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A Houck Designs Creating Spaces

Bungalow Redesign: Work in Progress

August 24, 2020

During the dog days of DC’s summer, our team has been dreaming of crisp mountain air and alpine panoramas. And we’ve been busy instilling that spirit in our Arlington bachelor pad project. Back in June, we shared our plans and schemes for the mountain-inspired spaces. I’m happy to report that the bungalow redesign is taking shape beautifully. Here, we’re pulling back the curtain on our process and giving you a peek at the progress to date.

Bungalow redesign renovation work in progress

To refresh your memory, our vision for the living room started out like this:

Rendering of living room for bachelor pad design

Laying the Floor Foundation

We begin most projects by assessing the interior architectural envelope and addressing any shortcomings or needed updates. And this Arlington bungalow had a few of each, which our top-notch general contractor, Chris Kupczak of K-Quality Services, helped us tackle. The existing oak floors gave off an orangey glow, so our first step was refinishing them throughout.

Refinishing stair treads in Arlington bungalow

Refinishing floors is messy work. The stair treads had to be sanded by hand. Some of the floor boards were damaged, so we patched and repaired as needed.

Patching and repairing oak hardwood floors

Luckily, we have a highly skilled team of craftsman, so the final result is seamless.

Crew refinishing wood floors in Arlington bungalow

We specified a fairly light finish — lighter than we normally do — to help the smaller spaces feel more airy. A matte topcoat protects Isaac, the owner’s mastiff, from slipping and sliding.

Refinished hardwood floors in Arlington living room

Climbing the Walls…and Ceilings

With the floors rejuvenated, we turned our attentions to the walls and ceilings. My team meticulously preps the walls before painting.

Prepping walls for paint application

Even with a comparably small project, such as this bungalow design, we always draw up a detailed paint schedule for our contractor to ensure that we are all on the same page.

Bungalow redesign paint schedule

We leave nothing to chance because there are a lot of moving parts to any paint job…with different colors and finishes for the walls, ceiling and trim.

Collection of paint cans for Arlington bungalow project

Speaking of trim, the question of crown molding always comes up in a renovation. This 1960s home had none and, given the relaxed look we were after and the somewhat low ceiling heights, we considered foregoing it. I felt, however, that the spaces needed a little something for added interest. But nothing frou-frou would do! We created a bespoke, modern crown treatment by milling a 5/8” x 5.1/2” trim to this final shape:

Streamlined crown molding installed in Arlington living room

Streamlining the Stair Railing

Aesthetically, one of the most impactful changes we made in this bungalow redesign was updating the ’60s-era stair railing. This is what it looked like before (and you can glimpse the original orange tone of the wood floors, pre-refinishing):

Living room stair railing before

As you can see, every other metal baluster was twisted. We envisioned a sleeker, more uniform look. What I love about this makeover story is that we worked with what was already there and salvaged the original balustrade. We removed the railing, cut out the twisted balusters, and welded new streamlined ones in place to match the others.

Stair railing redesign in process

We then banished the curlicue and the entire balustrade received a coat of dark brown paint. To complete the transformation, we added an oak cap, which waterfalls down the front edge, and handrail with a clean block look.

New streamlined stair railing Arlington bungalow redesign

Improving Kitchen Functionality

Next we turned our attention to the kitchen. The space was gorgeously reimagined a few years ago by Arlington’s Kitchen & Bath Factory, giving us a great starting place.

Kitchen in Arlington bungalow

Besides a fresh coat of paint, we added form and function by installing a funky trio of exposed-bulb glass pendants from Tracy Glover Objects and Lighting over the island.

Newly installed kitchen island pendants

We focused most of our efforts, however, on an alcove at the far end. It had become a catch-all space for mops, dog leashes, trash receptacles, and other trappings of daily life. Take a peek:

Arlington Kitchen alcove before

Clearly, storage was an issue! We designed and installed a functional solution, which includes a bench with drawers below and a tall pantry on the right.

Installation of cabinets in Arlington kitchen alcove

All it needs now is a soft bench cushion for Isaac, the 120-pound “pup.”

Newly installed storage cabinets in Arlington kitchen

Making the Most of a Bungalow Bedroom

Storage was doubly a concern in the tight master bedroom — where we had a jumble of cords to contend with.

Arlington bungalow master bedroom before

Our plan called for a function-packed bed wall, with a floor-to-ceiling storage cabinet to one side and open cubbies across the top. The team at Closet Factory in Tysons Corner helped us realize our vision last week.

Functional master bedroom bed wall

The apropos name of the finish on this masculine bed and storage unit is Casting at First Light.

And to control the cord situation, the built-in nightstands are outfitted with power grommets for multi-device charging.

Setting an Audiophile’s Sound Stage

As you might have guessed from all the cords and devices, our client is quite a techie. He wanted his bachelor pad to be wired for sound, so we placed electrical outlets and Sonos brackets in some ceiling corners to provide an efficient, permanent network for his Play:1 wireless speakers throughout the home…an audiophile’s dream.

Ceiling corner outlets for Sonos Play:1 speaker

Bungalow Redesign Nearing Completion

We can’t wait to show you the finished spaces, so look out for our Big Reveal! We’ve loved immersing ourselves in these mountain-inspired spaces the past few months and hope you’ve been able to escape, at least mentally, this summer.

About Andrea Houck

Andrea Houck is a highly recognized interior designer based in the Washington, D.C. area.  She founded A. Houck Designs, a full-service firm providing residential interior design and construction consulting. She is also the founder of Creating Spaces, where she shares her latest design inspirations and tips, as well as behind-the-scenes project updates.

With a fine arts background, Andrea is known for her carefully crafted compositions that prioritize balance, scale and proportion. Her design portfolio runs the style gamut, from traditional to modern to somewhere in between. Andrea’s wide-ranging work has been featured in Elle Decor, Flower Magazine, The Washington Post, Home & Design and Arlington Magazine, among others.

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A Houck Designs Creating Spaces