About 15 minutes after seeing it, a couple house-hunting in Bethesda was ready to make an offer. The 1993 abode was uninspiring from the outside?but inside, the potential was obvious.
?We loved the flow, light and tall ceiling height,? recalls one partner, a retired university administrator (his husband is a former corporate executive). ?It was well constructed; the building envelope, systems and appliances were in very good shape.? As a bonus, the home is an easy walk from downtown Bethesda and from family who live nearby.
However, the 7,000-square-foot, center hall residence had its drawbacks?first and foremost, a problematic approach to the front door and an oversized driveway that left no room for a garden. Inside, an overwrought aesthetic was characterized by Roman-style columns, excessive crown moldings and strong, saturated colors in each room. The kitchen was dark, the layout of the owners? bath was strange and there was not enough indoor-outdoor connectivity. After purchasing the seven-bedroom dwelling, the owners enlisted architect Eric Hurtt and contractor Fajen & Brown to carry out their vision for improvements. In terms of the exterior, ?they were concerned with how the house presented to the street,? recounts Hurtt. ?They wanted to make it more approachable and pedestrian-friendly.? His plan added a welcoming front porch and narrowed the driveway. Landscape designer Patricia Miller devised a wide stair from the street up to the front entry; a retaining wal...