Photos by Jenn Verrier
For Nick and Downey Magallanes, purchasing a 1940s rowhome in southeastern Old Town was a homecoming, of sorts.
Nick grew up in Old Town, attended St. Mary Catholic School, and married Downey at the church. His parents live nearby. So, when he and Downey bought their first home, Old Town was a natural fit.
Most of the homes they looked at in Old Town were a bit small for what they knew they’d need someday. Working with The Patterson Group real estate team at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, they settled on a rowhome with a large backyard — perfect for a bump out.
“We went into it knowing what we were going to do,” Nick said. “The house was very quaint and nice, but it was only two bedrooms.”
Before they even put in an offer on the home, they talked to both an architect and a builder to make sure expanding the home was possible.
“We knew it needed some work, and knew we’d need to expand it, but it had that really big backyard, so we were confident we could expand it out, and make it a long-term house that we could have kids in,” Nick said.
They got the timing right: Their first child was born right around the time their massive home renovation was completed in early September 2019.
Nick and Downey closed on the 1,500 square-foot, 1940s home in January 2018. It took until almost the end of that year to get final approval from Alexandria’s Board of Architectural Review. Construction started in March of 2019 and lasted through Labor Day.
They began their renovation journey by working with Alexandria architect Lyndl Joseph, AIA, NCARB, and then, with plans in hand, started the search for a builder that could help them achieve their goals and stay within budget.
Their vision was to take their three-story, two-bedroom row-home and add a rear addition to all three floors. In addition to expanding the main floor to add a powder room, create a much larger kitchen and add a great room, they wanted to add a rec room and legal bedroom in the basement, and add a new master suite to the upper floor.
On a recommendation from friends, they reached out to Marks-Woods Construction Services, a full-service Class A residential general contractor based in Old Town, who put together a proposal.
"We're used to working in Old Town," said Marks-Woods co-owner Drew Marks. "You have to be very friendly with the neighbors and establish some trust with them, 'cause you're right on top of each other."
Property access can also be a unique challenge with older rowhomes in Old Town.
“In Old Town, you're always working with access to the home — how can we dig right up against the property line? How do we get these large materials in very narrow passageways? Sometimes you're bringing in cranes for building materials. Those are always fun challenges," Greg Marks said.
Fortunately for the Magallanes’ budget, a crane wasn’t necessary. The home had a narrow alley down the north side of their home, and Marks-Woods was able to build a ramp just wide enough to squeeze an excavator into the backyard to dig out the basement.
It took about two weeks — while the Magallanes were still living in the home — to dig out the basement and pour the new foundation. Then, the couple decamped to Nick’s parents’ nearby Alexandria home.
One of the lessons that Marks-Woods learned after being in business the past 18 years is the benefit of having in-house interior designers to work closely with homeowners from the start of the project to help pick out all materials — from windows and doors to paint colors, cabinets, countertops, bathroom tiles and backsplash tiles.
It’s an almost-overwhelming number of decisions to make with a renovation this size. The one thing that caused the most doubt: The large size of the kitchen island. But it proved to be the right call, and Nick said they’re both really glad they made the kitchen the focal point of the addition.
With a nod to the past and Nick’s Old Town roots, the couple saved and re-hung an old dining room chandelier that was a family heirloom.
Blending the old with the new is an art form, Marks noted. "The idea of a good home renovation is you wouldn't be able to tell what's new and what's old."
For this project, the couple chose gold accents in the kitchen, instead of a safer choice such as stainless steel or black. "I'm a fan of gold, I think it's really stunning," said Danielle Walther, the Marks-Woods interior designer who led the design on this project — to the benefit of the home-owners’ busy schedules — much of which could be done virtually.
Prior to hiring Marks Woods, the couple started conversations with interior designer Campbell Minister of Decorated Interiors (she's also Downey's sister), whose expertise in space planning was critical to the process. Throughout the renovation, Minister worked in close collaboration with Walther, lending her experience to a variety of design elements large and small — from lighting fixtures and window treatments to family-friendly fabric selections, accent pillows and much more.
"We put together a comprehensive selection packet that could be fine-tuned as we go," Walther said. "As we make selections, I'll add that to the packet, send them an email so they can review it. They'll see links so they can read more about the actual products and learn about pricing. As we get into the nitty gritty of design, they'll see overall what the feel is like and what they'll be getting."
The gold finishes highlight the kitchen’s lights, cabinet hardware and faucets in the kitchen, which features white cabinetry and countertops. "The gold added a lot of warmth to the space," Walther noted.
"We used a cohesive palette that nodded back to a classic and timeless look that Alexandria homes have," Minister said.
"One of the biggest lessons we've learned is the homeowner and contractor have to be in tandem, on the same page," Marks said. "We try to take care of a lot of the selection process up front.
That way, there's no surprise on cost. It allows a more stress-free environment and helps project managers know when to release materials."
In the end, the couple — and their new baby — had a practically-new home that doubled their living space.
There are now three bedrooms on the second floor. The new master bedroom suite has his-and-her separate closets, a large linen closet and a bathroom with an oversized shower.
The first floor has the new dining room, kitchen, great room and powder room. The kitchen and the bar area have plenty of storage. The newly expanded basement has a rec room and legal bedroom in addition to the laundry room, an office and storage space.
The backyard is still large — in addition to grass and trees and space for their high-energy golden retriever, the Magallanes have a new patio and have officially returned to their “new” Old Town house.
