Historic Chestertown Renovation
Featured Home – What’s Up? Media, February 2020
This classic American Foursquare from 1915 resides one block from the Chester River. The brown cedar-shingle façade manifests underneath a robust structure (heavy, repurposed joists and aged beams) much like homes of the Victorian and Queen Anne eras. The house was enlarged in 1976 to include additional living spaces on the main floor.
Our Clients relocated from inside the DC Beltway with museum-quality collections, desiring to transform the dated interiors of their ‘new’ home to elegantly display their pieces. In addition, the once ‘modern’ home needed to meet current expectations for livability and be able to provide for aging in place.
Resilient Lives:
- The office and bathroom on the main level were renovated for Single Level Living including a bathroom with curbless shower.
- Laundry relocation (to the discovered nook under the stairs)
- Caregiver living – The partially finished and closed-off attic was reimagined to become more connected the lower levels by opening the stairway and creating an office nook, bedroom and bathroom.
Passion and Personality:
- A slanted brick chimney was discovered during construction that became a highlighted feature and nod to the historic in the new kitchen.
Interior Photos by Chris Zimmer Photography
Exterior Photos by Steve Buchanan
Melanie and I started working together in 2002. As a builder, I truly enjoy working with Melanie. She is skilled at conveying her design intent, while at the same time understanding that conditions in the field may require that I approach this intent differently from how she might have expected. Her architectural and design skills are only surpassed by her passion for her work. Melanie consistently weighs her design decisions against the ultimate impact these decisions will have on the environment. She is also very conscientious about her client’s budget, doing her best to help her clients understand the outcome of their decisions.
