Historic Farmhouse

Location: Fairfax, VA

This historic home was showing it’s age. The kitchen was small, dark and outdated. There was no family room or laundry room and due to the location of the detached garage, the rear kitchen door was being used as the primary entrance. In addition to these challenges, the owners wanted an elegant new entrance, a breakfast room, a new master bath, a new garage and extensive renovations throughout.

Historic projects typically pose unique challenges and this old farmhouse was no exception. The architect’s primary concern was how to expand the home in a way that would embrace the design of the original farmhouse and meet the extensive owner requirements. The solution involved removal of the rear wall of the existing kitchen, renovation of the kitchen and building an enclosed porch addition across the back of the house to accommodate the breakfast room and family room. An enclosed breezeway with an articulated entry connects the 2-car garage and laundry room to the breakfast room, creating an elegant entry from the parking area. Extensive use of French doors and finish details like the bead board ceiling define the space and create a transition between the original home and the pool. The new garage was relocated and reconfigured to integrate and enhance the historic farmhouse.