One of the first and most important things to consider in a kitchen design is the layout. This focus on functionality ensures that the kitchen is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also convenient for everyday use. In the Upper Marlboro kitchen, we wanted to maintain roughly the same layout as the existing kitchen, with the sink underneath the window, and an island ...

The Fairmont living room was designed with entertaining in mind. This theme called for a largely open floor plan that provides a close connection to the kitchen. In place of a structural wall, we used a salvaged oak post and beam to shore up the floor above. Aside from being structural, this post and beam also serves to break up the large expanse of ceiling and draws ...

The master bath was a design challenge due to the relatively small size, and the fact that we needed to fit in closet space as well as a functional bathroom. Rather than squeezing in a bathtub, we decided to stick with a walk in shower. A floating vanity is designed to allow the eye to see the floor extend all the way to the wall, giving a feeling of spaciousness and ...

The all-important kitchen was even more so in 753 Fairmont St. Because of the open floor plan it was designed to be an anchoring element for the entire front room without becoming overpowering or ostentatious. To accomplish this, we chose a contemporary flush slab door style for the main cabinetry in a dark stained oak finish. Even the dishwasher has a matching panel....

Our client had very specific instructions for our design team for the lower-level powder bathroom: “Design and build a space that inspires conversation.” Initially this seemed like a strange request, but it began to make sense as our client explained her motivations further. Being a big entertainer, the powder bath (located adjacent to the kitchen towards the back of ...

One of the distinct advantages of the design/build model is that most, if not all of your design is done in-house. This means that projects are designed with the end goal in mind: a beautiful space that is both buildable and functional. It’s easy to design something that is functional in theory and extravagant on paper but ultimately, is impractical and impossible to ...

Constructing a water-tight shower pan and drain is an art, but is arguably the most important step when installing a tiled shower during a bathroom renovation. Grout joints between tiles are not watertight, so water will inevitably leak through these joints to the shower pan below. Therefore, the shower pan must have a system whereby leaking water is channeled into th...

Designing accessible master bathrooms on both the first and second floors at 753 was of particular importance to our clients as they have an elderly in-law who is confined to a wheelchair. Therefore, our design team recommended curb-less showers for both master bathrooms. One of the main concerns with a curb-less shower is controlling water flow and splashing. When de...

During the design process our design team and client considered a number of different flooring layouts and materials. Initially, the homeowner was interested in marmoleum in the kitchen, hardwood in the living room and halls, tile in the bathrooms, and a thick jute carpet in the bedrooms. Eventually this idea was abandoned for hardwood flooring throughout (with the ex...

The party wall separating the two units at 753 Fairmont Street from the adjoining residence was constructed with a double row of bricks and mortar. As was the case throughout the house, this wall was finished originally with a thick layer of plaster which we removed near the beginning of the remodeling project with the rest of the demolition work. (See Demolition for ...