['Steve Hershberger\nFour Brothers', 'Steve Hershberger\nFour Brothers', 'Steve Hershberger\nFour Brothers Design + Build'] Four Brothers Design + Build
Life runs more smoothly now for the Halley/Carnahan family since the renovation on their Del Ray home was completed one year ago. Looking back, homeowners Devon Halley and Carolyn Carnahan remember powering through the pandemic in their small 1920s bungalow and realizing they needed more space and more privacy as their daughter entered kindergarten.
Despite not having enough closet space and using their dining room table as a dumping ground, the main driving factor was that this family of three needed another bathroom. Their one-story home had only one bathroom and not even a half-bath. Carnahan recalls thinking, “If nothing else, please, we need a second bath!”
Halley and Carnahan bought their home 10 years ago when they were featured on HGTV’s “My First Place,” a show that focused on first-time homebuyers. The couple fell in love with the Del Ray neighborhood and moved fast to purchase the bungalow there. It was a good fit for them at the time.
Now with a young daughter and feeling cramped, it was time to transform their starter home into one they could live in for years.
“We are detailed-oriented people to a fault,” says Halley. “We thought carefully on what we wanted done for this home and spent time visualizing each room.”
They took their design inspirations to Four Brothers Design + Build — a company that was in sync with what they envisioned, and who also provided unique solutions to turn this traditional home into one that was bold and modern. From the initial meeting with Four Brothers, Halley says he “liked their vibe and was impressed with their portfolio.”
By working with them, this family got much more than a second bath and even got to use some of their “grandest ambitions" when it came to remodeling. They doubled their 1,150-square-foot home to one that is now 2,445 square feet by adding on a usable second story and reconfiguring the downstairs layout.
Seamless Design and Build
['Steve Hershberger\nFour Brothers', 'Steve Hershberger\nFour Brothers Design + Build'] Four Brothers Design + Build
Four Brothers Design + Build was started in 2006 by the Johnson brothers. Based in Washington, D.C, this firm provides “architecture, design and construction services all in-house and under one umbrella,” according to its website.
Having the architect and designer on the same team makes for a seamless process from start to finish, agrees Kristen Mendoza, a project designer for Four Brothers, who worked on the Halley/ Carnahan project.
For this Del Ray home’s redesign, Four Brothers did need to bring on one of their former architects, CJ LaMora. The pandemic had overwhelmed many firms with homeowners wanting renovations, and this firm was no different when the homeowners first contacted them in 2021.
LaMora, who opened his own firm, Circle Square Cross Architecture, knew the firm’s system well, he says. He was able to work on the exterior design and the indoor layout plan, with Mendoza tweaking the interior plans. “We were able to give the clients the full service that Four Brothers is known for,” LaMora explains.
The homeowners say they appreciated the “planning transparency and communication” from the entire Four Brothers team, including the “excellent transition from design and into build.”
A Complete Remodel
The design process took some time as the first floor was reconfigured since it was going to be gutted, and the second-story attic space was a blank slate in terms of layout. Even though the home would retain its original footprint, this renovation project was a complete remodel.
Architect LaMora explains that this created an opportunity to “think holistically about this house since it [a complete remodel] opens up a whole range of possibilities.”
The homeowners were ready to overhaul much of the interior of the home since it was starting to show its age at 100 years old, including concerns with its plumbing and electrical systems. Plus, the original hardwood floors were weakened from being refinished too many times, and the untouched single-pane windows were not energy efficient.
• an upstairs addition with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, office space in the vaulted room, plus a washer/dryer room off the hallway;
• a newly built stairwell from the first floor to the second floor addition;
• a reconfigured downstairs layout featuring a shifted front door opening into a new foyer, a spacious galley kitchen, bathroom and dining/living room area with a new wood-burning fireplace;
• dark gray exterior siding along with an A-frame roof, new windows, updated front porch and a balcony off the master bedroom suite.
The Halley/Carnahan renovation enabled the designers to get creative as they transformed the home into a modern refuge for the family. “The clients weren’t afraid to take risks and push the envelope with it,” explains Mendoza.
LaMora agrees that the home is “very unique and boundary-pushing,” with a design reflecting a modernized bungalow. However, he says, “We knew that this renovated house could still fit into the fabric of that community since the neighborhood had diverse styles of homes.”
The Kitchen - a Key Renovation
['Steve Hershberger\nFour Brothers', 'Steve Hershberger\nFour Brothers Design + Build'] Four Brothers Design + Build
The kitchen is now the hub of this home — a welcoming, spacious and usable room for the family. Its renovation was a key design requirement for the lower level since the “before” kitchen was tight and problematic.
The kitchen had limited natural light and an awkward layout, including an inconvenient jog around one corner and a bump-out space at the back that wasn’t useful. Different types of flooring made it feel like separate areas and not one cohesive kitchen.
“The upgrades to the kitchen by the previous owners about 10 years beforehand were more like a facelift and not an opportunity to move things around,” LaMora explains.
His design extended the kitchen into the bump-out area, which created a long, wide galley kitchen that wasn’t restrictive with its “open-flow-like” layout. The refrigerator, oven and sink are now positioned conveniently for cooking and food prep.
Mendoza gave the homeowners lots of counter space and more cabinets, including a hidden appliance “garage” with outlets — a place to store and easily use their mixer, food processor, toaster and rice maker. Carnahan loves the appliance garage and appreciates these types of details from the design team. The floating glass shelves above the coffee/cocktail bar area is another feature that “makes the space look natural and elegant at the same time,” she says.
Inspiration for the deep green color for the kitchen cabinets came from Carnahan’s garden. “I can look out the window and see evergreens in the backyard and this color [on the cabinets] could tie in the outdoors,” she explains. She wanted earth tones and “something darker and saturated but nothing crazy,” she continues.
To offset the dark green cabinets, the homeowners selected a white marble countertop and white hand-glazed tiles that reach to the ceiling. “It’s a study in contrasts,” Carnahan says. “Contrasts that play off each other, and it’s a look we thought would age well.” The muted hardwood floors that were installed also help to soften the contrasts within the space.
A Glass Statement Piece
['Steve Hershberger\nFour Brothers', 'Steve Hershberger\nFour Brothers', 'Steve Hershberger\nFour Brothers Design + Build'] Four Brothers Design + Build
The glass half-partition wall with steel framing throughout is a bold statement piece, separating the spacious galley kitchen from the dining/living room area. The homeowners wanted an “industrialized restaurant look.”
Even though the kitchen makes a bold impression, the unique glass wall between the kitchen and dining/living area is eye-catching. Halley brought this idea to the design team at their initial meeting since he wanted “a really cool statement piece” to divide the two spaces.
The homeowners wanted an “industrialized restaurant look” so the designers played around with ideas and came up with the glass half-partition wall with steel framing throughout. It is something the team had never done before. This creative opportunity is another reason they enjoyed working with the homeowners, who were open to such visionary ideas, acknowledges Mendoza.
This custom-made piece works well as a transition from the kitchen into the adjoining dining/living room area. The clear glass also boosts the amount of natural light that can spread throughout the lower level.
‘One Big Open Space’
The homeowners and their daughter find the lower level’s openness very suitable for their lifestyle. It’s now one large rectangular space, and the glass wall allows them to see each other easily from different vantage points.
“Everyone can be in this big open space together, doing their own thing and not trampling on each other,” Halley describes. He could be cooking dinner in the kitchen, his wife reading by the fireplace, and his daughter doing crafts at the dining room table. “Before, with how the home was divided, we wouldn’t see each other. Now we don’t feel alone,” he continues.
To create a more seamless look, Mendoza added wainscoting on the walls around the entire living and dining room space. But she also needed to find a way to define these two areas since each served different purposes.
She explains that building a new fireplace cemented the center of the living room area, and the built-in cabinetry flanking it on either side helped. To prevent the teak dining table from floating within the space, Mendoza positioned it off to the side in the corner. The table’s bench seating wraps along the wall, butting against the half-wall partition. This placement not only sets the dining area apart, but it also maximizes the available space.
The new foyer with a stairway to the second floor is just off the living/dining room area. By shifting the front door to the far side of the house, LaMora was able to give the homeowners a foyer and a more usable staircase. “Part of this project was asking: How do we traverse to the second floor and where do we take out space?” he explains.
The family says the foyer keeps them organized as they come and go, especially on busy mornings when their daughter heads off to elementary school. Coats and shoes are stored in a closet located under the stairwell, and the bench is the perfect spot for their daughter’s backpack.
Making It Feel Connected
When it came to grand design ambitions, the wood-burning fireplace in the living room was top of the list. Even the homeowners didn’t realize the amount of work it was to build and install one from scratch.
“I love the smell and sound of a wood-burning fireplace,” Halley says, referencing his time growing up in Pennsylvania. “However, masonry for chimneys is expensive and caught us by surprise.” It was well worth the cost since they use it regularly, making the living room area feel more cozy, he confirms.
LaMora agrees that building a complete new chimney system with its flue and liner required lots of detailed oversight and time with masons. Around the fireplace and on top of the cabinets, Mendoza selected a natural soapstone with a dark black-green coloring that gives a nod to the kitchen cabinet color.
Just above the fireplace is a large-screen television that looks like a piece of art. You can pull the television out from the wall and swing it around to watch from the dining room table. This feature, along with a sound system with ethernet wiring, was another must-have for Halley. He’s got an impressive vinyl record collection and worked with Gramophone, a home audio/ theater company in Maryland, to install 11 invisible speakers — two in the kitchen and nine in the dining/living area.
The fireplace, the glass wall and the sound/media system contribute to the cohesive dynamic that the family experiences when they’re in this lower level space, Halley says. “There is now a flow, a vision and a sound to the home that feels connected.”
Bonus Design Elements Upstairs
Upstairs facing the front of the house is an office space with a vaulted ceiling — the striking A-frame roof and triangular windows are seen from the outside. The homeowners credit LaMora with this design idea for the small bonus space. “That’s where I spend my 9 to 5,” Halley says. “Before, I worked in the basement in a windowless corner.”
Down the hall are two full bathrooms and three bedrooms, including the primary bedroom suite. One huge plus for the family is more closet space in each bedroom. Carnahan is very happy to no longer have a 1920s closet with limited room for her clothing. Halley and his daughter no longer have to share a closet.
Yet it’s the bonus balcony off the master bedroom that has become an unexpected delight. LaMora gets credit again for this design idea to reinforce the bump-out space below for a balcony. Carnahan now enjoys looking at her garden from up there, and the half-wall provides some privacy from neighbors.
Mendoza admits she had fun designing the main bathroom and continued the saturated color theme upstairs. The deep green-black soapstone with its unique veining can be found on the sink's countertop and in the shower. This coloring, along with the dark tiled shower and flooring, contrast nicely with the light wood cabinets — a look the homeowners love. The hardware’s mixed metals make the bathroom more playful, working well together.
LaMora also added a series of skylights in each bathroom and one at the top of the staircase landing to increase the amount of natural light for the north side of the house, which doesn’t get direct sunlight. Another distinct feature is the “ribbon-style window placement” that wraps around the southern-facing side of the second level.
A Striking Exterior
“Bold is beautiful for the color they landed on,” LaMora recalls when describing the homeowner’s desire for a deep saturated palette for the home’s exterior. They chose an iron gray, an almost charcoal color for the siding. “From far away, it looks almost black in certain light,” LaMora says.
The A-frame roof and triangular windows add to the drama of the home’s front facade. The exposed stained wood — a contrast from the bold gray — honors the original roof of the bungalow’s porch.
"We took craftsman cues to articulate the porch," La Mora describes. "It harkens back to what it was."
Both Carnahan and Halley feel grateful for the renovation and how their home is now more appropriate for how their family lives. No more eating dinner at the coffee table and no more stressful ornings sharing one bathroom, they emphasize.
