A contemporary update to a colonial-style house includes a subtly modern master suite renovation.
Adding a touch of modern to the classic lines of a traditional house is a challenge familiar to many of today’s architects and designers. And, as architect John K. Burke, principal at Studio 27 Architecture in Washington, D.C. learned, some homeowners for such projects have a keen eye for details, finishes, and aesthetics. Burke realized this was especially true for a pair of recent clients who showed him images culled from their international art collection. “When we started, they had three hundred photos and two videos of their collection,” says Burke. “By the time we had finished with the house, [every piece of art] had been specifically placed and properly lit.”
Art in the master suite was kept to a minimum, which allows the crisp lines of the architecture to show through. The front facade of the 1920’s era colonial style home features steeply pitched roof lines and sharp angles that are reflected in the master suite addition that projects off the rear of the house. To blend the new with the old, Burke chose copper, an exterior sheathing that seamlessly melds everything together. “The materials we used on the job were all high-quality and were made to last for the next hundred years,” Burke says.
The high roofline in the master bath was used to good effect by providing large expanses of wall space that could then be carved out and replaced with fixed glass panels. The result was a jaw-dropping view of the green space outside. The master suite occupies an area on top of the garage that used to hold a walk out patio that didn’t see much use.
The overall design goals were simple and to the point. “They wanted modern,” says Burke, “very modern.” Dramatic angles, curves, and glass set the stylistic tone.The modern touches begin with the clever use of glass block along the wall that borders the adjoining property. “The glass block provides some light but also shields the space from the neighbors,” says Burke. The same wall also holds a high mounted television to keep up on the days’ events or for lounging in the soaking tub with the soaps.
A dilemma posed by mounting dual mirrors on the wall of glass block was solved by using the window framing. “We used a system of rods and posts that extend to the bottom of the sill that makes the mirrors look like theyÍre hanging,” says Burke. The medicine cabinet next to the mirrors appears as a work of art rendered in wood with twin hand towel racks that mimic the horizontal line of the dark green, granite-topped vanity.
Dramatic angles, curves, and glass set the stylistic tone.
Asian and African influence can be found in the decor enhancing the space’s distinctly international feel.
The vanity top extends the full length of the room, guiding the eye from one design delight to the next. “We wanted to extend the view of the space,” says Burke. The idea of carrying forms across the entire space is also reflected in the platform that the bathtub sits on. By extending the platform into the shower stall, a seat is created. The shower surround is tiled in Jerusalem stone and multiple showerheads makes staying clean an exhilarating experience.
A separate toilet room ensures privacy while a hydronic radiant heat system gives the owners toasty towels and warm floors.The master bedroom of the suite is separated by a rice-papered shoji screen. The door allows light to enter the space, affords privacy and doesn’t take up the room needed for a conventional style door. Extensive use of exotic anegre wood warms the master bedroom as the natural finish appears as wall paneling and a custom-made combination fireplace and storage cabinet. To tie the rooms together, anegre was also used on the vanity, around the tub platform, and even on custom screens under the vanity that hide the sink plumbing. Asian and African influence can be found in the dŽcor enhancing the space’s distinctly international feel. “One of the homeowners lived in the Far East for awhile so you can see that in the furnishings,” says Burke.
The vanity top extends the full lenght of the room, guiding the eye from one design delight to the next.
The master suite addition was just a part of the puzzle in what turned out to be a whole house renovation. The design phase took five months, construction lasted almost a year, and the amazing results are clear enough for everybody to appreciate. For Burke, the work in the master bath succeeds because his clients gave him the freedom and trust that allowed him to push his design skills to a new level. “It’s just so dramatically different then it was,” says Burke. From a patio on top of a flat roof garage to a truly unique and extraordinary master suite–dramatic indeed.
Scott Sowers is a frequent contributor to ChesapeakeHome.
Contact:
Studio 27 Architecture: studio27arch.com or 202-939-0027
