IMPROVE; NOT MOVE
Local remodeler satisfy financing requirements and wins big
By John Byrd SPECIAL TO THE FAIRFAX COUNTY TIMES
AFTER: By removing the roof on a one-level rambler and adding a comparably-sized second floor, Michael Nash Design Build and Homes dramatically enlarged available living space in a 57 year old home. The art-and-crafts style front porch is a nostalgic nod to enduring architectural precedents in the adjacent historic district. The project recently won a regional (11-state) Chrysalis Award for “best addition under $250,000.”
A second floor addition to a one-level, brick rambler has won a regional Chrysalis Award for Michael Nash Design Build and Homes. The design solution– in which the roof of one-level structure was removed to make way for a comparably-sized second floor– was introduced to the home of a Fairfax City couple who had occupied for 14 years. The project was named the “Best Addition for Under $250,000” in 11-state area extending from Florida to Washington D.C.
Founded in 1993, the Chrysalis is generally considered the most prestigious of the remodeling industry’s peer awards. Qualified Remodeler Magazine and Kitchen and Bath News are among the competition’s national media sponsors.
In accepting the honor, Michael Nash president and founder Sonny Nazemian credited his design and engineering team, which surmounted a host of complex architectural, space-planning and regulatory challenges.
“Homeowners are increasingly searching for creative ways to satisfy lifestyle requirements by retrofitting their existing home,” Nazemian said, “but when a house is over fifty years old– the appropriate solution may not be obvious. The trick is to know what can be deleted, and what can be preserved. The goal is to enhance the whole property functionally, aesthetically– and as an investment.”
For homeowners James and Gayle Ogletree — who now occupy the enlarged house with their three kids — the makeover resolves a long-running problem that seemed to have no easy answers.
“The house had gotten too small for our family,” James Ogletree explains.”We had shopped for a larger house in other neighborhoods, but it was hard to beat the access to Fairfax City’s many amenities, afforded by this location.”
An added incentive for the owners’ “improve rather than move” came from the Fairfax City Renaissance Program (FCRP), which determined that the renovation proposed by Michael Nash was eligible for special financing.
“Michael Nash worked closely with the city to satisfy the program’s requirements,” Ogletree says. “Their design and technical expertise were critical in securing support.”
The remodeler’s solution addresses a host of space planning and interior design considerations, and it presents a dramatically revised front elevation.
Extending the existing brick chimney through the second floor roof allowed designers to remove heater- and furnace- flue ducting, freeing up the space needed to build a stairway linking the two levels.
To heat and cool the second floor, an HVAC unit was installed in the new attic space. In the basement, upgrading and relocating the hot water heater and furnace enhanced available square– all of which is helpful in a tightly conceived plan where inches count. The Ogletree’s agenda focused on improving the family’s quality of living options in every direction. Each child would have a bedroom of their own (one on the first floor). The second story was configured for three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a laundry and a loft, which provides an adjunct playroom and study area.
“The kids love the bonus space that’s now all over the house,” Ogletree says.
By deleting two bedrooms on the first-level, the first floor gained the square footage needed for a front-to-back great room that includes a new rear family room
accessed through French doors.
To introduce the first-level “open” plan, the design team eliminated a bearing wall between the living room and former master bedroom. A steel I-beam on concealed vertical shafts now supports the second floor. Partition walls separating the dining room from both living room and kitchen were, likewise, deleted — increasing natural light and visual continuum.
Patching, finger-jointing and finishing first-level hardwood floors reinforce the interior’s clean lines and visual unity.
The upstairs plan is, likewise, tailored to family requirements. The master suite– approximately half of the second floor– features spacious sleeping quarters, a large walk-in closet and an elegantly-designed spa bath. Textured stone shower walls, a freestanding “slipper” tub, a separate commode area, “his” and “her” vanities and many amenities are among the details in this luxury accommodation.
The defining component, however, is the “re-imagined” front elevation, which features an art-and-crafts style front porch. Boasting weather-resistant Trex flooring, Shaker-style railings and tapered columns, the porch is a nostalgic nod to the neighborhood’s architectural antecedents.
“This is the spot where we spend a lot of family time together in the summer,” Ogletree acknowledges. “The makeover has really worked for all of us.”
For more information, call: 703-641-9800 or visit http://www.MichaelNashKitchens.com
