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Project: Crittenden Street House, “Palm Springs in Petworth,” is how William Smith,
Washington, DC AIA, describes his recent makeover of a traditional
craftsman house on a tree-lined residential street.
Architect: StudioSmith Smith, principal of StudioSmith, was responding to
Interior Designer: Caryn Cramer the needs of his client, Trish Hoppey, who wanted lots
Landscape Architects: Molly Scott Exteriors of natural light, a seamless flow of entertaining spaces,
Structural Engineers: 1200 Architectural Engineers a connection to the outdoors, and, of course, a pool.
MEP Engineers: J + M Engineering
Civil Engineers: CAS Engineering “I had been looking for a mid-century modern, but
Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry: Archer Modern couldn’t find anything like that in the neighborhoods
General Contractor: Cunningham and Welsh where I wanted to live,” explained Hoppey. She wanted
her new home to be a hub for her extended family
and large circle of friends and a place where she could
easily accommodate overnight guests.
What Hoppey did find was a neglected but
spacious single-family home with good bones and a
welcoming front porch in a re-invigorated part of the
city. The surrounding houses are of similar vintage,
relatively large, on ample lots, and built in varying
traditional styles. “The street is beautiful with
comfortable homes and large trees and lots,” explained
the architect. “I definitely wanted to respect that and
maintain a street façade that was contextually cohesive.”
While the street façade remains essentially
traditional, exterior hints promise a contemporary
interior: perforated steel mesh steps mount to the porch,
slender steel elements support the porch roof, and a
streamlined front door greets the visitor. “When we
removed the 1950s-era vinyl siding,” reported Smith,
“we found the original cedar shakes, although they
were deteriorated beyond use. So to recall the original
material, we re-clad the front façade with shake siding.”
But once a visitor passes over the threshold, things
get really interesting. A light-filled floating stair
commands the entry. Fabricated of steel, white oak, and
glass, the stair appears airy and delicate, allowing light
from above to fill the main living level. The homeowner
and architect both recount that during an early pre-
renovation walk-through, someone happened to open a
door to the upper level allowing natural light from attic
Rear façade of the Crittenden Street
house before renovation.
Photo © StudioSmith Renovated front façade with new steel columns supporting porch.
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