Before & After: You’d Never Know This Maryland Cottage Nearly Doubled in Size
A hidden rear extension with an ADU lets three generations come together under one Cape Cod–style roof.
A hidden rear extension with an ADU lets three generations come together under one Cape Cod–style roof.
Sometimes the best things are right under your nose. That was the case for Liz Hottel and her husband, Ryan Hadley, who, when searching for a larger home for their family of three (four, counting the dog), wound up buying the house Liz’s mother, Catherine, had lived in for the past 25 years. The Cape Cod–style home in Silver Spring, Maryland, had everything the couple were looking for: something in the D.C. area with great schools for their son, proximity to the metro, walkability, and, as a bonus, the potential to renovate to include an ADU for Catherine.
Before: Front Exterior
In looking for a new family home, Liz Hottel, who works in independent book selling, and Ryan Hadley, a data analyst, ended up purchasing Liz’s mother’s 1930s cottage in Silver Spring, Maryland, with plans to transform it into a place they could all live.
Frazier Springfield
The couple liked the home’s location: they can walk to the grocery store, gym, restaurants, and the D.C.–area metro.
Frazier Springfield
Originally, the wood-framed cottage had two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. A later renovation awkwardly converted the family room into a bedroom, which added a sleeping area that made the layout cramped. Small windows didn’t bring in much light, and poor insulation gave the home a drafty, damp feel. The basement was unfinished, doubling as a garage and storage space, and the finishes—a mix of colonial and Greek revival elements—lacked cohesion. So did the 1990s kitchen.
After: Front Exterior
The front elevation is unchanged in form, but the home now has a dark color scheme. One exception is the front door, which went from a red to a lighter color.
Frazier Springfield
See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: You’d Never Know This Maryland Cottage Nearly Doubled in Size
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