How does an architect orchestrate the renovation of a house when he becomes the client" The home of Stephen Vanze, a founding principal at BarnesVanze Architects, and his life partner Elizabeth Berardi answers the question with finesse.
A gracious, curving stair and a Federal-style fanlight over the front door give nothing away; since the two-story brick row house is located in the Georgetown Historic District, the street façade could not change. Inside, however, the three-level, 2,700-square-foot residence has been refreshed front to back in an ingenious makeover that hides as well as reveals. ?We used every inch,? observes Vanze.
The property was acquired in 2021 from the estate of a friend. With four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths (an independent unit occupies the lower level), the space suited a couple embarking on a later-in-life journey. Recently widowed, the architect was transitioning from a roomy residence in Chevy Chase, Maryland; Berardi hailed from a home in Martha?s Vineyard. First, Vanze sized up the home?s architectural needs: The interior cried out for natural light, and an awkward layout required adjustments. ?It was just so dark,? he says. ?We tried to make it a space where we could really live.?
The project, completed in 2022, was restorative, not revolutionary. At roughly 20 by 50 feet, the footprint was not expanded. Construction gutted half the house, and systems and plumbing were renewed. Strategic interior walls were shifted. Throughout, t...