8/7/09

Wentworth, Inc. Honored with Outstanding Award

Washington Spaces Honors Wentworth, Inc. with
Outstanding Award in the Best of Remodeling Competition.

Washington Spaces magazine named Wentworth, Inc. of Chevy Chase, Maryland, the Outstanding Recipient in the Washington Spaces Best of Remodeling Competition, in the category, interiors less than $100,000. The winning project is featured in the summer issue of Washington Spaces magazine.


About the Project
The winning design was a small but integral part of a first floor addition to a 1970s Colonial style home in Potomac, Maryland. Sometimes a small addition makes a big difference. This was the case for the 4’ x 30’ addition on this single family home. The existing narrow kitchen, small breakfast area, and screened porch did not fit the family’s needs. The homeowner requested a new larger kitchen with an island, a mud room with ample storage, and a breakfast space with banquette seating for six. The one-story rear addition made a significant difference in the home’s livability and functionality. The new addition was appropriately sized to maximize the interior space and work with an adjacent back patio.

The client requested an expansion of their kitchen and breakfast room but the addition’s size was constrained by an existing brick retaining wall. A steel beam and intermediate steel column were installed to open up the rear wall. The column was concealed within a new partition with a punched-opening that visually links the kitchen and dining areas.

Creative solutions include enclosing an existing screen porch as a mudroom with a service sink and cubbies. A bay window at the kitchen sink expands the depth of the counter top. Floor to ceiling windows at the breakfast area flood the room with natural light and are integrated with the custom banquette. Exterior stucco-like cladding gives the addition the appearance of a bay.

The four foot addition improves function and aesthetics. The homeowners feel the design achieved more than they had hoped for: breakfast room, kitchen with island, mud room, and improved rear facade. White painted cabinetry, glass cabinet doors, dark gray granite countertops, oak floors, and hip pendant light fixtures will remain functional and stylish for years to come.