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Annapolis Townhouse Renovation |
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The focus of this renovation was to reshape the floor plan to take full advantage of the view
from the backyard. With a view of the chapel dome of the Naval
Academy and portions of two landmark colonial sites, the backyard prospect was one of the few redeeming features
of this turn-of-the-century townhouse that most potential buyers had passed by.
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The starting point in the remodeling had to be the kitchen because it sat at the back of the house, monopolizing the good view. The kitchen was shifted to the middle of the house (overtaking space once occupied by a dining room), allowing the living room to take up residence at the back and take advantage of the impressive view. |
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The living room is bright and open. The goal of the design was to incorporate as much glass as possible, in a way that was sensitive to the old house. Columns and beams give the room definition, making it easy to forget that glass-- and not open air-- stands between them. The finished remodeling is anything but a glass box. It is more like a classic colonnade, a porch in the grand tradition that just happens to have glass between the pillars. It has an ambiguity of time, blending old and new. |
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The fireplace in the kitchen is a throwback from when the room functioned as a dining room. It provides a beautiful focus for meals eaten on the large marble-topped kitchen table. |
The completed kitchen looks like a meticulous
restoration. Topped by a rich cornice molding and with appliances
smoothly blended in, the room seems to step right out of the 19th
century. It is designed to be like a butler's pantry rather than a
kitchen, to play down the modern appliances.
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Much of the rich nosings, cornice moldings and trim
details are made up of simple stock lumber, plywood and half-round.
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Text adapted from "Elegance Meets
Innovation", Better Homes and Gardens Remodeling Ideas (Summer
1988).
Photographs by Maxwell MacKenzie. |
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