Renovation of Tudor Home Earns Award

Kimmel Studio Architects Infused New Life Into This Ninety-Year-Old Country Home

Architect Lawrence Hall Fawler built this house in 1928. Fawler is the author of such Maryland landmarks as the War Memorial on City Hall Plaza (1921), the John Work Garrett Library at Evergreen House (1922-41), and the Hall of Records in Annapolis (1934).

Four and a half, semi-forested acres with many well-established trees and vegetation surround the stone country home.

The homeowners love the towering trees and enjoy living in a house with history and character. However, in their own words, some rooms felt "dark and old.” A few of them had not seen updates since 1928. The owners wished to create a less formal feel for their large family gatherings. They also wanted to decide what to do with a dilapidated carriage house that sat next to the house. Finally, they desired to connect the house to the gardens.

The clients called Kimmel Studio Architects because we are known for our ability to integrate the old and the new. We were a perfect fit.

A strategic harnessing of the tension between tradition and modernity results in a light-filled and sophisticated home. Tradition dictated our avoidance of fundamental alterations to the look and scale of the beautifully-proportioned main house. At the same time, we reinterpreted and revitalized the traditional Tudor language of the home to serve the contemporary tastes and needs of the owners.

One of the problems with the original layout was that the kitchen was cut off from what was traditionally considered the "main rooms." The renovation made sure that the kitchen became a central space in itself. A formerly dark and small room, the kitchen was enlarged to allow light from two sides of the house. Custom cabinets and millwork replaced the old ones. New flooring and also new white oak timber ceilings complete the ensemble. They create a bright kitchen with both texture and character.

New white oak timber beams also decorate the ceiling of the master bedroom. The ceiling used to be lower, and we decided to raise it. Raising the roof allowed us to add an extra window to infuse more natural light into the room. We also enlarged the master bedroom to fit an all-marble spacious bathroom, and a new walk-in closet.

Floor plan adjustments also opened the house to the gardens by adding an entry porch and a huge back porch. On the garden side of the house, we added a large veranda for family dining and entertaining. This blending of indoor and outdoor rooms creates abundant light all over the house--even in the carriage house.

The existing carriage house and its connector to the main house were removed to make way for a new carriage house with a powder room, a mudroom, a play loft, and a family room. The new family room is double-high and timber-framed.

A glass-and-stone hyphen connects the addition to the main house. The stone from the original carriage house was reused to create the center feature of the hyphen: a large fireplace. Iron French doors and windows make up two of the walls of the hyphen. They create "glass walls" to feature panoramic views of the lush garden. The doors open to an inviting covered porch. It has reclaimed timber framing and bluestone floors.

Kimmel explains:

"The stone, the timber, the marble, and the other materials selected speak to our preference for materials that add texture and that accrue character over years of loving use."

Kimmel also observes that all the renovations and additions to the house were sympathetic to Fawler's Tudor style vision.

Kimmel Studio Architects adapted the 1920s aesthetics to meet the needs of a twenty-first-century family who loves to entertain in indoor-outdoor rooms. Their effort was recognized by the satisfied homeowners. The owner of the house enthusiastically recommends architect Devin Kimmel:

Devin is exceptional. Besides being easy to work with, he was pleasant and always available. Thanks to him I have a gorgeous home. I highly recommend!!!

and also by the architectural community. The renovation, indeed, was granted an award by the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.