Home Addition in Chevy Chase, MD
From Online Remodeling Book Chapter 9 “A Master Suite Updates a 1960s Home”
Translucent panels define the
areas of the new bathroom without
cutting up the visual expanse of
a room that’s nearly 18 feet long
There are sometimes restrictions to remodeling plans due to zoning requirements. Such was the case for a 1960s home the Wentworth team remodeled in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The couple wanted a master suite and gave us a clear direction for it. Now we needed a plan to make it work.
As with most additions to the side of a house, our first concern was the required zoning setback from the property line, which in this case restricted the addition to a width of about 7 feet. The setback was also at a slight angle, making the allowed width narrower toward the front of the proposed addition and wider toward the rear. My design team suggested using that quirk to our advantage by creating a staggered, two-width addition. The front of the addition would be 6 feet and 9 inches wide for the first 15 feet. At that point, we would bump out the remaining 15 feet of the addition, complete with its own gable roof, to a width of 7 feet and 6 inches.
Architecturally, the combination of two gables added visual interest and a pleasing complexity to the addition. Inside the addition, the plan worked well, too. The narrower front portion would be largely occupied by the walk-in closet. As a rule, such a closet should be at least 6 feet wide in order to hang clothes along each side, making the 6-foot, 9-inch dimension an excellent fit. The wider, rear part of the addition would house most of the new bathroom, with rear windows overlooking the private backyard.
First-Floor Suite
Even with the addition, this first-floor suite in an existing house would be relatively snug, making it important to use every inch wisely.
To learn more about how the Wentworth team used the space to meet the homeowners’ goals, download our eBook!
