PHOTOS BY GREG HADLEY
A recently completed two-tier rear elevation makeover to a 5,000 square foot production house in Ashburn accommodates a wide array of outdoor entertainment needs for a family of five that includes three school age children.
OH, THE BUCOLIC SPLENDOR
For 32 years, remodeler Michael Nash has been developing award winning outdoor living solutions
By John Byrd special thanks to Fairfax County Times
The project: a rear elevation plan that combines a mid-level screened-in porch with a below deck “kids” play zone. The far-reaching makeover– which replaces a small builder-grade screened porch with a substantially larger accommodation boasting many outdoor entertainment components– was recently introduced into the home of an Ashburn couple by Michael Nash Design Build and Homes. The owners had occupied the home for about 14 years but had decided to transform their house into a more permanent address– something that will work for the family for years to come.
“Owners today are actively searching for ways to better utilize the home they already know,” says Sonny Nazemian, Michael Nash’s founder and president.
“As a company, we are adept at achieving large improvements in functionality and design while adding comparatively little square footage. Our whole approach is to expand what’s possible within a budget by prioritizing and focusing the investment where it counts.”
Looking back, the owners of the 5,000 square foot Ashburn residence were seeking an outdoor living solution that would better satisfy warm weather entertainment requirements.
With three school-age children underfoot, the plan called for an organic way to sequester the children’s play zones from the more relaxed adult pursuits likely to occur in the screened-in porch. Porch activities might include dining, listening to music or watching a sporting event or a movie on the Wi-Fi television– all under a rotating overhead fan if desired, or by an open fire in cooler weather.
“The owners wanted adaptable indoor-outdoor space that will work well for seven or eight months of the year,” Nazemian adds. “This is the real essence of the outdoor living challenge today– extending the time one can spend outside the home’s primary envelop, enjoying the beauty of nearby trees in an open-air setting.”
Aesthetics being the project’s major driver, an outside retaining wall inspired Michael Nash designers to clad the exposed rear elevation in stone and to add a floor-to-ceiling hearth. Beveled tongue-and-groove ceiling and wood-grained porcelain flooring reinforce the interior’s rustic harmonics.
On an adjacent outside deck, there’s an 8-by-8-foot Jacuzzi. Below the porch, the children’s play zone features a broad flagstone patio, a swinging couch and a second television.
BEFORE. Owners were looking for an organic way to sequester the children’s activity play zones from more the relaxed adult pursuits to be provided in a dramatically enlarged screened-in porch.
The deeper satisfaction for the owners, however, is the beautifully articulated multi-tiered family play space with its many well-defined, cleverly-integrated activity zones, to wit:
- A stone firepit on the plat’s southeast corner offers a welcoming, slightly-elevated view of the surrounding countryside– a perfect gathering spot from early spring to late fall.
- A barn-style screened door linking the new porch to the grilling deck evokes the bucolic heritage of the lovely rolling countryside that once used for grazing; the grill shares a footprint with a nearby Jacuzzi.
- The lower-level flagstone patio is ideal for alfresco dining. Covered in stain-grade ceiling panels and adorned with recessed lights and ceiling fans, the lower patio offers a vibrant open-air entertainment space day and evening. A swinging couch whimsically completes the eclectic outdoor conversation pit.
- With ping pong tables and other games nearby, the lower footprint provides every diversion a school-age child and their friends might want.
- Meanwhile; the upper screened-in porch boasts an easy, comfortable segue from the kitchen or family room. The plan circulates beautifully in any season.
The project was named “Best Exterior” in eleven south Atlantic states in the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s annual “Contractor of the Year” (COTY) competition. For more information, call: 703-641-9800 or visit: www.michaelnashkitchens.com
