PRO Remodeler of the Year Grand Award Winner – Residential Exterior
Our homeowners love to host small groups of friends and family. They wanted to extend their living area to include outdoor living. The new outdoor space needed to be close to their dining area for ease of access and large enough to accommodate four adults for casual dining and conversation while still feeling cozy. We were able to meet the clients’ needs by designing and building a beautiful structure that met all their needs and added to the look of their existing home seamlessly, inside, and out.
Client Objectives:
- To have outdoor living space protected from the weather and insect free
- For the space to be located near their dining room for ease of access when entertaining and complement/retain their existing stone patio and retaining walls
- Retaining the light into their kitchen/family room was also an important factor in location of the new screened porch
- Adequate space for casual dining and lounge seating for four
- To have outdoor space with a wood burning fireplace
- Control surface water running toward the rear of the home
Before: Before and after floor plans demonstrate the location of the new porch near the dining room while preserving the clients’ existing stone patio and retaining wall.
After: Placement also protects the natural light coming into the windows of the kitchen/breakfast and family rooms.
Before: Existing bedroom windows and basement areaway could not be obstructed.
After: By adding a vestibule/extension to the home, the new screened porch structure does not impede existing bedroom windows.
After: We needed to get creative with the design to not impede existing upper-level bedroom windows and the basement areaway.
After: New vestibule to screened porch structure allows access to existing area way/stairs to basement.
Before Area Way / Exterior Basement Stairs
This photo more closely demonstrates how the design and construction of a vestibule connecting the porch to the house allows for the retention of the upper-level bedroom windows and the basement areaway / exterior stairs with original head height.
Before
This photo from the western side of the screened porch demonstrates: 1. Retention of the existing stone patio and retaining wall. 2. Retention of unobstructed views from the kitchen/family room windows.
Photos from inside demonstrate how the new “connector” vestibule solved the challenge of linking to the new porch to the dining room with a beautiful yet practical design.
It was important to the client that the screened porch be an extension of the dining room.
Close up, the new vestibule provides a gracious transition space from the inside of the home to the new screened porch.
The hardwood flooring of the interior space transitions to 6” IPE tongue and groove flooring with oil finish in the porch.
The interior of the screened porch has all the features the clients’ wanted: Casual dining for four, lounge seating for four, and a wood burning fireplace.
The lounge area cozies up to the room’s focal point, a beautiful stone fireplace.
This stone wood-burning fireplace makes the whole porch feel special. The fireplace is wrapped in Western Maryland Sandstone, inside and outside, to match the existing stone patio and retaining wall. It has two-inch bluestone caps on the hearth and upper shelves. It has a stunning reclaimed 6” X 6” X 48”, timber mantel that is rough sawn and prefinished in light brown stain to complement the rest of the wood tones in the porch. And it has a gas log starter to make starting a fire easier.
Other features inside the porch: 1. 4 X 8 natural wood timber beams and natural stained cathedral ceilings bring the outdoors in. 2. Screeneeze screen panels keep the insects out. 3. Painted Azek bead board knee walls give the space a casual, yet polished look. 4. Posts are wrapped with PVC trim for increased integrity and durability. 5. Recessed lighting on dimmer switches allow for any level of mood lighting. 6. A dark bronze lighted ceiling fan with mahogany blades complements the surrounding wood finishes.
Space within the porch is ample enough for a dedicated casual eating area and television nook… leaving plenty of space for this fun and fashionable Arhus hanging chair.
Additional views of the whole interior of the porch from every angle.
Side view
The new screened porch not only transitions well from the inside but connects to the outside patio and backyard views seamlessly.
The materials used on the porch exterior complement the existing home and patio while also being functional and easily maintained. Matching porch shingles to the existing home • Stone on fireplace matches the existing patio and retaining wall • Bluestone caps on ledges and steps leading from the porch • Azek panels and trim are attractive and durable • Antique bronze exterior sconces emulate the more traditional feel of the home’s exterior.
Before… the rear yard has a deep slope toward the back of the house creating water drainage challenges for the new screened porch.
The location of the screened porch not only met the clients’ aesthetic and functional needs but gave us an opportunity to help with the yard’s existing drainage problems.
Going beyond the design and construction of the porch, we used multiple innovative techniques to solve an existing drainage issue. While constructing the porch, we: Regraded the soil underneath the new porch to create better water diversion • Installed a new underground drainage system • Created a 24-inch River Jack bed on two sides of the porch facing the slope to further help divert water to the new system • Built a sturdy CMU foundation with 18-inch clearance crawl space • All gutters run into the underground drainage system
The screened porch meets all the clients’ aesthetic and functional needs.
Award Winning Remodelers in Northern Virginia – Bowers Design Build has specialized in providing the best overall experience in the remodeling industry since 1990. Bowers Design Build specializes in Northern Virginia Remodeling and Northern Virginia Custom Homes. Our numerous industry remodeling awards have been great, but the true measure of our success has been high marks in overall customer satisfaction
Service areas: McLean, Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, Oakton, Great Falls, Alexandria, Fairfax County and Middleburg.
Specializing in: Northern Virginia New Custom Homes, Northern Virginia Whole House Renovations, Northern Virginia Kitchen Renovations, Northern Virginia Master Bathroom Renovations, Northern Virginia Interior Renovations, Northern Virginia Basement Renovations, Renovations for Aging-in-Place and Northern Virginia Outdoor Living Spaces.
