House in Kenwood

This house, in one of Washington's close-in suburbs, was renovated in the late 1970s by Washington architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen. The timeless quality of Jacobsen's work has held up well, but the master bedroom suite had not been an important part of the original work and the new owners approached McInturff Architects to update that part of the house. 

In the new plan, the original bedroom has been left as a sitting area within a now-enlarged suite.The bedroom proper moved to a small addition above a rebuilt ground floor porch, allowing for higher ceilings and larger windows. The baths and closets were gutted and reconfigured to create a spa-like ambiance. 

The detailing, proportions and quality of light pay respect to the Jacobsen aesthetic. Fittings, lighting and hardware were updated to current standards and technology, but otherwise the difference between the new and old is seamless, and undertaken with great restraint and respect.

All photos: Anice Hoachlander/Hoachlander Davis Photography