to install,” says Cohen. “Water wants to get out, and one mistake can result in a leak.” He prefers gunnite, which is commonly used for pool surfaces and costs more. To winterize a fish pond, he suggests covering it with a reusable net. Leave the water where it is and when it drops to a certain temperature, the fish will go into hibernation until spring.

Whatever water feature you choose, keep in mind that water itself is a powerful element that can have adverse effects on your materials and design. A stone water feature requires a dense material like granite that will withstand the slow erosion that water causes. “Consider how everything reacts to water,” suggests Castor. “Remember, water is always going to win.”

When it comes to water features, anything is possible. “Find something you connect with from a creative standpoint,” he advises. “There’s really no limit to what you can do.”

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Use These Keys to Recruiting This Fall

NAHB wants to help make your association’s 2016 Fall Membership Drive a success by providing tools and resources to help you recruit.

NAHB Announces Spring Membership Drive Winners

Congratulations to all the local associations that opened their doors this spring and welcomed new members to our Federation.

NAHB Student Chapter Alumni Have New Reasons to Join

A new membership category designed to help HBAs retain their student members once they enter the job force was approved last week by the NAHB Board of Directors. The newly launched Alumni membership will allow students who were members of NAHB-affiliated student chapters to remain members of NAHB at a reduced rate for their first three years after graduation from a secondary or post-secondary school.

FHFA Raises Multifamily Lending Caps for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that effective immediately, it has made an additional increase in the 2016 multifamily lending caps for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from $35 billion each to $36.5 billion each.

NAHB in the World: Engineers Without Borders

When I practiced civil engineering and private consulting, it was the projects that sought a greener, healthier alternative over standard practice that I enjoyed the most. Over time, it has become the focus of my career – and why I am part of Engineers Without Borders.

Bazaar: Bathing Beauty

DISTINCTIVE CHARACTER  Handcrafted using traditional sandcasting methods, Stone Forest’s Bronze Lunette vessel makes a striking addition to any bathroom. The production process can lead to small anomalies that are the distinctive traits of each sink. Available in golden- and weathered-bronze finishes that will develop a patina over time. stoneforest.com

OLDE ENGLAND  Signature Hardware brings a touch of Victorian England to its Freestanding Telephone Tub Faucet, in brightly polished brass. The faucet set comes complete with a lift-and-turn drain  and metal cross handles that cradle the hand shower on its flexible 60-inch hose. signaturehardware.com

INTO THE GROOVE  The grooves on the WAVE collection of cabinet hardware by Du Verre Hardware evoke the action of waves. The hand-finished, recycled-aluminum knobs and pulls come in satin nickel, antique brass and oil-rubbed bronze. Available at Push Pull Decorative Hardware in North Bethesda. pushpullhardware.com

CLASSIC STYLE  Elements of classic European architecture inspired Marble Systems’ Urban Layer Collection of stone and porcelain tiles. The line showcases parquetry, latticework, trellises, framework, geometric weaves and blocks. Patterns come in soft, neutral hues; the customizable collection is suitable for all interior applications. marblesystems.com

ON THE WALL  Designed by Ramón Esteve for L’Antic Colonial, the Faces collection of ceramic wall tiles is characterized by modern, geometric motifs on multi-dimensional or flat surfaces. Available at Porcelanosa in black and white, or metallic gold and silver. porcelanosa-usa.com

SUSTAINABLE SOAKER  Designed by Patrick Messier, the minimalist, sculptural BBE 02 tub from WETSTYLE’s Be Collection is made of eco-friendly soy and vegetable extracts and mineral stone instead of chemical-based resins. Available in matte and high-gloss finishes with an attached shelf that comes in oak or walnut. wetstyle.ca

ON THE SURFACE  To create Dekton, a surface by Cosentino, inorganic elements found in glass, porcelain and quartz are heat-compressed to accelerate the changes that occur in natural stone over time. Now, Cosentino introduces a new Dekton palette that includes Aura, a strong-veined, marble-like surface. cosentino.com

INDUSTRIAL EDGE  The Gridscape2 Soft-Close shower door by Coastal Shower Doors conveys an industrial edge with clear, glass panels framed in anodized aluminum that can be finished in black bronze or chrome. Each door comes in a hinged, sliding or folding version. coastalshowerdoors.com

SLEEK SYSTEM  Fiandre—maker of eco-friendly porcelain surfaces resembling stone, wood, concrete and more—has launched Aqua Maximum, a system of sleek, customizable sinks and shower trays. Shown here, the marble-like Double Integrated Washbasin Up&Down creates a clean-lined, uncluttered look. granitifiandre.com

NO PRESSURE  Form meets function in Geberit’s streamlined Sigma70 flush plate. With its smooth surface, the plate is mounted to a rocker switch that maintains dual-flush capabilities without buttons. Hydraulic-assist activation means it responds to the lightest pressure. The model comes in easy-to-clean stainless steel and colored glass. geberitnorthamerica.com

SHOWER TIME  Plan the perfect shower with Kohler’s customizable Choreograph Shower Wall and Accessory Collection. Walls and panels are made of Serica, a durable composite material, and come in a choice of colors, patterns and textures (shown in Sandbar and VeinCut Sandbar). Glass and integrated shelves and hooks keep clutter contained. us.kohler.com

BOLD AS BRASS  The solid-brass heated towel rail by British manufacturer Drummonds conveys old-fashioned luxury. Traditionally styled, it can be heated by water, electricity or both. Available in multiple sizes and finishes and in freestanding, wall-mounted and floor-mounted versions. Sold through the company’s New York City showroom. drummonds-uk.com

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Private Tour: Town & Country

Ever since she moved to Baltimore 22 years ago, acclaimed chef and restaurateur Cindy Wolf has been looking for a dream house with enough land for her to plant a large garden and take up farming. Last October, she found it in Sparks, Maryland, just a 30-minute drive north of the city from her flagship restaurant, Charleston.

The house is a charming, light-filled rambler of worn, pinkish gray brick. It is situated on 15 acres of land as green as an Ireland postcard, rife with mature trees, more than a hundred boxwoods and expanses of neatly trimmed lawn. “I became addicted to the place from the moment I saw it,” says Wolf, who dubbed it Wildflower Farm soon after moving in.

Turning onto the split-rail-fence-lined lane that accesses the pear-shaped property, you first catch a glimpse of four raised garden beds and a pine barn, rebuilt by previous owners in 2014. Design elements such as a tin roof, reclaimed columns and beams and Lancaster County fieldstone transform a utilitarian edifice into a chic out-building.

Constructed in 1948, the four-bedroom house overlooks the breathtaking Western Run Valley. Barely visible among the greenery, it blends seamlessly into the landscape rather than intruding on it.

To update the home, Wolf tapped contractor Jeffrey Bayer, who renovated the kitchen in her previous house in Baltimore’s Roland Park. First, he updated the HVAC, replaced the skylights and brought electrical wiring up to code. Flooring was repaired throughout and much of it replaced. A bathroom off the kitchen was completely remodeled. To make an office, beams and wood paneling were removed from a former family room to create height and openness and Bayer refaced its red-brick fireplace—one of four in the house—with fieldstone and slate.

Wolf tackled the interiors herself, creating a sophisticated mélange of new and antique furniture along with a blend of hard and soft natural materials, from metal, wood, glass and stone to distressed leather and velvet. What was a formal dining room between the living room and kitchen is now a cozy den. Meanwhile, Wolf turned a former seating area in the back of the house into the dining room, taking full advantage of the mountain views its French doors and floor-to-ceiling windows offer. A monastery dining table, French dining chairs upholstered in charcoal velvet and a haunting painting of a young woman create an elegant backdrop for dinner parties. The first one Wolf hosted, for a friend’s 50th birthday, featured zucchini carpaccio, roasted duck magret, braised beef short ribs and many bottles of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

A 1987 graduate of The Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park, Wolf carved a career path from Charleston to Knoxville, to Washington, DC, and finally to Baltimore in 1995, where she operated Savannah with her then-husband, Tony Foreman. Two years later, they opened their own restaurant, Charleston, where Wolf’s refined Low Country cooking has earned her five James Beard nominations for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic. Now divorced, the two remain business partners and co-own six Baltimore-area restaurants, including Cinghiale and Pazo, plus two wine boutiques.

Wolf’s home kitchen is a professional’s paradise. “I hope never to leave this house, so I did the kitchen the way I wanted it,” she says. That includes not having a dishwasher or overhead cabinetry, which she finds confining. She stores her Raynaud wedding china in one étagère and Riedel crystal stemware in another; Wolf uses both collections daily and washes everything by hand. “I live by myself. I have these nice things and I want to use them,” she reasons. “If I had a family, I’d have a dishwasher.”

There are two work tables in stainless steel (so the chef can put hot pans directly on them), plus a marble one for pastry. The restaurant-grade stainless-steel sink is so deep she can scale a fish in it or stack dishes out of sight during a dinner party. Gleaming copper cookware hangs from a ceiling rack and Staub cast-iron casseroles are on display in a corner pot rack, a nod to one in Mrs. Patmore’s kitchen on “Downton Abbey.”

The apple of Wolf’s eye is her Lacornue CornuFé gas range with polished copper trim and a matching hood. The ornate cast-iron backsplash, a gift from Bayer, originates from a fireplace in Wolf’s 1905 Roland Park house.

Wolf is particularly proud of her garden, where she grows herbs, vegetables, fruit and flowers. “The idea is to be able to wake up each morning and pick things to use at Charleston to inspire the daily menu,” she says. Someday, she also hopes to raise chickens and sheep and keep horses on the property.

For the chef, this way of life is a deep commitment. “I believe that we need to protect the land, particularly farmland,” she says. “Owning as much of it as I could was always my dream.”

Wildflower Farm is indeed a dream come true.

David Hagedorn is a Washington, DC, writer. Photographer Geoffrey Hodgdon is based in Deale, Maryland.

RENOVATION CONTRACTOR: JEFFREY BAYER, Bayer Construction, Catonsville, Maryland.

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Rochester Homearama Goes Biennial and Gets Big Numbers

Leaders and members of the local HBA recently discovered that the notion of addition by subtraction can also be applied to home shows. Scaling back on Homearama’s frequency and length led to more improvement and expansion opportunities for the show’s lineup. And it still managed to maintain healthy attendance numbers.

Floating Home Offers Builder a Taste of Reality TV

After working with a television series production crew, a home builder in Washington state got the impression that Hollywood wants to make the life of a builder seem more like the life of a Kardashian.

Using Modular in More Ways Than One

In the Retrofitting with Modular webinar, Wednesday Aug. 31 from 2-3 p.m. ET, get the information you need to integrate modular buildings into your projects.

Portfolio: A New Normal

An unusual home sits atop a hill in a neighborhood of ramblers, with a forested hillside as its  backdrop. Located on two acres, the dynamic, modern structure belongs to Ed Slattery and uniquely reflects his life and vision.

The home’s story began six years ago when a trucker, asleep at the wheel, barreled into the car Slattery’s wife was driving; the couple’s two sons, Peter, 16, and Matthew, 12, were also in the vehicle. Sadly, Susan was killed and both boys badly injured. But while Peter recovered, Matthew sustained severe injuries that resulted in cognitive and visual disabilities. Henceforth, he would need to rely on a wheelchair for mobility. The family’s lives were changed forever.

Matthew endured six months in a coma before he was well enough to come home. His father began to consider how to create a space that would make his son’s life the best it could be; Ed’s sister has cerebral palsy, so he already understood the needs of a wheelchair user. “I wanted a house where Matthew could go everywhere and do whatever he wanted to do,” Slattery says. “I knew what the requirements were.”

After purchasing a lot in Timonium, Slattery, a retired economist, tapped Alter Urban Design Collaborative to create a universally accessible home that would also address another goal dear to his heart: sustainability. John Coplen and partners John Sage and Adam Bridge enthusiastically enlisted, making universal design the main priority but designing the project through a highly energy-efficient lens.

“A big goal was that the house not feel institutional,” says Coplen. “Matthew had spent enough time in hospitals; he needed something functional but beautiful.”

Alter Urban envisioned an open, wheelchair-friendly floor plan. An abundance of wood appealed to Ed’s rustic sensibility; the rest of the design is clean-lined and modern. A simple material palette includes cedar-paneled walls and ceilings, Douglas fir beams, accent walls of reclaimed barn wood and concrete floors with inlaid carpets that delineate living areas. “We thought about how universal design elements address different issues,” Coplen comments. “For Matthew’s impaired vision, we offered bright colors and changes in patterns and surfaces that help orient him in each space.”

Twelve-inch baseboards protect the walls from bumps and cantilevered built-ins accommodate wheels. Pocket doors and swing-away hinges ensure wheelchair movement from room to room, and push buttons at the front and back entries and on his chair allow Matthew to open doors. The design also leveled the steeply sloped property enough so an all-terrain wheelchair would be able to navigate it.

In the kitchen, shelves and a convection cooktop can be raised and lowered at the touch of a button while a low-hung second sink allows Matthew to wheel up to it. All the bathrooms are universally designed; Matthew’s features a harness that helps him get in and out of the walk-in tub on his own. Down the hall from his bedroom, an indoor resistance pool with an underwater treadmill beckons.

The home consists of four volumes. The center one, housing the public spaces, is protected by cedar planks that provide a rain screen about two inches away from the exterior walls. “It’s a shade structure that creates a cooler pocket of air,” Coplen explains. Two flanking volumes are clad in white HardiPlank—one housing the bedrooms and garage is topped with a living roof, while the other contains guest bedrooms. In the back of the property, a three-story tower offers a quiet, meditative space with dramatic views.

In the tower, a chair lift designed by Versicor—an engineering firm run by Coplen’s sister—calibrates weight and creates resistance to match the user’s capability. “Matthew can pull himself to the top or just use it as an elevator,” Slattery explains.

Outside, sustainable features abound. A concrete wall, created with a single pour, encloses one side of the house. It extends along the driveway in front and wraps around the tower in back. A “green screen” covers the garage in climbing vines. Solar and geothermal systems and robust insulation ensure energy efficiency. A pervious driveway absorbs runoff, and the landscape, designed by Betsy Boykin, highlights non-invasive species. In back, a patio slopes to a meadow of wildflowers.

Bisecting the green roof, a recycled-rubber path connects the upper floor of the tower and the loft, overlooking the home’s main living area. The loft was designed for Peter, who recently graduated from college. “The house had to be for Matthew,” says Slattery. “But the loft gave Peter one space that was his.”

Inspired by Matthew’s progress, Slattery, who recently remarried, launched Finding a New Normal (findinganewnormal.com) in 2014. The foundation raises money for people who need universal accessibility for loved ones at home; John Coplen sits on the board. “My long-term goal is to surround families in crisis with the resources they need,” Slattery says. “Not everyone is as lucky as I was.”

Photographer Rachel Sale splits her time between Washington, DC, and Los Angeles. 

ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN: JOHN COPLEN, ADAM BRIDGE, AIA, and JOHN SAGE, AIA, Alter Urban Design Collaborative, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: J Paul Builders, Stevenson, Maryland. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: BETSY BOYKIN, ASLA, LEED AP, Core Studio Design, Baltimore, Maryland. LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION: Maxalea, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland.

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Au Naturel: Ode to DC

Though the exterior façade of a couple’s Arlington home dates back to the early 1900s, its interiors have been rebuilt in a fresh, farmhouse style. BCN Homes completed the extensive renovation and in-house designer Claire Matthews worked with the clients to decorate their newly minted spaces-—including the master bath.

“The idea that they wanted to see an amazing focal point when they walk into the bathroom drove the design,” she recalls. “We looked and looked and tried a few concepts. When we saw a cherry-blossom mosaic at Architectural Ceramics, I thought it was a perfect nod to DC. We all loved it.”

Combining three stone varieties, the artistic motif was installed on a wall between the Victoria & Albert tub and the shower. Glass doors on either side of the shower open to custom his-and-her vanities built on facing walls. The gray QuakerMaid cabinets and trim echo the veining in the Calacatta Chablis marble flooring and shower tile, also supplied by Architectural Ceramics.

For continuity, the designer finished the bath with the same five-piece crown molding used in the home’s first-floor rooms and in the master bedroom. “The dentil molding combined with the modern mosaic gave the bath that mix of old and new,” she says.

Matthews custom-designed the lavatories herself, integrating Kohler sinks with marble countertops and backsplashes. “I drew the curve for each backsplash and had them cut,” she explains. Chrome legs beneath each sink were plated in polished nickel to match the Kohler fixtures used throughout the bathroom.

Double glass doors lead from the master bedroom into the tranquil bath. “There was no way we could do a solid door; we didn’t want to obscure the view,” says Matthews. A linen closet and enclosed W.C. are located on opposite sides of the space. In lieu of mirrors, windows over the vanities admit light—and  let the owners enjoy the surrounding greenery.

ARCHITECTURE: Sejun Lee, BCN Homes, Arlington, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN: Claire Matthews, ASID, BCN Homes. CONTRACTOR: BCN Homes. TEXT: Sharon Jaffe Dan. PHOTOGRAPHY: Sejun Lee.

RESOURCES
Architecture, Interior Design & Contracting: bcnhomes.com. Mosaic, Wall, Shower & Floor Tile: architecturalceramics.com. Tub: vandabaths.com. Cabinets: quakermaidcabinetry.com. Plumbing Fixtures: kohler.com. Backsplash Fabrication: europastone.com. Sconces: hudsonvalleylighting.com.

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Au Naturel: A Simple Palette

In the design of a compact home in Cabin John, Maryland, architect Ben Ames proved that economy of space does not have to mean economy of style or luxury. Case in point: the 150-square-foot master bathroom. The client’s desire for a dressing table and makeup area integrated with a vanity drove Ames’s design of the narrow space.

In the finished room, an 11-foot-long double vanity with Pure White Thassos marble countertops and richly grained walnut cabinetry lines one wall, with a makeup station centered between the two sinks. Directly opposite the vanity, a sculptural Victoria & Albert Napoli bathtub adds visual balance. It’s flanked by two full-height, IKEA cabinets in a glossy white laminate finish. But what showcases the statement-making tub and defines its niche within the bathroom is a contrasting custom tongue-in-groove inset walnut feature wall, which is reflected in the vanity’s triple mirrors.

“I designed the bathroom using the same overall principles I used in the whole house: a reduced palette of soothing, natural materials,” explains Ames, who worked with Bountiful Interiors on the project.

Striated Athens Silver Cream marble clads the opposite vanity wall and covers the floors in a textured, bricked pattern, traveling back to a frosted picture window that lets in plenty of filtered light. To the right, the W.C. is discreetly tucked away behind a partial wall, and to the left is the shower, where another large window and glass doors wash the bathroom in more natural light.

“In the shower, I put in a built-in white marble bench, as well as a six-foot long linear drain, allowing for a curb-less transition into the shower,” says Ames.

Even the views reflect nature: The shower window looks out on the wooded edge of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Park.

ARCHITECTURE: Benjamin Ames, AIA, Ames Studio, Arlington, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN: Jamie Merida and Denise Perkins, Bountiful Interiors, Easton, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: Karl Voglmayr, Washington Landmark Construction, Washington, DC. TEXT & STYLING: Charlotte Safavi. PHOTOGRAPHY: Robert Radifera.

RESOURCES

Architecture: amestudio.com. Interior Design: bountifuldecor.com. Contractor: washingtonlandmark.com. Floor & Wall Tile: daltile.com through bountifuldecor.com. Vanity Counter & Shower Bench: atlasstonefabricators.com through bountifuldecor.com. Cabinetry: ikea.com. Pendants: lbllighting.com. Tub: vandabaths.com. Sinks: kohler.com. Sink & Tub Faucets: lacava.com. Shower Set: hansgrohe-usa.com.

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Au Naturel: Bathed in Light

Though spacious, the master bath in a 1990s-era DC residence did not appeal to the property’s new owners. A vaulted ceiling above the tub peaked at almost three times the height of the ceiling above the vanity area. The shower, enclosed in drywall, blocked light and made the room feel choppy. And outdated saltillo tile covered the floors, walls and  tub deck. “It was overwhelmingly busy and looked like a Mexican restaurant inside a bathroom,” recalls designer David Waguespack of Case Design, who was called upon to renovate the space.

First, the designer addressed the proportions and layout by dropping the vault in favor of a tray ceiling. Along one wall, a vanity/makeup station by Shiloh Cabinetry replaced the original millwork. Centered on the opposite wall, a sculptural Victoria & Albert tub is flanked by a W.C. and a new shower, which are enclosed in frosted and clear glass, respectively. A dual-zone heated floor includes separate thermostats for the shower/W.C. side of the room and the vanity area.

“Lowering the ceiling helped with scale,” explains Waguespack, “and we created a lot more symmetry than before. Even though the bathroom is the same square footage, there’s so much more circulation space, and we more than doubled the amount of storage.” Tall cabinets at either end of the vanity store the wife’s jewelry and bath essentials.

Botanical wallpaper by Cole & Son, selected by the client, sets an organic tone, as does the elegant 12-by-12-inch Carrara marble tile from Architectural Ceramics, applied on the floor and shower walls. “You would think the stone would be cool and harsh,” observes Waguespack. “But with Carrara, the veining grounds you to the earth because it’s so natural.” On the shower floor, he designed a “rug” of tiny hexagonal tiles in matching stone, framed by a mitered border. A Crystorama chandelier with drop crystals adds a dressy touch.

BATH DESIGN/BUILD: David Waguespack, CKBR, UDCP, lead designer; George Bergling, project manager; Robert Campbell, lead carpenter, Case Design/Remodeling, Bethesda, Maryland. TEXT: Sharon Jaffe Dan. PHOTOGRAPHY: Stacy Zarin Goldberg.

RESOURCES
Design & Contracting: casedesign.com. Floor & Shower Tile and Marble Countertops: architecturalceramics.com. Vanity Cabinets: shilohcabinetry.com. Sconces: hudsonvalleylighting.com. Tub: vandabaths.com. Sinks: americanstandard.com. Sink & Shower Faucets: rohlhome.com. Chandelier: crystorama.com. Wallpaper: cole-and-son.com.

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Au Naturel: Touch of Glamour

When Alexandria homeowners called on designer Savena Doychinov to overhaul their master bath, she discovered an inefficient layout, an oversized skylight that made the room feel too hot or too cold and glass-block windows that fell short in the privacy department. As if that weren’t enough, she recalls, “The shower was the smallest size that’s legally possible—only 33 inches square!”

Once Doychinov completed her redesign, every vestige of the original bath—from the disused whirlpool tub to the builder-grade vanities—was gone. In their place, the owners now enjoy custom cabinetry, top-of-the-line plumbing and lighting fixtures and a refined material palette. “We wanted to create timeless elegance without it looking over the top,” says the designer.

To accentuate the room’s cathedral ceiling, she installed a round window above the new soaking tub. Custom maple vanities store toiletries and cosmetics—as does a custom built-in armoire on the adjacent wall. A spacious shower and separate W.C. are enclosed behind glass doors on the wall opposite the vanities.

“Every creature comfort that could be had, we installed,” says the designer, citing the heated floors; the TOTO toilet/bidet with its 43 settings; the steam shower; and the five-piece, brushed-nickel tub filler with hand-held spray.

More than 650 square feet of Turkish limestone—in Champagne and the darker Britannia shade—was painstakingly installed on the walls and on the floors in a diagonal grid. A curved limestone platform even rims the oval-shaped tub.

“It’s a classic bathroom in the sense that the stone goes all the way up to the ceiling,” explains Doychinov. “And when the sun enters through the windows, it glows and emanates warmth.

“There are touches of glamour, such as crystals hanging from the chandelier and sconces,” she adds. “It’s low-key, but the sparkle is there.”

BATH DESIGN & INSTALLATION: Savena Doychinov, CKD, principal; Dimiter Doychinov, project manager, Design Studio International Kitchen & Bath, LLC, Falls Church, Virginia. TEXT: Sharon Jaffe Dan. PHOTOGRAPHY: Bob Narod.

RESOURCES
Bath Design & Installation: customkitchenandbathdesign.com. Custom Cabinetry: adelphikitchens.com. Tub: produitsneptune.com/en. Shower System: grohe.com/us. Faucets & Bath Filler: santecfaucet.com. Limestone Countertops, Flooring & Wall Tiles: marblesystems.com.

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New Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Trucks, Trailers

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation have finalized standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in an effort to improve fuel efficiency and cut carbon pollution.

Building a Eco-Friendly, Long-Lasting Home

The ICC/ASHRAE 700-2015 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) was released in March. This post is the second in a series of eight that will examine what’s different in this new edition – and what’s changed in the world of sustainable construction since the 2012 NGBS. This week: Updates to Resource Efficiency.

Into The Woods

Nestled within a grove of trees, this contemporary dwelling in Bethesda provides a tranquil retreat for a couple on the go. The three-story house is set back from the road and reached via a bridge spanning the sloping lot. Its rooms are oriented to capture wooded views and the secluded feeling of being in the forest.

“We took an anti-McMansion approach and asked the architect to design a house you can’t see from the street,” says the husband. “It was important to have greenery all around us and feel the presence of nature.”

While shielded by leafy trees, the home’s architecture stands out for its jutting angles of oxidized copper, cedar and glass. Even the bridge from the street zigzags past built-in planters rather than offering a straight shot to the front door.

“The flashes of color and drama are driven by the owners’ equal love of their South American and Estonian roots,” says the home’s architect, Travis Price. “The house dances a tango of bold simplicity with serene whispers of natural materials and views.”

Price says he combined Asian and Nordic design influences to create “a simple modernism where indoors and outdoors are inseparable.”

The homeowners selected the architect after spotting photos in a book of a Japanese-influenced house he designed. “Once we met him, his approach to design and incorporating it into how we live convinced us that he was the right person,” says the wife.

The couple, who run a  pharmaceutical consulting firm, frequently take trips abroad for work. “The constant traveling was a challenge when it came to the project,” recalls the wife. “Even more challenging,” she adds, “was blending the needs and preferences of two very independent people.”

Rather than starting from scratch, the pair built their new home on the foundation of a mid-century ranch house they had shared since the 1980s. “A leaky roof and other problems are what ultimately forced us to act, but we had been collecting design ideas several years before that,” explains the wife. She says the primary motivators were “to open up the house to more light, expand the kitchen area since we love to cook (and eat) and create more storage room.”

Those goals are met in a new living-and-dining area on the second level, which occupies a two-story loft that opens to the kitchen. A bluestone-clad wall with a fireplace envelops two sides of the living area to increase the coziness factor. Glass walls around the dining room direct views to the trees lining the side of the property. The cedar-covered ceiling provides a natural texture relating to the home’s exterior. “It’s so easy to do something modern and sterile,” says the husband. “Instead, there’s a tactile sense of materials in the house and spaces related to nature.”

The kitchen, at the rear of this level, opens to a screened porch and a patio with a stone fireplace. The soapstone-topped kitchen island is set at an angle from the living area to follow the outline of the former ranch house. Several appliances recycled from that home’s kitchen are incorporated into the new space.

Next to the kitchen, a custom shelf unit displays groupings of colorful serving plates and ceramics. “One big motivator in renovating the house was to be able to actually see what I had so that I could use the collection,” says the wife. “Travis came up with the brilliant idea to not only provide storage space for the pieces but to make them art.”

Down the hall on this level are the owners’ home office, a bathroom and a guest room fashioned from spaces within the original ranch house. Next to the entrance, a spiraling steel staircase winds down to the preserved basement and up to the new bedroom level.

The upper floor serves as a spa-like sanctuary encompassing the master suite and an adjoining roof deck fitted with a tiny sauna and a green roof, an outdoor shower and a soaking tub. On two sides of the master bedroom, translucent glass doors expose the blurry shapes of clothes within closets to create wall art. Outside the adjacent bathroom, an outdoor planter is filled with boxwood; the bathroom walls and ceiling repeat the cedar cladding found elsewhere in the home.

Furniture and objects collected on the couple’s travels include a Finnish dining table, Italian sofas and chairs and Native American pottery. They are arrayed on the main level, where windows positioned at various levels capture daylight and views. Reflecting on the space, the wife marvels, “Seeing the trees, light and sky from so many different angles and times of day is truly amazing.”

Deborah K. Dietsch is a writer in Washington, DC. Photographer Kenneth M. Wyner is based in Takoma Park.

ARCHITECTURE: TRAVIS PRICE, FAIA, Travis Price Architects, Washington, DC. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: THOMAS TAIT, Thomas Tait Gardens, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: Price-Blake Construction, Washington, DC.

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A Classic Reborn

Magical isn’t too fabulous a word to describe architect Christian Zapatka’s transformation of an 8,000-square-foot, 1970s colonial-style house in Potomac. The clients, a successful entrepreneur and his wife, wanted to enlarge the family home they loved, infusing it with more natural light and style—but not the ostentation of a mammoth remodel.

Zapatka preserved the original house’s core within a sleek, stucco-clad expansion that more than doubled its size. “As the plans grew,” he says, “I kept a template firmly in mind: Let there be no huge spaces or scale to confront. We want to meander pleasantly through a cherished family home.” His genius was in avoiding the pitfalls of what has become an architectural anathema: the McMansion. Big houses need not be formidable or formulaic, as illustrated by Zapatka’s sensitive handling of this one.

The wife had previously worked with Washington, DC, designer Frank Babb Randolph, refining rooms in the original house. He sourced art and updated their furniture, finding unique pieces that wouldn’t go out of style. When the husband suggested that a master suite in a new first-floor addition might work wonders for his ailing knee, Randolph proposed Christian Zapatka for the design—beginning a five-year process during which the modest master-bedroom addition grew into a three-story wing housing a family room, playroom, gym, spa, movie theater, large master and guest suites—and even a subterranean half-basketball court.

When Zapatka first walked through the front door, he quickly began suggesting options that ranged from tearing the house down to building anew on another lot. When the couple, who have four children, concluded that they loved their wooded, two-and-a-half-acre property too much to leave it, an intense discussion ensued about ways to expand the existing home. The wife declared, “Don’t change the layout of the old house! We’re comfortable and it has a great flow.”

Heeding her words, Zapatka says he “massaged the existing kernel of the house” in his design of an addition that extends along its north side, perpendicular to the original structure. He preserved the smaller scale of the original house from the front by siting the bulk of the expansion so it extends down an adjacent slope. An entry courtyard nestles in front, with Belgian pavers that lend it a European feel.

Resurrecting a sketch he’d made of a marble fountain in Rome while completing a fellowship as a recipient of the coveted Rome Prize for Architecture, Zapatka commissioned a fountain to be sited along the home’s front door axis. “It plays up the sense of a palazzo,” he explains. A line of four garage bays borders the courtyard (the original garage is now a library).

In the existing structure, the living and dining rooms retained their original positions near the front entry, as did the kitchen and breakfast room to the rear. A 24-foot gallery created an axis behind the new library, and facilitated the addition of a wine room. Replacing the home’s simple wooden deck, a spacious loggia now overlooks a sumptuous swimming pool and spa, outdoor kitchen, sport court and gardens, created by Washington-based landscape designer Jane MacLeish.

Zapatka overlaid the home’s brick exterior with smart neo-classical styling. Stucco sheathing, light-emitting bay windows and European casements conform beautifully to the original symmetry while plain surfaces and flat limestone casings deliver a look more reminiscent of 1920s Vienna than 1970s suburbia. “The composition is still classical but it’s spare,” he says. It also facilitates a whole new architectural vocabulary inside, he adds, which “lets the proportions of the old house and new addition speak to each other.”

Working closely with Randolph, Zapatka devised clever modifications to join old and new elements. Heightened door frames, bleached white-oak flooring throughout and less imposing mantels “fool the eye into perceiving larger volumes in the old, low rooms,” Zapatka says. Randolph’s characteristic restraint regarding color and his choice of spare, sculptural furnishings further the “less is more” approach.

But it’s the architectural detailing that creates cohesive style. Bolection molding around doors and windows provides a basic language of flow between rooms. Bold and minimal, “it’s a starved classicism,” Zapatka says, “the very basis of elegance.”

His classicism is the platform for some flourishes, too: The gallery’s march of pilasters ends in a rusticated Roman arch sheltering a fountain, while steel columns designed for the loggia recall a bundled-reed motif from ancient Rome. Zapatka channeled Art Deco in his reiteration of triple glass panels in doors and windows as well as in the design of the foyer’s curved staircase and distinctive steel rails.

Another classical touch is an oval recess within a tray ceiling in the master bedroom. Randolph, who masterminded the room’s color scheme, describes its icy blue as “receding into the ceiling’s Baroque blue sky…you almost want cherubs up there.”

In striving for simplicity, Zapatka’s elegant design created a great deal more.

Writer Susan Stiles Dowell is based in Monkton, Maryland. Gordon Beall is a photographer in Bethesda.

ARCHITECTURE: CHRISTIAN ZAPATKA, AIA, FAAR, Christian Zapatka Architect, LLC, Washington, DC. INTERIOR DESIGN: FRANK BABB RANDOLPH, Frank Babb Randolph, Washington, DC. RENOVATION CONTRACTOR: OC Builders, McLean, Virginia. LANDSCAPE DESIGN: JANE MACLEISH, Jane MacLeish, Washington, DC.

RESOURCES

Architecture: Christian Zapatka Architect, LLC; christianzapatka.com. Interior Design: Frank Babb Randolph Interior Design; 202-944-2120. Landscape Design: Jane MacLeish Landscapes; janemacleish.com. Builder: OC Builders; 703- 454-8499. 

THROUGHOUT  Windows & Exterior Doors: tradewoodindustries.com. Flooring: majesticwoodfloors.net. Home Automation: imsva.com. Interior Doors: trustile.com.

COURTYARD  Steelwork: Eric Hermansen, Lars, Inc.; handcraftedstair.com. Fountain Fabrication: rugostone.com. Stone Paving: stoneworksinc.us.

ENTRY HALL  Stair-Rail Fabrication: handcraftedstair.com. Console: centuryfurniture.com. Console Paint Treatment: lenorewinters.com. Vintage Mirror: 1stdibs.com/dealers/david-bell.

DINING ROOM  Silver-Leaf Ceiling: lenorewinters.com. Table: keithfritz.com. Chairs: Frank Babb Randolph for davidiatesta.com.

LIVING ROOM  Mantel: chesneys.com. Club Chairs: jlambeth.com. Silver-Leaf Coffee Tables: century
furniture.com. Artwork: Owners’ collection.

GALLERY  Carved 19th-century Face & Basin: 1stdibs.com/dealers/david-bell. Decorative Paint: lenorewinters.com. Sconces: niermannweeks.com.

LIBRARY  French Jacobean-style Wing Chairs: dessinfournir.com. Armchairs: davidiatesta.com. Millwork: Winchester Woodworking; 540-667-1700.

WINE ROOM  Stone Wall & Flooring: rugostone.com. Millwork: oldtownwoodworking.com.

SUNROOM  Vintage Bamboo Brighton Pavilion Chairs: 1stdibs.com/dealers/david-bell. Bridge Table: Frank Babb Randolph for davidiatesta.com.

LOGGIA  Rail Fabrication: handcraftedstair.com. Furniture: janusetcie.com. Lanterns: niermannweeks.com.

MASTER BEDROOM  1920s Mantel: chesneys.com. Mirrors: Frank Babb Randolph for davidiatesta.com.  Chandelier: niermannweeks.com. Ceiling-Paint Treatment: lenorewinters.com.
Painting & Club Chairs: Owners’ collection.

Spa  Furniture: janusetcie.com. Tile: waterworks.com.

MASTER BATH  Tile & Fixtures: waterworks.com. Millwork: Winchester Woodworking; 540-667-1700.

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