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A Discreet Upgrade for a Classic Bungalow SOMETIMES PART OF THE SUCCESS OF AN ADDITION PROJECT is that you can hardly tell it happened. Such was the case with a 1922 bungalow in Silver Spring, Maryland. Once the work was complete, a glance from the street showed a residence very much in the familiar bungalow spirit, with a big front porch, suitable materials and windows, and a front dormer for an upstairs bedroom—all framed by the home's original shade trees. Without before-and-after photos, a casual observer might not notice any change at all. This quiet, appropriate scene, however, is the result of some intense, careful planning and activity. In the course of the project, my design-build studio demolished and removed the house's roof, a high rear deck, and the entire upper floor (a converted attic)—with the sole exception of a bathroom, which was reused in the remodeled house. Once the deck, the roof, and the upper story were gone, we constructed a brand-new, full-height second floor, a new roof with front and back dormers, and a far more usable screen porch at the rear. Inside the house, the change on the second floor is like night and day. Family members can comfortably stand and move around freely in more spacious bedrooms, equipped with convenient, custom built-ins and added closets. But from the front, with the work now in place, the house doesn't look much different. And that is exactly what the owners desired.
left: Framed by trees, the finished project still looks and feels like a bungalow. While the new second floor would not
be found on an original bungalow, which would be a one-story design, it fits the house sympathetically with suitable materials and a front dormer for the bedroom.
From House to Home
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