Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Architecture Wednesday: A.F. Maxwell House

While most residences in Washington DC are row homes, stately manors, or condos, this home, designed by George T. Ward in 1961, is distinguished by its midcentury-modern aesthetic with its sweeping glass facades and spacious cantilevered terraces.

The 3,344-square-foot, four-bedroom dwelling has had one major, though seamless, renovation when some of those decks, as well as a living room, were added in 1987. The original steel beams were extended to the roofline, creating additional indoor and outdoor spaces. The sellers renovated the kitchen and bathrooms in keeping with the midcentury modern aesthetic.

The home was custom-built, so there are lots of unique features such as the nearly 10-foot ceilings and the walls of glass. The addition opened up the kitchen and adjacent family room, and the addition of a large frosted sliding window can close the kitchen off from the dining room. The kitchen has orange cabinetry along with a modern eight-burner BlueStar commercial-grade range.

The living room addition is bright and airy with lots of natural light, built-in cabinets, floor-to-ceiling windows, and beautiful hardwood flooring. There’s also a built-in bookcase near the floating staircase, which leads to the primary suite with a private terrace off the bathroom.

It doesn’t fit the Washington aesthetic per se, but would you want to live in a house that does that?

29 comments:

  1. krayolakris9:27 AM

    A beautiful home, great architecture and furnishings. I love how it’s both cozy and open. The bookshelves, the den, the balcony…!

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    Replies
    1. That's what I like about it, too!

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  2. God no, that just looks like my inner-city primary school!

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I can see midcentury schoolhouse in it.

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  3. The steps look scary to me. And no garage?

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    Replies
    1. I love the stairs, but I do need a garage, too!

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  4. Anonymous10:34 AM

    TDM
    An orange kitchen, that's got to
    be a first?
    xoxo :-)

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    Replies
    1. I'm kinda liking the orange ...
      xoxo

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  5. Nipper10:56 AM

    Let's not forget the floor plan. I love floor plans.

    https://www.compass.com/m/e2a0dcaf81101f8942255ef036887b6bca94aa10_img_27_13431/1500x1000.jpg

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for finding them, the site I checked didn't have them, and I love to see the floorplans!

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  6. Take away the orange and that would be perfect.

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  7. I'm sort of mixed on this one. The outside looks exactly like a discovery school I went to when I was a little wee one before kindergarten. The thing I liked best about the inside was the floating staircase with the adjacent bookshelves. I can appreciate the design but I don't think this is me.

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    1. I like it, but I see schoolhouse building from the 60s in it, too. But I love the interior spaces and the windows.

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  8. Not my style. Looks like a suburban elementary school on the outside (and in places inside, too). Nice setting, airiness, and natural light. But I'll pass.

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  9. Love it!! I love the various color choices throughout. You should know me by now, I love my color. The only thing I would revise/change is the front entrance. It does not speak come in your welcome here but more of stay out and leave us the hell alone. Having lived in DC I know exactly where this area is. PS-Michael Beschloss-American Historian-lives in this neck of the woods. In this local neighborhood there are a lot of free range to do something different. The area is pretty safe. Love the light/windows and airiness of it all.

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    1. I think we like the same things, but on a larger plot of land, in am ore rural setting, it would be stunning.

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  10. I actually kind of like this but not enough to move to DC.

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    1. The one giant turn-off for me is: no garage.

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  11. VERY Mid-Century.
    I love it. I love most about it, except the place where it's located. This house needs to be in the woods, far from horrible Mc Mansions.

    XOXO

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    1. I totally agree that it needs to be in a much more rural setting!
      xoxo
      Note: it does have Ru's oranges in it!

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  12. I see one AC vent in the exercise room - I can tell you DC is effin miserable in the summer!! I need to see the rest of those AC vents throughout the house - and by the way I had orange and white kitchen cabinets with avocado appliances where I lived for about 10 years in the sixties - but you hardly noticed it because of the garish clothes we wore back then lol - I still have the orange kitchen wastebasket from that place - quite the antique now lol

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    1. I would hope there's AC; that's a selling point.
      I remember the popularity of the avocado appliances. Oy!

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  13. Swoon, there are few things, a lack of parking (one off street space) and some storage issues, no linen closets, no counter space in the baths, I need to see more of the kitchen. The French door ovens are like $10,000 (I lusted over those and bought something less extravagant.) It is a great area, but not transit friendly, Georgetown famously declined a subway station because "you never know who is going to ride public transit."

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    1. I like a garage, so the lack of one is troublesome.

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  14. It's gorgeous, BUT being the lazy bitch that I am, those windows would have to be done by professionals, as would the cleaning of the vent hood over that incredible stove! xoxo

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