Renovation & Restoration

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The fantasy

Fifth generation Washingtonian Carter Cusick has deep roots in the Washington metropolitan area as well as the near by Virginia countryside. Growing up in Washington, Cusick had always been an admirer of the grand old Federalist townhouses common to Georgetown. "The biggest problem with most of the great old homes in Washington is that very few people can afford them. Trying to buy something like that just wasn't practical for me."

The reality

When Cusick bought a nondescript, 1920s rowhouse in upper northwest Washington five years ago, it was definitely not his dream home. "This was a typical Harry Wardman rowhouse with small broken-up rooms, lacking in flow or character", says Cusick of the 1,250-square-foot structure. "They were built in mass by Mr. Wardman in the 1920s and 1930s as affordable housing for government clerks and other workers."

With its long and narrow design, the semi-detached house seemed to crowd in on itself. The line up of social spaces past the house's foyer, living room, kitchen, and seldom used dining room - only emphasized the confining regiment of space. "The floor plan was restrictive," says Cusick. "There just wasn't enough room and it was chopped up."

The upstairs was little better. The master bedroom at the front of the house had an extremely small adjoining bathroom. "I'm not exaggerating when I say two people could not fit in the space at once," he says of the bathroom. "Taking a shower was a claustrophobic experience." On the third floor there was one great big room, but it had no facilities and the access was difficult by way of a steep narrow closet staircase. "It was a terrific space, but for whatever reason it was never really incorporated in the original design and flow of the house."

Getting started

In 2001, Cusick finally resolved to do something about his ordinary rowhouse. Despite the somewhat segmented layout, the underlying bones of the house were solid, and with a little adjustment and updating, Cusick felt like it had the potential to be a real beauty.

The project expands...

The renovation was to be originally limited to a new master bedroom suite on the third floor. As space was cleared on the second floor and ducts and wiring were installed for a new central air-conditioning system, it wasn't long before most of the house was down to studs. "I began with improving the big unused attic space. From there, one renovation led to another until I had literally gutted the whole interior." It was at this point that Cusick and his contractor decided that if there were improvements and upgrades that he wanted, now was the time to do it.

The two biggest issues to the project were construction of a new staircase from the second floor to the third, and a roof addition to accommodate the top of the stairs and the new master bathroom.