Interior Alterations
Reconciling historic charm with living today
One of the best kept secrets of Holmes Run Acres is a small outcrop of homes that lies just outside the proper boundary of the neighborhood. It was here that a discerning couple discovered a hidden gem — a modified “Bodor” model designed by architects Satterlee and Lethbridge, nestled on a hillside with elegant mid-century modern style and unobstructed views of the woods and Holmes Run stream. A tranquil retreat by any measure, the home nonetheless had its share of constraints that would need to be addressed in time.
Identifying Architectural Opportunities
The homeowners came to the project with a clear appreciation for the historic value of their home and a commitment to making upgrades that would honor rather than compromise it. They turned to deJong Studio, confident in our ability to extend the home’s original charm into the new work. Their immediate focus was the shared hall and master bath, which — due to a common shower — compromised privacy for both. They envisioned two entirely separate bathrooms but were unsure how to achieve this within the limited space. This would be the first of two projects undertaken with deJong Studio. A few years later, attention would turn to the small, isolated kitchen that made cooking a cramped and solitary task.
Adding a new and fluid connection between kitchen/dining has aligned this mid-century modern home with the open lifestyle young families enjoy today
Developing the Design
We approached the project with a focus on enhancing functionality while preserving the home’s mid-century modern appeal. The design for the baths centered on rich natural materials and refined detailing — slate, custom-built millwork, Duravit plumbing fixtures, and bespoke lighting. These choices not only resolved the privacy issue but elevated both spaces to a new level of quiet elegance in keeping with the restrained sophistication of the original home.
The kitchen presented a different challenge. Its existing layout isolated the cook from the rest of the house, making what should be the social heart of the home feel like a back-of-house function. The solution began with significantly enlarging the exterior windows, flooding the space with natural light and restoring a connection to the landscape that is so central to mid-century modern design. Opening the wall between the kitchen and dining room — and closing the doorway that sat just inside the front door — created a more open, inviting and functional arrangement, freeing the space from its narrow confines.
The material palette was carefully considered: GE Cafe Series appliances, midnight blue cabinets, a “mid-century white” Heath tile backsplash, and fresh concrete solid surface countertops in a honed finish. Quiet but confident, the choices speak the language of the original house while meeting the demands of contemporary living.
Harmonizing Old and New
Preserving the home’s mid-century modern essence was central to both projects. Existing mahogany panels were carefully removed and reinstalled to ensure a seamless integration of old and new — the kind of alteration that looks as though it were always part of the original design. The new kitchen now allows for joint cooking and easy entertaining, and has become the hub of family activity it was always meant to be.
Enlarging exterior windows in a compact kitchen adds light and a connection to the outdoors that increases a perception of spaciousness
The Polished Results of Thoughtful Renovations
Across two phases of work, these interior alterations have brought this Falls Church, Virginia mid-century modern home fully into alignment with the way its owners live today — without sacrificing an ounce of the character that drew them to it in the first place. A hidden gem in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington DC, it remains exactly that: understated, refined, and very much at home in its wooded hillside setting.
Opening a wall in a compact kitchen creates a broader sense of space even if the kitchen proper footprint remains the same
Builder: T.W. Herren and Custom Home Remodeling Inc.
